Purple Innovation, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (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, 2017

☐ 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: 001-37523

GLOBAL PARTNER ACQUISITION CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number: (646) 756-2877

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 and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). Yes  ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting 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 is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes  ☒     No   ☐

As of June 30, 2017, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the common stock outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing sales price for the common stock on June 30, 2017, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, was $154,473,750.

As of January 31, 2018, there were 15,989,770 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Unless otherwise stated in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, references to:

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report, including, without limitation, statements under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act. 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) and other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. These risks and others described under “Risk Factors” may not be exhaustive.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this report. In addition, even if our results or operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this report, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

PART I

Introduction

We are a blank check company incorporated in May 2015 as a Delaware corporation formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

On November 2, 2017, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, as amended on January 8, 2018 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among GPAC, PRPL Acquisition LLC (the “MergerSub”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of GPAC, Purple Innovation LLC (“Purple”) and other parties named thereto. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, GPAC will acquire the Purple business through a merger of MergerSub with and into Purple, with Purple being the survivor in the merger (the “Business Combination”).

Purple was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Alpine, Utah. Purple is a leading comfort technology company with a vision to improve how people sleep, sit and stand. Purple offers a range of mattress, bedding and cushioning products. Its products are the result of over 20 years of innovation and investment in proprietary and patented comfort technologies and the development of its own manufacturing processes. Purple’s Hyper-Elastic Polymer^® technology underpins many of its comfort products and provides a range of benefits that differentiate its offerings from other competitors’ products. Purple primarily sells through a direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) distribution model, which has enabled it to rapidly grow its sales and brand. 

The Business Combination will involve a change to the capital structure of the Company. Each of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (“Common Stock”) will remain outstanding and be renamed as Class A common stock of the Company (“Class A Stock”), with the same voting and other rights currently represented by the shares of Common Stock. In addition, a new class of Class B common stock of the Company (“Class B Stock”) will be created. The Class B Stock will have one vote per share, and will vote together with the Class A Stock, but will have no economic rights. As described further below, the Class B Stock will be issued to InnoHold, LLC, Purple’s current sole common equity holder (“InnoHold”).

 Under the Merger Agreement, InnoHold will receive, as consideration for its existing common units in Purple: (i) cash (the “Cash Consideration”), (ii) newly issued shares of Class B Stock and (iii) newly issued Class B Units (such Class B Units together with the Class B Stock, the “Equity Consideration”). The total merger consideration (the “Merger Consideration”) payable to InnoHold will be determined by a formula which deducts from Purple’s agreed upon enterprise value of $500 million the amount of Purple’s Indebtedness (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and transaction expenses and adds the amount of cash held by Purple. The portion of the Merger Consideration attributable to the Cash Consideration will be determined by deducting from the sum of (i) the cash resources held by the Company at the closing of the Business Combination (the “Closing”) (after provision for the payment of the Company’s expenses and other liabilities and the amounts necessary to satisfy any public stockholder redemptions in connection with the Closing) and (ii) Purple’s remaining cash after paying its transaction expenses, an amount equal to $40 million or such other amount as the Company and Purple may agree in writing on or prior to the Closing. The Equity Consideration will be equal in value to the remainder of the total consideration after calculating the Cash Consideration, with one share of Class B Stock and one Class B Unit valued together at the price per share of the Company’s existing Common Stock to be paid by the Company in the redemption of its public stockholders in connection with the Closing (the “Redemption Price”). The Merger Consideration will be paid at the Closing based on an estimate of the indebtedness, cash and Purple’s transaction expenses, with a post-closing true-up payable in cash (unless the Company does not have sufficient cash reserves, in which case it can pay in additional Class B Stock and Class B Units, together valued at the Redemption Price) to the extent that the actual numbers vary from the estimates.

Pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, GPAC will share with certain of the Purple equity holders certain tax savings resulting from the amortization of the anticipated step-up in tax basis in Purple’s assets as a result of the Business Combination and certain other transactions.

Pursuant to the Sponsor Share Agreement among the Company, the sponsor and InnoHold and the Agreement to Assign Sponsor Warrants among the Company, the sponsor, InnoHold and Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company, as warrant agent, the sponsor will: (a) forfeit 1,293,750 of its founder shares (or 33.3% of its 3,881,250 founder shares), (b) subject another 1,293,750 shares of Company common stock owned by it to vesting and forfeiture based on the common stock price performance of the Company over eight years following the consummation of the Business Combination and (c) transfer to InnoHold its 12,815,000 warrants entitling the holder to purchase 6,407,500 shares of the Company’s common stock or such lesser number of warrants as the Sponsor and InnoHold may agree in writing on or prior to closing of the Business Combination.

Consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement is subject to customary conditions of the respective parties, including the approval of the Business Combination by the Company’s stockholders in accordance with the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the completion of a redemption offer whereby the Company will be providing its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount on deposit in the Company’s trust account. The Merger Agreement and related agreements are further described in the Forms 8-K filed by the Company on November 3, 2017 and January 8, 2018. For additional information regarding Purple, the Merger Agreement and the Business Combination, see the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by the Company on January 16, 2018. We have until February 5, 2018 to complete the Business Combination. We currently anticipate consummating the Business Combination with Purple on February 2, 2018. If the Company does not complete such Business Combination by February 5, 2018, the Company will be required to redeem the public shares of common stock and dissolve and liquidate (see “Item 1 – Business – Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination”).

Other than as specifically discussed, this report does not assume the closing of the Business Combination.

Objective and Business Opportunity

We are focused on seeking and completing an initial business combination with a company that has an enterprise value of between $300 million and $1.5 billion, although a target entity with a smaller or larger enterprise value may be considered. While we may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business industry or sector, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our combined team to identify, acquire and operate a business following the initial business combination. We believe that the characteristics and capabilities of our combined team make us an attractive partner to potential target businesses, enhance our ability to complete a successful business combination and bring value to the business post-business combination. Not only does our combined team bring a combination of operating, investing, financial and transaction experience, but they have also worked together previously on multiple private equity investments, consulting assignments and boards of directors.

Our management team is led by William Kerr, our Chairman, Paul Zepf, our Chief Executive Officer and a director, and Andrew Cook, our Chief Financial Officer. In addition, our combined team includes our other directors (Pano Anthos, Gary DiCamillo and Jeffrey Weiss) and advisors (David Chamberlain, Neal Goldman and Michael Johnston). For a complete discussion of our combined teams’ background and experience, please see “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance—Directors and Executive Officers.” 

We believe the combined team possesses the core characteristics of an ideal team for a special purpose acquisition corporation. This combined team is a mix of what we view to be successful dealmakers or operators, with experience across multiple deal types, including complicated special situations and as senior operators across a variety of businesses and industries, having completed more than 125 transactions collectively. This combined team has built a meaningful proprietary deal sourcing network in a wide range of industries and business lines that should allow us to source deals that other investors could not. Through these endeavors, this combined team has what we believe is a long standing track record of value creation, both as investors and for investors, across the gamut of private equity or direct public and private company investing. Our network and current affiliations across the team allow us to lean heavily on an existing infrastructure of resources that assist in due diligence, underwriting and ultimately structuring an acquisition. We may also leverage our network of third party advisors as needed.

With respect to the foregoing examples, past performance by our management team or sponsor team is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. Furthermore, in considering any past performance information contained herein, you should bear in mind that actual returns depend on, among other factors, future operating results, the value of the investments and market conditions at the time of disposition, any related transaction costs and the timing and manner of sale, all of which may differ from the assumptions on which the overall performance of any prior investments are based.

Business Strategy and Sourcing of Targets

Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, to build a company in an industry that complements the experience and expertise of our combined team. Our acquisition selection process leverages their deep, broad and trusted network of industry, private equity sponsor and lending community relationships as well as their relationships with public and private companies at a board and management level, investment bankers, consultants, attorneys and accountants. We believe this should provide us with a breadth of business combination opportunities as well as opportunities for improving the target’s business post-merger. Over the course of their careers, our combined team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships, which we intend to use to source merger targets which will not be subject to highly competitive auctions. Their capabilities include both deep and diverse strengths, as set forth in the diagrams below:

This network provides our management team with a robust and consistent flow of investment opportunities. Upon completion of our initial public offering, members of our combined team communicated with their networks of relationships to articulate the parameters for our search for a target company and a potential business combination and began the process of pursuing and reviewing promising leads.

The experience and capabilities of our combined team should allow us to drive growth in shareholder value following the business combination. The prior experience of the members of our combined team includes working with companies and increasing value for all stakeholders at the senior management level, as consultants, as board members and as constructive minority stake shareholders. 

Investment Focus

We believe certain non-public companies and their shareholders can benefit from a transaction with us. Acquisition candidates are entities that may need stable, permanent equity financing, but may currently have limited access to the public markets. While targets may be either independent entities or divisions of larger organizations, we believe there is an opportunity for us to provide value. We expect to utilize a pro-active and disciplined approach to sourcing potential deals.

Utilizing our knowledge of the M&A and capital markets as well as various industry sectors, we developed specific investment themes which we believe are actionable for us. The combination of the ability to go public through a merger with us, the capital that we bring to the transaction and the value-added capabilities of our management should be attractive to owners and managers of target companies.

Industry Sector Expertise 

We are focusing our search for business combination targets across a range of industry sectors, in which our combined team has deep knowledge and experience. We believe our investing/deal and senior management operating expertise across multiple industry verticals gives us a sizable addressable universe of potential targets to which we can credibly analyze and enhance value and will, as a result, maximize our chances of completing a business combination in a timely manner and having that entity perform well post-merger.

Multiple members of our combined team have experience in each of the following industry sectors:

We believe the owners of businesses, including private equity firms and management teams, will view the combined expertise, diversity of backgrounds and collective track record of our combined team’s deal sourcing, execution and management capabilities as a positive attribute contributing to our ability to identify attractive acquisition opportunities and structure and complete a successful business combination.

Acquisition Criteria

Consistent with this 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. We may decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. We seek to acquire companies exhibiting the characteristics below:

We may or may not consummate our business combination with a company that exhibits all or any of the qualities above. In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial and other information which will be made available to us.

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

Members of our management team, our directors and members of our sponsor may directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following our initial public offering, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. 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 was 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 another entity pursuant to which such officer or director is required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of such persons will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director 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.

Our executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written letter agreement, not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018. None of our officers or directors has been involved with any blank check companies or special purpose acquisition corporations in the past.

We may pay a member of our combined team (or an entity affiliated with a member of our combined team) a fee for financial advisory services rendered in connection with our identification, negotiation and consummation of our initial business combination. The fee will only be payable upon closing of our initial business combination, and may be paid out of the offering proceeds deposited in the trust account. The per-share amount distributed to any redeeming stockholders upon the completion of our initial business combination will not be reduced as a result of such fee. A majority of disinterested directors will determine the nature and amount of such fee, which will be based upon the prevailing market rate for similar services negotiated at arms’ length for such transactions at such time, but will in no event exceed $3,000,000 in the aggregate. Any such fee will also be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. No such fee will be payable to our Chief Executive Officer.

Significant Activities Since Inception

On August 4, 2015, we consummated our initial public offering of 15,525,000 units, including the full exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option of 2,025,000 units. Each unit consists of one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one-half of one share of common stock at an exercise price of $5.75 per half share ($11.50 per full share). The units were sold in our initial public offering at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $155,250,000 (before underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses). Simultaneously with the consummation of our initial public offering, we completed the private placement of 12,815,000 warrants, issued to our sponsor, generating total proceeds of $6,407,500.

A total of $155,250,000 of the net proceeds from our initial public offering (including the over-allotment) and the private placement with the sponsor were deposited in a trust account established for the benefit of the Company’s public stockholders.  

Our units began trading on July 30, 2015 on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol GPACU. Commencing on August 13, 2015, the securities comprising the units began separate trading. The units, common stock, and warrants are trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbols “GPACU,” “GPAC” and “GPACW,” respectively.

On August 3, 2017, in connection with actions approved by the Company’s stockholders at a special meeting (the “Meeting”), the Company filed Amendment No. 1 to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to extend the date by which the Company must consummate its initial business combination and the date for cessation of operations of the Company if the Company has not completed an initial business combination from August 4, 2017 to November 6, 2017 (or February 5, 2018 if the Company executed a definitive agreement for an initial business combination by November 6, 2017) or such earlier date as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company. On the same such date, the Company entered into an amendment to the Investment Management Trust Agreement between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company extending the date on which to commence liquidation of the trust account in accordance with the Investment Management Trust Agreement, as amended, from August 4, 2017 to November 6, 2017 (or February 5, 2018 if the Company executed a definitive agreement for an initial business combination by November 6, 2017). In connection with the Meeting, stockholders holding 3,416,480 public shares exercised their right to redeem such public shares into a pro rata portion of the trust account. As a result, an aggregate of approximately $34.3 million was removed from the trust account to pay such holders.

As previously discussed, on November 2, 2017, we entered into the Merger Agreement pursuant to which the Company will acquire the Purple business through a merger of MergerSub with and into Purple, with Purple being the survivor in the merger. Purple is a comfort technology company with a differentiated portfolio of products aimed at improving how people sleep, sit and stand. Purple currently offers a portfolio of mattress, bedding and cushioning products through direct-to-consumer and retail channels. 

Initial Business Combination

The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent accounting firm or an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in connection with our initial business combination. We anticipate structuring our initial business combination 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. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Status as a Public Company

We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock or for a combination of shares of our 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 certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with an initial business combination with us.

Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriter’s ability to complete the public offering, as well as general market conditions, which could prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders’ interests. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.

Financial Position

With funds available in the trust account for a business combination in the amount of $117,721,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $4,000,000 of deferred underwriting fees, 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 ratio. Because we are able to complete our 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

General

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations unless we consummate a business combination on or before February 5, 2018. 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 warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. 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 stock 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 business combination or used for redemptions of purchases of our 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 the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the 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.

Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination

The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of the target or targets 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 or value of comparable businesses. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent accounting firm or an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in connection with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management has virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we are not 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 valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test.

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

The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our 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.

We may pay a member of our combined team (or an entity affiliated with a member of our combined team) a fee for financial advisory services rendered in connection with our identification, negotiation and consummation of our initial business combination. The fee will only be payable upon closing of our initial business combination, and may be paid out of the offering proceeds deposited in the trust account. The per-share amount distributed to any redeeming stockholders upon the completion of our initial business combination will not be reduced as a result of such fee. A majority of disinterested directors will determine the nature and amount of such fee, which will be based upon the prevailing market rate for similar services negotiated at arms’ length for such transactions at such time, but will in no event exceed $3,000,000 in the aggregate. Any such fee will also be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. No such fee will be payable to our Chief Executive Officer.

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. By completing our business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:

Limited ability to evaluate the target’s management team

Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s 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. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our 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 a 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

In the event we seek stockholder approval of our business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. 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. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. They will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. We have adopted an insider trading policy which requires insiders to refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and to clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.

In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. 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.

The purpose of such purchases would be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the business combination or (ii) 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 business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our common stock 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 the 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.

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 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 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 initial stockholder, officers and directors have entered into letter agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may hold 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 common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek stockholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. 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, as amended, would require stockholder approval. 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 requirement or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons.

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, as amended:

Upon the public announcement of our business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our 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 purchase 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 may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (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, as amended:

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 business combination. In such case, our initial stockholder has agreed to vote its founder shares and any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering in favor of our initial business combination, and our officers and directors have also agreed to vote any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial stockholder, officers and directors have entered into letter agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed 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 business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all shares of 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 business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, 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 10% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 10% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem no more than 10% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our business combination.

Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights

We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $35.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the stockholders meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our business combination.

If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.

If our initial proposed business combination is not completed by February 5, 2018, we will cease operations.

Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination

Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed that if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018, 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 (less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) 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 liquidation 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 warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our business combination by February 5, 2018.

Our initial stockholder has entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which it has waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to its founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018. However, if our initial stockholder (or any of our officers, directors or affiliates) acquire public shares in or after our initial public offering, 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 February 5, 2018.

Our executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules).

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 $220,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account (as of December 31, 2017) and the remaining $400,000 available under the $1,000,000 loan from our sponsor (as described below), although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. 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 taxes, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $50,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses. On November 1, 2017, the Company issued a promissory note (the “November 2017 Sponsor Note”) to the sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,000,000. The November 2017 Sponsor Note does not bear interest and can be drawn down in any amount upon five business days’ notice to the sponsor. As of the date of this report, the Company has drawn $600,000 from the November 2017 Sponsor Note. Under the November 2017 Sponsor Note, the Company has the option to convert any unpaid balance into shares of common stock based on a share price of $10.00 per share.  The sponsor is also entitled to receive a capital commitment fee in the amount of $50,000 in consideration of its agreement to commit to make the loan to the Company.  The November 2017 Sponsor Note is repayable in full upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the consummation of the Business Combination, (ii) February 28, 2018 and (iii) the date that the winding up of the Company is effective.

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of our initial public offering, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. 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 $10.00. 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 have sought to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), 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. 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. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, Paul Zepf, our Chief Executive Officer, has agreed to be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 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 other than due to the failure to obtain such waiver, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except 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, then Mr. Zepf will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We cannot assure you, however, that Mr. Zepf would be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our other officers 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) $10.00 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 other than due to the failure to obtain such waiver, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and Mr. Zepf asserts that he is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that he has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against Mr. Zepf to enforce his indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against Mr. Zepf to enforce his indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.00 per share. We will seek to reduce the possibility that Mr. Zepf will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), 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. Mr. Zepf 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. We will have access to up to approximately $220,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account (as of December 31, 2017), as well as the remaining $400,000 available under the November 2017 Sponsor Note, 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 $50,000).

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 business combination by February 5, 2018 may be considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law. Delaware law provides that if a 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 business combination by February 5, 2018, is not considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, 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 liquidation distribution. If we are unable to complete our business combination by February 5, 2018, 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 (net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes and less up to $50,000 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 liquidation 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 after February 5, 2018 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 will not be 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 will be 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 will seek to have all vendors, service providers, 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) $10.00 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 other than due to the failure to obtain such waiver, in each case net of the amount of interest withdrawn to pay taxes and less any per-share amounts distributed from our trust account to our public stockholders in the event we are unable to complete our business combination by February 5, 2018 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, Mr. Zepf 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 $10.00 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 all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and 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 in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete our business combination by February 5, 2018 or if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial business combination. 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 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 described above.

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, contains certain requirements and restrictions relating to our initial public offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such vote. Our initial stockholder, officers and directors have entered into letter agreements with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended provides, among other things, that:

These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that we may consummate our initial business combination only if approved by a majority of the shares of common stock voted by our stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting.

Competition

In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our 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 acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition 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 warrants, 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 two executive officers. While Mr. Zepf currently devotes the substantial majority of his time to our affairs, other members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that Mr. Zepf or any other members of our management devote in any time period varies based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

Our units, common stock and warrants are registered under the Exchange Act and 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 contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public auditors.

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 GAAP. We cannot assure you that any particular target business identified by us as a potential acquisition 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 GAAP. To the extent that this requirement cannot be met, we may not be able to acquire the proposed target business. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls. As long as we maintain our status as an emerging growth company, however, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

We 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 the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our 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 during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act. 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider all of the following risk factors and all the other information contained in this report, including the financial statements. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risk factors described below are not necessarily exhaustive and you are encouraged to perform your own investigation with respect to us and our business. For risk factors related to Purple Innovation, LLC and the Business Combination, see the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by the Company on January 16, 2018.

We are an early stage company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

We are an early stage company with no operating results. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We may be unable to complete our business combination. If we fail to complete our business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

We may not hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable state law or NASDAQ rules or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, the NASDAQ rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination. However, except as required by law or the NASDAQ rules, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in 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 otherwise require us to seek stockholder approval. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock do not approve of the business combination we consummate.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, after approval of our board, our initial stockholder and our officers and directors have agreed to vote any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering in favor of our initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.

Unlike many other blank check companies in which the initial stockholder agrees to vote its founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by the public stockholders in connection with an initial business combination, after approval of our board, our initial stockholder has agreed to vote its founder shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering, in favor of our initial business combination. Our initial stockholder owns 20.0% of our outstanding shares of common stock. In addition, our officers and directors have also agreed to vote any public shares purchased during or after our initial public offering in favor of our initial business combination. Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, after approval of our board, it is more likely that the necessary stockholder approval will be received than would be the case if our initial stockholder and our officers and directors agreed to vote their founder shares and public shares, as applicable, in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public stockholders.

Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek stockholder approval of the business combination.

At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of one or more target businesses. Since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking stockholder approval (unless stockholder approval is required by law or NASDAQ rules, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business, legal or other reasons), public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such stockholder vote. Accordingly, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our initial business combination.

The ability of our public stockholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.

We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (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. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.

The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.

The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your stock.

If our business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your stock in the open market; however, at such time our stock may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your stock in the open market.

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.

Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination by such date. If we have not completed our initial business combination by such date, 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 (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 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 liquidation 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.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public stockholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our common stock.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, executive officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the 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 business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our common stock and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed.

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of our common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, and (ii) the redemption of our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination by February 5, 2018, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In addition, if our plan to redeem our public shares if we are unable to complete an initial business combination by February 5, 2018, for any reason, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond February 5, 2018 before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

Since the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the United States securities laws. However, because we have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means that we will have a longer period of time to complete our business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if our initial public offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of stockholders are deemed to hold 10% or more of our common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 10% of our common stock.

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, as amended, 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 an aggregate of 10% or more of the shares sold in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares.” However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 10% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We have encountered and expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources are relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable is limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, if we are obligated to pay cash for the shares of common stock redeemed and, in the event we seek stockholder approval of our business combination, we make purchases of our common stock, potentially reducing the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. 

If the net proceeds of our initial public offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate until February 5, 2018, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate until February 5, 2018, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We believe that the funds available to us outside of the trust account are sufficient to allow us to operate until February 5, 2018; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

If the net proceeds of our initial public offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our business combination.

Of the net proceeds of our initial public offering, only approximately $220,000 (as of December 31, 2017) are available to us outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In addition, we have $400,000 available to us (as of December 31, 2017) remaining under the November 2017 Sponsor Note. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our stock price, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

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

If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), 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, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not 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 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. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Paul Zepf, our Chief Executive Officer, has agreed to be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 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 the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, Mr. Zepf will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether Mr. Zepf has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and, therefore, Mr. Zepf may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked Mr. Zepf to reserve for such eventuality.

Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our Chief Executive Officer, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per share or (ii) other than due to the failure to obtain such waiver such lesser amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and Mr. Zepf asserts that he is unable to satisfy his obligations or that he has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against Mr. Zepf to enforce his indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against Mr. Zepf to enforce his indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, 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 all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, 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, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our business combination.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. The proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Because the investment of the proceeds will be restricted to these instruments, we believe we will meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to consummate a business combination. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we are required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, or 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 February 5, 2018 may be considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law. If a 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. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following February 5, 2018 in the event we do not complete our business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures.

Because we will not be 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 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be 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. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, 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 likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. 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 beyond the third anniversary of such date. 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 by February 5, 2018 is not considered a liquidation distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, 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 liquidation distribution. 

We did not register the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at the time of our initial public offering, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants and causing such warrants to expire worthless.

We did not register the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants issued in our initial public offering under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at the time of our initial public offering. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, to use our best efforts to file a registration statement under the Securities Act covering such shares and maintain a current prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants issued in our initial public offering are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, unless an exemption is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement or register or qualify the shares under blue sky laws. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of common stock included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying shares of common stock for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholder and holders of our private placement warrants may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Pursuant to an agreement entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in our initial public offering, our initial stockholder and its permitted transferees can demand that we register the founder shares, holders of our private placement warrants and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our common stock that is expected when the securities owned by our initial stockholder, holders of our private placement warrants or their respective permitted transferees are registered.

Because we are not limited to a particular industry or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

We will seek to complete a business combination with an operating company in one of a number of potential industries, including technology, media, financial services, industrials and consumer/retail, but may also pursue acquisition opportunities with other characteristics, except that we will not, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, be permitted to effectuate our business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. To the extent we complete our business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or an early stage entity. Although our officers, directors and members of our sponsor will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our shares will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the tender offer or proxy statement materials relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission. 

We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors outside the technology, media, financial services, industrials and consumer/retail sectors which may or may not be outside of our management’s area of expertise.

We will consider an initial business combination outside the technology, media, financial services, industrials and consumer/retail sectors (which sectors may or may not be outside our management’s areas of expertise) if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an acquisition opportunity for our company. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in any particular business combination candidate, we cannot assure you that we will adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our securities will not ultimately prove to be less favorable to investors in our initial public offering than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in a business combination candidate. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this report regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire.

Although we identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We may seek investment opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings.

To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include volatile revenues or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking or accounting firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Unless we complete our business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking or accounting firm that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

We may issue additional common or preferred shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination, which would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, authorizes the issuance of up to 35,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. There are currently 1,423,750 authorized but unissued shares of common stock available for issuance, which amount takes into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants. We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:

Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, Mr. Zepf and our other executive officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our executive officers and directors, at least until we have completed our business combination. In addition, our executive officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or executive officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Our ability to successfully effect our business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.

None of our executive officers or directors has ever been associated with a special purpose acquisition corporation and such lack of experience could adversely affect our ability to consummate a business combination.

None of our executive officers or directors has ever been associated with a special purpose acquisition corporation. Accordingly, you may not have sufficient information with which to evaluate their ability to identify and consummate a business combination using the proceeds of our initial public offering. Our management’s lack of experience in operating a special purpose acquisition corporation could adversely affect our ability to consummate a business combination and could result in our not completing a business combination in the prescribed time frame.

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.

Our key personnel may be able to remain with the company after the completion of our business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the tender offer or proxy statement materials relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place. 

Our executive officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

While Mr. Zepf currently expects to devote the substantial majority of his time to our affairs, our other executive officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our business combination. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our executive officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Certain of our executive officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

Until we consummate our initial business combination, we will continue to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and executive officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business.

Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business opportunity should be presented to our company or to another entity. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any officer or director 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.

Our executive officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, executive officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or executive officers, although we do not intend to do so. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

Members of our management team directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following our initial public offering, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. 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 was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our executive officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.

In light of the involvement of our sponsor, executive officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, executive officers and directors. Our directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Although we are not specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent accounting firm or independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our executive officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest. 

Since our sponsor, executive officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

In May 2015, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 3,881,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.006 per share. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 12,815,000 private placement warrants, each exercisable for one-half of one share of our common stock at $5.75 per half share, for a purchase price of $6,407,500 or $0.50 per warrant, that will also be worthless if we do not complete a business combination.

The founder shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units sold in our initial public offering. However, the holders have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed business combination and (B) not to redeem any shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination.

The personal and financial interests of our executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.

Since our sponsor, executive officers and directors will not be eligible to be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses if our business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

At the closing of our initial business combination, our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. In the event our business combination is completed, there is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf. However, our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will not be eligible for any such reimbursement if our business combination is not completed and we do not have funds outside the trust account. These financial interests of our sponsor, executive officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination and completing an initial business combination.

We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.

In January 2017, we issued a promissory note to our sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,200,000 and an interest rate of 7.5% per annum. The note was repaid, together with approximately $57,000 of accrued interest, on September 5, 2017. On November 1, 2017, we issued the November 2017 Sponsor Note to the sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,000,000. The November 2017 Sponsor Note does not bear interest and can be drawn down in any amount upon five business days' notice to the sponsor. As of the date of this report, the Company has drawn $600,000 from the November 2017 Sponsor Note. We may choose to incur additional debt to complete our business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.

The net proceeds from our initial public offering and the private placement of warrants (less redemptions of public shares of approximately $34.3 million in August 2017) have provided us with approximately $117,721,000 (excluding $220,000 held outside the trust as of December 31, 2017) that we may use to complete our initial business combination and pay deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account.

We may effectuate our business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our business combination.

We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.

If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.

We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. By definition, very little public information exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.

We may structure a business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.

 We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete a business combination with which a substantial majority of our stockholders do not agree.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, does not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (such 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. As a result, we may be able to complete our business combination even if a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.

The exercise price for the public warrants is higher than in many similar blank check company offerings in the past, and, accordingly, the warrants are more likely to expire worthless.

The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than is typical in many similar blank check companies in the past. Historically, the exercise price of a warrant was generally a fraction of the purchase price of the units in the initial public offering. The exercise price for our public warrants is $5.75 per half share, or $11.50 per whole share. As a result, the warrants are less likely to ever be in the money and more likely to expire worthless.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our stockholders may not support.

In order to effectuate a business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and changed industry focus. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company’s pre-business combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of the company’s stockholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company’s public stockholders. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that any of its provisions related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of our initial public offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, may be amended by holders of a majority of our common stock, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or NASDAQ rules. Our initial stockholder, who beneficially own 20.0% of our common stock, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended.

Our sponsor, executive officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination by February 5, 2018, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of 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 (net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in letter agreements that we have entered into with our sponsor, executive officers and directors. Our public stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, executive officers and directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our public stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.

If the net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants prove to be insufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to repurchase for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. The current economic environment has made it especially difficult for companies to obtain acquisition financing. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Our initial stockholder controls a substantial interest in us and thus may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

Our initial stockholder owns 20.0% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, it may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended. If our initial stockholder or our officers and directors purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase such control.

In addition, our board of directors is divided into two classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of two years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholder, because of its ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholder will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our business combination.

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders with the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants.

Our warrants are issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the warrants with the consent of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our common stock equals or exceeds $24.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by their initial purchasers or their permitted transferees.

Our warrants may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our business combination.

We issued warrants to purchase 7,762,500 shares of our common stock as part of the units offered in our initial public offering and, simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering, we issued in a private placement an aggregate of 12,815,000 private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one-half of one share of common stock at $5.75 per half share. To the extent we issue shares of common stock to effectuate a business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of common stock upon exercise of these warrants could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Such warrants, when exercised, will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our common stock and reduce the value of the shares of common stock issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our warrants may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees, (i) they will not be redeemable by us, (ii) they (including the common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis.

Because each warrant is exercisable for only one-half of one share of our common stock, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.

Each warrant is exercisable for one-half of one share of common stock. Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of shares of common stock. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of common stock to be issued to the warrant holder. As a result, warrant holders not purchasing an even number of warrants must sell an odd number of warrants in order to obtain full value from the fractional interest that will not be issued. This is different from other initial public offerings similar to ours whose units include one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for half of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if our units included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes Oxley Act”), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of NASDAQ and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our business and operating results. We may need to hire more employees in the future or engage outside consultants to comply with these requirements, which will increase our costs and expenses.

A market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.

The price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.

NASDAQ may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

Our securities are currently listed on NASDAQ. However, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be, listed on NASDAQ in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on NASDAQ prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in stockholders’ equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 round lot holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with NASDAQ’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on NASDAQ. For instance, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4 per share and our stockholders’ equity would generally be required to be at least $5 million. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

On August 28, 2017, we received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of NASDAQ, indicating that, based upon our non-compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(3), which requires an issuer to report a minimum of 300 public holders of its common stock (the “Minimum Holders Rule”), we would be required to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Minimum Holders Rule for the NASDAQ staff’s consideration.

On October 18, 2017, the NASDAQ staff advised us that they accepted our plan and granted us an extension until February 26, 2018 to evidence compliance with the Minimum Holders Rule. If we do not evidence compliance by such date, the NASDAQ staff will notify us that it will delist our securities. We would be entitled to request a hearing, at which hearing we would present our plan to a NASDAQ Hearings Panel and request the continued listing of our securities on NASDAQ pursuant to and pending the completion of such plan. During the pendency of the hearing process, our securities would continue to be listed on NASDAQ.

The compliance plan sets forth the actions we plan to take to enable us to have at least 300 public holders subsequent to the closing of the business combination. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to meet the listing standards of NASDAQ at the closing, or if we do, that we will continue to meet the listing requirements after the closing. If we are delisted prior to the closing of the Business Combination, the Business Combination may not be completed.

On January 4, 2018, we received written notice from the NASDAQ staff indicating that, based upon our non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(a), which requires an issuer to hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of its fiscal year-end (the “Annual Meeting Rule”), we would be required to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Annual Meeting Rule for the NASDAQ staff’s consideration by no later than February 20, 2018. We intend to present NASDAQ with a plan to regain compliance with such rule by holding a combined annual meeting for both 2016 and 2017 in 2018 subsequent to the Business Combination.

If NASDAQ delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

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

Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.

The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statements may also be required to be prepared in accordance with GAAP in connection with our current report on Form 8-K announcing the closing our initial business combination within four business days following such closing. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire 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 are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the 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 nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

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

Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with this report. As long as we maintain our status as an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common stock and could entrench management.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, contains provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside the United States, or with operations located outside the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

If we effect our initial business combination with a company located outside the United States, or with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:

We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

None.

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. Our executive office is located at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 11^th Floor, New York, New York 10020. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee that we pay our sponsor for office space, utilities and administrative services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

To the knowledge of our management, 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.

Not applicable.

PART II

(a) Market Information

Our units, common stock and warrants are each traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbols “GPACU,” “GPAC” and “GPACW, respectively. Our units commenced public trading on July 30, 2015, and our common stock and warrants commenced public trading on August 13, 2015.

The table below sets forth, for the calendar quarter indicated, the high and low bid prices of our units, common stock and warrants as reported on the Nasdaq for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

On January 30, 2018, our common stock had a closing price of $10.02, our warrants had a closing price of $0.69 and our units had a closing price of $10.74.

(b) Holders

On January 31, 2018, there was one holder of record of our units, two holders of record of our common stock and two holders of record of our warrants. 

(c) Dividends

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 business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

(d) Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans.

None.

(e) Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

(f) Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None. 

The following table sets forth selected historical financial information derived from our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this report as of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the period from May 19, 2015 (date of inception) to December 31, 2015. You should read the following selected financial data in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this report.

The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report. References to the “Company,” “us” or “we” refer to Global Partner Acquisition Corp.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this section and other parts of this Form 10-K regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 10-K, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s 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.

Overview

We are a blank check company incorporated on May 19, 2015 as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (“Business Combination”). We intend to effectuate the Business Combination using cash from the proceeds of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Public Offering”) that closed on August 4, 2015 (less redemptions on August 3, 2017) and a sale of warrants in a private placement that occurred simultaneously with the completion of the Public Offering (the “Private Placement Warrants”), our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.

The issuance of additional shares of our stock in a Business Combination:

Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:

On January 11, 2017, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Sequel Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, Sequel Acquisition, LLC (the “MergerSub”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, Sequel Youth and Family Services, LLC (“Sequel”) and other parties named thereto. Pursuant to the Sequel Merger Agreement, the Company agreed to acquire the Sequel business through a merger of MergerSub with and into Sequel, with Sequel being the survivor in the merger (the “Sequel Business Combination”). On May 19, 2017, the Company received notice from Sequel that Sequel terminated the Sequel Merger Agreement since the transactions contemplated by the Sequel Merger Agreement were not completed on or prior to May 15, 2017 as required.

On September 1, 2017, the Company received a $2,500,000 fee for releasing a third party from a non-circumvention agreement with the Company relating to the Sequel Business Combination. In connection with the receipt of this payment by the Company, the Company paid down approximately $2,250,000 of accrued liabilities relating to that the Sequel Business Combination, including the principal amount of the Sponsor Note of $1,200,000 together with approximately $57,000 of accrued interest.

On August 3, 2017, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, pursuant to an “Extension Amendment,” to extend the date by which the Company must (i) consummate a Business Combination, (ii) cease its operations if it fails to complete such Business Combination, and (iii) redeem or repurchase 100% of the Company’s common stock included as part of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering that was consummated on August 4, 2015 from February 5, 2018 to November 6, 2017 (or February 5, 2018 if the Company has executed a definitive agreement for a business combination by November 6, 2017) or such earlier date as determined by the Board. Under the Extension Amendment, public stockholders had the right to redeem their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account and shareholders representing 3,416,480 shares elected to redeem their shares as further discussed in Notes 4 and 5 to the Company’s financial statements.

On November 1, 2017, the Company issued a promissory note (the “November 2017 Sponsor Note”) to the sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,000,000. The November 2017 Sponsor Note does not bear interest and can be drawn down in any amount upon five business days' notice to the sponsor. As of the date of this report, the Company has drawn $600,000 from the November 2017 Sponsor Note. Under the November 2017 Sponsor Note, the Company has the option to convert any unpaid balance into shares of common stock based on a share price of $10.00 per share.  The sponsor is also entitled to receive a capital commitment fee in the amount of $50,000 in consideration of its agreement to commit to make the loan to the Company.  The November 2017 Sponsor Note is repayable in full upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the consummation of the Business Combination, (ii) February 28, 2018 and (iii) the date that the winding up of the Company is effective.

On November 2, 2017, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) by and among the Company, PRPL Acquisition, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), Purple Innovation, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Purple”), InnoHold, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the sole equity holder of Purple (“InnoHold”), and the Sponsor, solely in its capacity thereunder as the representative of the Parent after the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company agreed to acquire Purple’s business through a merger of Merger Sub with and into Purple, with Purple being the survivor in the merger (the “Business Combination,” and together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and agreements attached thereto, the “Transactions”). The Merger Agreement and the Transactions were unanimously approved by the board of directors of the Company.

Purple is a comfort technology company with products aimed at improving how people sleep, sit and stand. Purple currently offers mattress, bedding and cushioning products through direct-to-consumer and retail channels. Purple is based in Alpine, UT, was organized as a Delaware limited liability company in 2010 and changed its name to Purple Innovation, LLC in January 2017. Additional information regarding Purple, the Business Combination and the Transactions is available in the Forms 8-K that were filed by the Company on November 3, 2017 and January 8, 2018, the preliminary proxy statements filed by the Company on November 6, 2017 and January 9, 2018 and the definitive proxy statement filed by the Company on January 16, 2018.

As a result of entering into the Merger Agreement, the Company will have until February 5, 2018 to complete the Business Combination. However, there can be no assurances that the Company will complete the Business Combination. See “Risk Factors” in the definitive proxy statement filed by the Company on January 16, 2018.

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at December 31, 2017, we had approximately $220,000 in cash. We expect to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete our Business Combination will be successful.

Results of Operations

For the period from May 19, 2015 (inception) through December 31, 2017 our activities consisted of formation and preparation for the Public Offering and, subsequent to the Public Offering, locating and completing a suitable Business Combination. As such, we had no operations or significant operating expenses in 2015 until August 2015 and then such costs were largely associated with our governance and public reporting, insurance, as well as state franchise taxes. Our operating costs for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were approximately $2,220,000 and $2,657,000, respectively, and are largely associated with our governance and public reporting, insurance, as well as state franchise taxes of approximately $100,000 and $100,000, respectively, and charges of $10,000 per month from our Sponsor for administrative services as well as, in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, approximately $1,300,000 and $2,180,000 of costs associated with the potential initial business combination and extension. Interest income earned on our U.S. government treasury bills totaled approximately $1,036,000 and $330,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. The increase in interest income in the year ended December 31, 2017, despite a reduction in the funds in the trust account due to redemptions in August 2017, results from the higher yields on U.S. government treasury bills compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.

During the year ended December 31, 2017 the Company received a $2,500,000 fee for releasing a third party from a non-circumvention agreement with the Company relating to the Sequel Business Combination. In connection with the receipt of this payment by the Company, the Company paid down approximately $2,250,000 of accrued liabilities relating to that business combination, including the Sponsor Note for $1,200,000 together with approximately $57,000 of accrued interest

The provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2017 reflects the federal income taxes on income from the trust account, net of expenses that are currently deductible.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

On August 4, 2015, we consummated the Public Offering of an aggregate of 15,525,000 units (including the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option) at a price of $10.00 per unit generating gross proceeds of approximately $155,250,000 before underwriting discounts and expenses. Simultaneously with the consummation of the Public Offering, we consummated the private placement of 12,815,000 Private Placement Warrants, each exercisable to purchase one-half of one share of our common stock at $5.75 per half share ($11.50 per whole share), to the Sponsor, at a price of $0.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds, before expenses, of approximately $6,408,000. We received net proceeds from the Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants of approximately $156,550,000, net of the non-deferred portion of the underwriting commissions of $4,658,000 and offering costs and other expenses of approximately $450,000. $155,250,000 of the proceeds from the Public Offering and the concurrent private placement were deposited into the trust account and are not available to us for operations (other than amounts identified for payment of taxes).

Until the consummation of the Public Offering, the Company’s only sources of liquidity were the initial purchase of Founder Shares for $25,000 by the Sponsor, and a total of $225,000 loaned by the Sponsor against the issuance of an unsecured promissory note. These loans were non-interest bearing and were paid in full on August 4, 2015 in connection with the closing of the Public Offering.

On January 12, 2017, the Company issued a promissory note to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor Note”). The note permitted the Company to borrow money from time to time from the Sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,200,000 with an interest rate of 7.5% per annum. During January 2017, the Company borrowed $1,200,000 under the note. The Company used the proceeds from such borrowings for ongoing operational expenses and certain other expenses in connection with the Company’s Initial Business Combination. The note was repaid, together with approximately $57,000 of accrued interest, on September 5, 2017.

On September 1, 2017, the Company received a $2,500,000 fee in exchange for releasing a third party from a non-circumvention agreement with the Company relating to the Sequel Business Combination. In connection with the receipt of this payment by the Company, the Company paid down approximately $2,250,000 of accrued liabilities relating to that business combination, including the Sponsor Note for $1,200,000 together with approximately $57,000 of accrued interest.

On November 1, 2017, the Company executed a second Sponsor Note for up to $1,000,000 to cover certain Business Combination fees and expenses. The Sponsor Note does not bear interest and can be drawn down in any amount upon five business days’ notice to the Sponsor. On November 2, 2017, the Company drew $600,000 under the Sponsor Note. Under the Sponsor Note, the Company has the option to convert any unpaid balance into shares of common stock based on a share price of $10.00 per share. The Sponsor is also entitled to receive a capital commitment fee in the amount of $50,000 in consideration of its agreement to commit to make the loan to the Company. The Sponsor Note is repayable in full upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the consummation of the Business Combination, (ii) February 28, 2018 and (iii) the date that the winding up of the Company is effective.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, approximately $617,000 of cash was used in operations and we drew down $1,800,000, and then paid off $1,200,000, under the Sponsor notes. At December 31, 2017, we had approximately $220,000 of cash available, and $400,000 available for drawdown under the Sponsor Note, outside of the trust account to fund our search for a Business Combination. We believe that we have sufficient resources to fund our operations and our search for a Business Combination through the period that ends with our liquidation.

Off-balance sheet financing arrangements

We have no obligations, assets or liabilities which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements. 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 entered into any non-financial assets.

Contractual obligations

At December 30, 2017, we did not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities. In connection with the Public Offering, in July 2015 we entered into an Administrative Services Agreement with our Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company pays $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and administrative support. Upon the earlier of the completion of the Initial Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company will cease paying the monthly fee.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. The Company has identified the following as its critical accounting policies:

Emerging Growth Company

Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

The Company complies with the accounting and disclosure requirements in ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” Net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Shares of common stock subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2017 have been excluded from the calculation of basic income per share for the year ended December 31, 2017 since such shares, if redeemed, only participate in their pro rata share of the trust account. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the fully diluted calculation adds back the shares subject to redemption in computing fully diluted shares outstanding as such shares are dilutive in that year, The Company has not considered the effect of warrants sold in the Public Offering and the concurrent private placement to purchase 14,170,000 shares of common stock in the calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, since the exercise of the warrants into shares of common stock is contingent upon the occurrence of future events. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the fully diluted calculation adds back the shares subject to redemption as such shares are dilutive in that year.

Financial Instruments

The fair value of the Company's assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheets.

Income Taxes

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. The Company’s currently taxable income consists of interest income on the trust account net of taxes paid. The Company’s costs are generally considered start-up costs and are not currently deductible. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recorded income tax expense of approximately $406,000 primarily related to interest income earned on the Trust Account net of franchise taxes paid. The Company’s effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2017 was 34%, which does not differ significantly from the expected income tax rate. On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act was enacted into law resulting in a reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% for years beginning in 2018. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company has a deferred tax asset of approximately $310,000 (reflecting a reduction of approximately $210,000 resulting from the lower rate under which those deferred taxes would be expected to be recovered or settled) and $225,000, respectively, related to net operating loss carryforwards (which begin to expire in 2035) and start-up costs. Management has determined that a full valuation allowance of the deferred tax asset is appropriate at this time.

Redeemable Common Stock

All of the shares of common stock sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such common stock under the Company's liquidation or tender offer/stockholder approval provisions. In accordance with FASB ASC 480, redemption provisions not solely within the control of the Company require the security to be classified outside of permanent equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which involve the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity's equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of FASB ASC 480. Although the Company does not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that in no event will the Company redeem its Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (stockholders' equity) to be less than $5,000,001.

The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and adjusts the carrying value of the security to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Increases or decreases in the carrying amount of redeemable common stock are affected by charges against additional paid-in capital.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

The net proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account are invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

Reference is made to Pages F-1 through F-14 comprising a portion of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Supplementary Data (unaudited)

The following table presents selected unaudited quarterly financial data of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the period from May 19, 2015 (date of inception) to December 31, 2015.

None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer (together, the “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 effective as of the end of the period covered by this Report.

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 Certifying Officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on the criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission for newly public companies (COSO). Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

None.

PART III

Directors and Executive Officers 

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

William Kerr has served as the chairman of our board of directors since our initial public offering. Since May 2013, Mr. Kerr has been a partner of Eaglepoint Advisors (“Eaglepoint”), a consulting firm that works primarily with middle-market retail, consumer goods, media, technology and industrial companies and their constituencies. From 1991 until January 2010, Mr. Kerr was Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and finally non-executive chairman of Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP) a diversified media company. From January 2010 through January 2013, Mr. Kerr served as Chief Executive Officer of Arbitron, Inc., a leading media and marketing services firm. He assumed this position from his role as an independent director when the company faced a managerial crisis, and led the sale of the company to Nielsen in September 2013. Mr. Kerr has served on the board of directors of each of The Interpublic Group, a marketing solutions provider, from 2006 to the present and Penton Media, an information services company, from 2006 to November 2016. Mr. Kerr has also served on the board of directors of Whirlpool Corporation, Maytag Corporation, Principal Financial Group and StorageTek. Earlier in his career, from 1973 to 1979 he was a consultant with McKinsey and from 1979 to 1991 a Vice President of The New York Times Company. Mr. Kerr holds an M.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard University; a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar; and a B.A. from the University of Washington. Mr. Kerr is a member of our sponsor. He is well-qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive operational, financial and management background. We anticipate that Mr. Kerr will resign from his position as director, effective upon the closing of the Business Combination.

Paul Zepf has served as our Chief Executive Officer since our inception. Since September 2017, Mr. Zepf has served as a venture partner at TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. From February 2014 to June 2015, Mr. Zepf had been a managing director and Head of Strategic Initiatives at Golub Capital. Prior to joining Golub Capital, from March 2005 to February 2014, Mr. Zepf was a managing principal of Corporate Partners II Ltd, a Lazard-sponsored private equity fund formed to acquire significant stakes in public and private companies. The Corporate Partners funds focused on making privately negotiated minority stake and control investments in companies in need of capital for balance sheet repair, growth capital, or consolidations/acquisitions. Following the February 2009 spin-off of Corporate Partners from Lazard, Mr. Zepf also served as managing principal of Corporate Partners Management LLC until February 2014. Prior to that, from 2001 to 2009, he was also co-head of Lazard North American Private Equity, and, from 2001 to 2005, a managing director of Lazard LLC. Mr. Zepf was a managing principal of Lazard Alternative Investments from 2005 to 2009 and of Lazard Capital Partners from 2001 to 2009. Previously, from 1998 to 2001, Mr. Zepf was a managing director of Corporate Partners I and of Centre Partners, a middle market private equity firm. He started his career in the Merchant Banking Department at Morgan Stanley & Co. in 1987. From December 2006 to May 2017, Mr. Zepf was a member of the board of directors of Ironshore Ltd, a global specialty property casualty insurance company, and since June 2015 he has provided limited consulting services to an investment management company. Mr. Zepf has also served on the board of directors of BIH Holdings and CP Financial. Mr. Zepf received a B.A. and graduated with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Zepf is the managing member of our sponsor. He is well-qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive investing and financial background. We anticipate that Mr. Zepf will resign from his positions as director and chief executive officer, effective upon the closing of the Business Combination.

Andrew Cook has served as our Chief Financial Officer since our inception. Mr. Cook has been a director and audit committee chairman of Blue Capital Reinsurance Holdings Ltd (NYSE: BCRH) since September 2013. Since April 2015 he has also been a director and investment committee chairman of GreyCastle Life Reinsurance (SAC) Ltd. a Bermuda based entity that participates in the life reinsurance run-off space. He served as President of Alterra Bermuda Ltd. from October 2010 to June 2013, in addition to his position as EVP — Business Development. Previously, Mr. Cook served as Chief Financial Officer of Harbor Point Ltd. from 2006 until its merger with Max Capital Corp., the combination forming Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd, in May 2010. He also served from 2006 to 2010 as deputy chairman, President and Chief Financial officer of Harbor Point Re Ltd. While at Alterra, Mr. Cook was President and Chief Executive Officer of its New Point Limited reinsurance sidecar vehicles. From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Cook was the founding Chief Financial Officer of Axis Capital Holdings Ltd. Prior to that, he served as founding Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of LaSalle Re Holdings, Ltd. Mr. Cook qualified as a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant in 1986. Mr. Cook holds a BA from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Cook is a member of our sponsor. We anticipate that Mr. Cook will resign from his position as chief financial officer upon the closing of the Business Combination.

Gary T. DiCamillo has served as our vice chairman of our board of directors since our initial public offering. Since June 2017, he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Trailer Corporation, a manufacturer of leading lifestyle and utility trailer brands. Since January 2010, Mr. DiCamillo has been the managing partner of Eaglepoint Advisors, LLC, a privately held advisor to boards and chief executive officers in matters of strategy, organization and the management of business transition issues. Prior to that he was the former president and chief executive officer of Advantage Resourcing (formerly known as RADIA International), a group of privately held technical, professional and commercial staffing companies based in Dedham, Massachusetts, from 2002 until August 2009. Previously, he was chairman and chief executive officer at the Polaroid Corporation from 1996 to 2002. He also has served as president of Worldwide Power Tools and Accessories at Black & Decker Corporation from 1986 to 1996 and before that as vice president/general manager for Culligan U.S.A., a division of Beatrice Corporation. He began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble Co., followed by several years as a manager at McKinsey & Company. Mr. DiCamillo was elected as a director of Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) in 1997 and served as chairman of its audit committee from April 2013 to April 2017. He also served as a board member of The Sheridan Group, Inc., a digital and analog printing company, from May 1989 until February 2017; a board member of Pella Corp., a window and door manufacturer, from 1993 until 2007, then again from May 2010 until the present, where he has chaired the compensation committee since May 2015; a board member of Berkshire Manufactured Products Corp., a manufacturer of aircraft engine parts, from February 2011 to September 2015, where he chaired the audit committee since May 2012 to September 2015; a board member of Universal Trailer Corp., a manufacturer of horse, livestock and cargo trailers for farm, recreational, and commercial markets, since March 2011 and a board member of Select Staffing Corp., a commercial and specialty contract staffing company, from May 2014 to August 2016, where he has chaired the compensation committee since May 2014. He serves on the boards of trustees at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Museum of Science in Boston, Spoleto Festival USA and previously served as a board member of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable. Mr. DiCamillo is a graduate of Harvard Business School where he earned an MBA. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Mr. DiCamillo is a member of our sponsor. He is well-qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive operational, financial and management background. Mr. DiCamillo is expected to serve as a director upon the closing of the Business Combination.

Pano Anthos has served as one of our directors since our initial public offering. Since August 2015, Mr. Anthos has been the Managing Director of XRC Labs and XRC Fund, a retail and consumer goods technology accelerator based in New York City and co-sponsored by Parsons School of Design and Kurt Salmon. Since October 2011, Mr. Anthos has been a partner of Eaglepoint, running their digital transformation practice. He has over 25 years of technology Chief Executive Officer and founder experience, having built new businesses in B2B and B2C markets across Web, social, mobile and gaming platforms. Since November 2012, Mr. Anthos has also been a co-founder of GatherEducation, a virtual reality classroom platform that recreates the physical classroom online to enable great teachers to teach students on low bandwidth, 3G networks. From September 2010 to October 2011, Mr. Anthos founded and ran Guided Launch, an advisory firm that incubated startups in the media and advertising spaces. From 2007 to August 2010, Mr. Anthos founded Hangout Industries, the first virtual reality gaming platform on Facebook, leveraging real world fashion brands and partners such as Conde Nast, Steve Madden and Paige Denim to generate brand experiences for over its players. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Anthos founded Pantero, a semantic web integration platform that major telecom and insurance companies use to integrate multiple disparate systems. From 1984 to 2001, Mr. Anthos co-founded and built Clearcross, a global logistics platform to manage cross border shipments for global manufacturers and e-commerce companies in over 20 countries. Mr. Anthos also served on the board of directors of FCA International. Mr. Anthos holds an MIA from Columbia University, was an International Fellow and holds a BA from the University of Delaware. Mr. Anthos is a member of our sponsor. He is well-qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive operational and management background. Mr. Anthos is expected to serve as a director upon the closing of the Business Combination.

Jeffrey Weiss has served as one of our directors since our initial public offering. Mr. Weiss has been an investment banker and corporate executive at public and private companies for more than 30 years. Since May 2016, he has served as chairman of WFG Holdings, LLC, a consumer finance company. For 24 years, through June 2014, he was the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DFC Global, an international financial services company with over $1.3 billion in revenues. In 1990, as a managing director in Bear Stearns’ merchant banking group, Mr. Weiss formed the predecessor to DFC to rollup US retail check cashing businesses. Mr. Weiss led the buyout of DFC in June 2014. In 1998, Mr. Weiss led the sale of DFC to Leonard Green Partners. DFC became a global provider of retail and internet financial services to the under-banked market, with revenues of more than $1.3 billion when sold to Lone Star Partners in June 2014. Mr. Weiss has also worked as a senior executive in industries ranging from publishing, air handling equipment, the foundry industry as well as financial services, in addition to having been the founding editor of Country Living magazine, an editor at Encyclopedia Britannica and Psychology Today magazine. Mr. Weiss graduated with a BA from Clark University and received a MS from the University of Chicago. Mr. Weiss is a member of our sponsor. He is well-qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive operational, financial and management background. We anticipate that Mr. Weiss will resign from his position as director, effective upon the closing of the Business Combination.

 Advisors

Our advisors (i) have assisted us in sourcing potential business combination targets and (ii) have provided their business insights when we assess potential business combination targets. In this regard, they fulfill some of the same functions as our board members. However, our advisors do not perform board or committee functions, nor do they have any voting or decision-making authority on our behalf. They also are not subject to the fiduciary requirements to which our board members are subject.

Our advisors, who are also members of our sponsor, are as follows:

David Chamberlain has served as a member of our sponsor and one of our advisors since our initial public offering. Mr. Chamberlain has been managing partner of Eaglepoint since 2009. He has over 15 years of Chief Executive Officer experience, having led three then-or-currently NYSE-listed companies: Stride Rite Corporation, a footwear manufacturer, from 1999 to 2007, Genesco, Inc. (NYSE:GCO) a specialty footwear retailer, from 1994 to 1999 and Shaklee Corporation, a distributor of health, wellness, cosmetic and nutritional products, from 1983 to 1993. During his career, he assisted in buying and integrating businesses, selling underperforming operations, as well as repositioning and rebuilding nationally recognized brands. Prior to this, Mr. Chamberlain held senior management positions at Nabisco Brands and Quaker Oats, where he ran numerous brands and divisions in the United States and Canada, and has served on the board of directors of Eddie Bauer, Wild Oats, Papyrus and Mrs. Fields.

Neal Goldman has served as a member of our sponsor and one of our advisors since our initial public offering. Since January 2012, Mr. Goldman has been a partner of Eaglepoint. Mr. Goldman has over 25 years of senior management experience, at the intersection of legal and business, having managed legal, regulatory and corporate business functions. He has crafted and negotiated restructuring arrangements and enhanced stockholder value through the sale of underperforming assets which included the sale and licensing of intellectual property. From June 2010 to April 2012, Mr. Goldman was the chief legal and regulatory officer of Skype and assisted in the sale of Skype to Microsoft Corporation in 2011. From April 2007 to May 2010 he was the executive vice president and chief legal and administrative officer of 3Com and played a role in the sale of 3Com Corporation to Hewlett-Packard Company in 2010. From 2001 to 2003 he was the executive vice president and chief legal and administrative officer of Polaroid Corporation and played a lead role in its sale to a private equity firm. In addition to his role at Eaglepoint, Mr. Goldman is also a limited partner in CommonAngels Ventures. He served on the board of directors of Nets, Inc. and US Robotics. Mr. Goldman is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, before the Federal District of Massachusetts and before the US Supreme Court.

Michael Johnston has served as a member of our sponsor and one of our advisors since our initial public offering. Since June 2012, Mr. Johnston has been a partner of Eaglepoint. Mr. Johnston brings over 30 years of experience in the global industrial sector, ranging from aerospace and automotive engineering to appliance manufacturing. As CEO of Visteon Corporation (NYSE:VS) a global automotive parts supply company, from 2000 to 2008, Michael led restructuring activities to exit uncompetitive product lines and manufacturing operations. Under his leadership, the company expanded internationally in Asia, South America and Europe. From 1999 to 2000, Mr. Johnston served as Corporate President of e-Business of Johnson Controls, Inc., (NYSE: JCI) a global diversified technology company, where he was responsible for introducing, launching and growing new, world-wide e-based businesses. Prior to that, from 1989 to 1999 he was President of their automotive business for North America and Asia Pacific. Mr. Johnston currently serves on the boards of several international corporations, including Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR), where since 2003 he has served as presiding director, chairman of its governance committee and a member of its audit committee, Dover Corp. (NYSE: DOV), a diversified global manufacturer, since February, 2013 as a member of its compensation and governance committees, and Armstrong World Industries (NYSE: AWI), a manufacturer of floors and ceilings, since 2010 as a member of its compensation committee.

We do not expect any of these advisors to continue as advisors of the Company following consummation of the Business Combination.

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and 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 connection with the Business Combination, our board of directors will be reconstituted and initially composed of seven members. Our board of directors will be declassified, with directors serving until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified.

Our officers are elected 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 Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Audit Committee

Messrs. DiCamillo, Kerr and Weiss serve as members of our audit committee. Mr. DiCamillo serves as chairman of the audit committee. Under the NASDAQ listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Messrs. DiCamillo, Kerr and Weiss are independent.

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. DiCamillo 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

The members of our compensation committee are Messrs. Weiss and Kerr. Mr. Weiss serves as Chairman of the compensation committee. We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

None of our executive officers or directors has received any cash (or non-cash) compensation for services rendered to us. We pay our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and administrative support. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors and their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our independent directors review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.

We may pay a member of our combined team (or an entity affiliated with a member of our combined team) a fee for financial advisory services rendered in connection with our identification, negotiation and consummation of our initial business combination. The fee will only be payable upon the closing of our initial business combination, and may be paid out of the offering proceeds deposited in the trust account. The per-share amount distributed to any redeeming stockholders upon the completion of our initial business combination will not be reduced as a result of such fee. A majority of disinterested directors will determine the nature and amount of such fee, which will be based upon the prevailing market rate for similar services negotiated at arms’ length for such transactions at such time, but will in no event exceed $3,000,000 in the aggregate. Any such fee will also be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. No such fee will be payable to our Chief Executive Officer.

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.

Director Nominations

We do not have a standing nominating committee, though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee following consummation of our Initial Business Combination as and when required to do so by law or NASDAQ rules. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(2) of the NASDAQ rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors. The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. The directors who shall participate in the consideration and recommendation of director nominees are Messrs. Kerr, DiCamillo, Anthos and Weiss. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the NASDAQ rules, Messrs. Kerr, DiCamillo, Anthos and Weiss are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.

The board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our stockholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of stockholders). Our stockholders that wish to nominate a director for election to the Board should follow the procedures set forth in our bylaws.

We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. These reporting persons are also required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely upon a review of such forms, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2017 there were no delinquent filers.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our officers and directors. We have filed copies of our code of ethics, our audit committee charter and our compensation committee charter as exhibits to our registration statement in connection with our initial public offering. You may 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 to us. If we amend or grant a waiver of one or more of the provisions of our code of ethics, we intend to satisfy the requirements under item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding the disclosure of amendments to, or waivers from, provisions of our code of ethics that apply to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer by posting the required information on our website at www.globalpartnerac.com.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

None of our executive officers or directors has received any cash (or non-cash) compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on July 30, 2015 through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we have paid our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and administrative services. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our independent directors will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other 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 business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined by our compensation committee.

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

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of January 30, 2018 based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock, by:

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 table above does not include the shares of common stock underlying the private placement warrants held or to be held by our officers or sponsor because these securities are not exercisable within 60 days of this report.

Changes in Control

See “Introduction” in Item 1 of this report.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

In May 2015, our sponsor purchased 3,881,250 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.006 per share.

Our sponsor purchased 12,815,000 private placement warrants for a purchase price of $0.50 per warrant, or $6,407,500 in the aggregate, in a private placement transaction that occurred simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one-half of one share of our common stock at $5.75 per share. Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of shares of common stock. The private placement warrants (including the common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by it until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.

If any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has 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 entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our executive officers will materially affect our ability to complete our business combination.

We have entered into an Administrative Services Agreement with our sponsor, pursuant to which we pay a total of $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and administrative support.

We may pay a member of our combined team (or an entity affiliated with a member of our combined team) a fee for financial advisory services rendered in connection with our identification, negotiation and consummation of our initial business combination. The fee will only be payable upon closing of our initial business combination, and may be paid out of the offering proceeds deposited in the trust account. The per-share amount distributed to any redeeming stockholders upon the completion of our initial business combination will not be reduced as a result of such fee. A majority of disinterested directors will determine the nature and amount of such fee, which will be based upon the prevailing market rate for similar services negotiated at arms’ length for such transactions at such time, but will in no event exceed $3,000,000 in the aggregate. Any such fee will also be subject to the review of our audit committee pursuant to the audit committee’s policies and procedures relating to transactions that may present conflicts of interest. No such fee will be payable to our Chief Executive Officer.

Our sponsor, executive officers and directors and their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combination targets. Our independent directors will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will 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.

Prior to our initial public offering, our sponsor provided an aggregate of $225,000 to us under an unsecured promissory note, to be used for a portion of the expenses of our initial public offering. These loans were non-interest bearing, unsecured and were repaid upon the closing of our initial public offering.

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 loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination entity at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. On January 12, 2017, we issued a promissory note to our sponsor. The note permits us to borrow money from time to time from our sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1.2 million with an interest rate of 7.5% per annum. During January 2017, we borrowed $1,200,000 under the note. The note was repaid, together with approximately $57,000 of accrued interest, on September 5, 2017 (see Note 8 to the Company’s financial statements). On November 1, 2017, the Company issued a second promissory note to the sponsor in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,000,000. Such note does not bear interest and can be drawn down in any amount upon five business days’ notice to the sponsor. As of the date of this report, the Company has drawn $600,000 from the note. Under such note, the Company has the option to convert any unpaid balance into shares of common stock based on a share price of $10.00 per share.  The sponsor is also entitled to receive a capital commitment fee in the amount of $50,000 in consideration of its agreement to commit to make the loan to the Company.  The note is repayable in full upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the consummation of the Business Combination, (ii) February 28, 2018 and (iii) the date that the winding up of the Company is effective.

Other than as described above, the terms of additional loans by 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.

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 founder shares and private placement warrants. The holders of these securities 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 have “piggy-back” registration rights to include such securities in other registration statements filed by us and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements.

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 which 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. Kerr, DiCamillo, Anthos and Weiss 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.

The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to WithumSmith+Brown, PC, or Withum, 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 Withum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees of Withum 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 fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the period from May 19, 2015 (date of inception) to December 31, 2015 totaled approximately $49,000, $47,000 and 37,500, respectively. The aggregate fees of Withum related to 2017 and 2016 audit services in connection with the review of our proxy statements totaled approximately $67,000 and $16,500. The aggregate fees of Withum related to audit services in connection with our 2015 initial public offering totaled approximately $37,500. 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 fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and the period from May 19, 2015 (date of inception) to December 31, 2015, we did not pay Withum any audit-related fees.

Tax Fees. Fees charged by Withum for tax return services, planning and tax advice for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and the period from May 19, 2015 (date of inception) to December 31, 2015 respectively, were approximately $2,500, $2,500 and $2,500.

All Other Fees. We paid Withum approximately $128,000 for certain due diligence service in connection with the Business Combination with Purple. We did not pay Withum for any other services for the year ended December 31, 2016 and the period from May 19, 2015 (date of inception) to December 31, 2015.

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

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 in is Item 15 of Part IV below.

We hereby file as part of this report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such material can also be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates or on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.