UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

Filed by Registrant  ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement

 

Confidential for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

 

Definitive Proxy Statement

 

Definitive Additional Materials

 

Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

 

Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14A(i)(1) and 0-11.

 

 

 


WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP.

A Cayman Islands Exempted Company

(Company Number 372660)

PO Box 309, Ugland House

Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands

NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

To Be Held at 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on February 8, 2023

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP.:

You are cordially invited to attend the extraordinary general meeting (the “Extraordinary General Meeting”) of WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP. (“we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) to be held at 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on February 8, 2023 at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, located at 609 Main Street, Suite 4700, Houston, TX 77002, or at such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be postponed or adjourned, or to attend virtually via the Internet. While shareholders are encouraged to attend the meeting virtually, you will be permitted to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. You will be able to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023. If you do not have Internet capabilities, you can listen to the Extraordinary General Meeting by phone dialing +1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) within the U.S. and Canada or +1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) outside of the U.S. and Canada. When prompted enter the pin number 2521357#. This option is listen-only, and you will not be able to vote or enter questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting if you choose to participate telephonically. The accompanying proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) is dated January 23, 2023, and is first being mailed to shareholders of the Company on or about January 24, 2023. The sole purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:

 

   

Proposal No. 1 The Extension Amendment Proposal to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as may be amended from time to time, the “Articles”) as provided by the first resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying Proxy Statement (the “Extension Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”) to extend the date (the “Extension”) by which the Company must (1) consummate a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “business combination”), (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to consummate such business combination, and (3) redeem all of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering (such shares, including any shares issued in exchange thereof, the “public shares”) that was consummated on August 13, 2021 (our “IPO”), from February 13, 2023 (which is 18 months from the closing date of our IPO) to June 13, 2023 (such date, the “Extended Date”) and to allow the Company, without another shareholder vote, by resolution of the Company’s board of directors (our “board”), to elect to further extend the Extended Date by four additional months, for a total of eight months, until October 13, 2023 (the “Additional Extension Date”), unless the closing of the Company’s business combination has occurred prior thereto;

 

   

Proposal No. 2 The Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Articles as provided by the second resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying Proxy Statement (the “Redemption Limitation Amendment” and such proposal, the “Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal”) to eliminate from the Articles the limitation that the Company shall not redeem public shares to the extent that such redemption would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (the “Redemption Limitation”). The Redemption Limitation Amendment would allow the Company to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed the Redemption Limitation; and

 

   

Proposal No. 3 – The Adjournment Proposal – to approve, as an ordinary resolution, the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary


 

or convenient, either (x) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the foregoing proposals or (y) if our board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”).

Each of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal is more fully described in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and consummate a business combination. The Articles currently provide that we have until February 13, 2023 to consummate our initial business combination. Our board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek an extension of such date and have our shareholders approve the Extension Amendment Proposal to allow for additional time to consider, negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement relating to an initial business combination, to hold an extraordinary general meeting to obtain the shareholder approvals required in connection with a business combination and to consummate the closing of a business combination. Our board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before February 13, 2023. Accordingly, our board believes that, in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension.

In connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal, shareholders may elect to redeem their public shares (the “Election”) for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account established in connection with our IPO (the “Trust Account”), including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. The Election can be made regardless of whether holders of public shares (“public shareholders”) vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Election can also be made by public shareholders who do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Public shareholders may make the Election regardless of whether such public shareholders were holders as of the record date (as defined below). Public shareholders who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their shares redeemed for cash if we have not consummated our initial business combination by the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable. In addition, regardless of whether public shareholders vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal, or do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting, if the Extension is implemented and a public shareholder does not make the Election, they will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem their public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of such initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, in the event a proposed business combination is consummated.

We are not asking you to vote on any proposed business combination at this time. If we enter into a definitive agreement relating to a business combination, we intend to file (i) promptly thereafter a current report on Form 8-K with information about the business combination, and (ii) in due course a separate proxy statement or proxy statement/prospectus pursuant to which we will seek approval of the business combination, among other things, at a separate extraordinary general meeting. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal are not approved, we may not be able to enter into, or consummate, a business combination. We urge you to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting regarding the Extension Amendment and the Redemption Limitation Amendment.

Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of January 20, 2023, which was approximately $209,428,035, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed for a pro rata


portion of the funds held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.26 at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The closing price of the public shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) on January 20, 2023, the most recent practicable closing price prior to the mailing of this Proxy Statement, was $10.24. We cannot assure shareholders that they will be able to sell their public shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our securities when such shareholders wish to sell their shares.

TO DEMAND REDEMPTION, PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON FEBRUARY 6, 2023 (TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING), YOU SHOULD ELECT EITHER TO PHYSICALLY TENDER YOUR SHARES (AND/OR DELIVER YOUR SHARE CERTIFICATE(S) (IF ANY) AND OTHER REDEMPTION FORMS) TO CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY (OUR “TRANSFER AGENT”) OR TO TENDER YOUR SHARES (AND/OR DELIVER YOUR SHARE CERTIFICATE(S) (IF ANY) AND OTHER REDEMPTION FORMS) TO OUR TRANSFER AGENT ELECTRONICALLY USING THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY’S DWAC (DEPOSIT/ WITHDRAWAL AT CUSTODIAN), AS DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT. YOU SHOULD ENSURE THAT YOUR BANK OR BROKER COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED ELSEWHERE IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT.

Unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company to exceed the Redemption Limitation. If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and there are significant requests for redemption such that the Company’s net tangible assets would be less than $5,000,001 upon the consummation of the business combination, the Articles would prevent the Company from being able to consummate the business combination even if all other conditions to closing are met. The Company believes that the Redemption Limitation is not needed. The purpose of such limitation was initially to ensure that, in connection with the Company’s initial business combination, the Company would continue, as we have since our IPO, to be not subject to the “penny stock” rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and therefore not a “blank check company” as defined under Rule 419 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it complied with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) (the “NTA Rule”). The NTA Rule is one of several exclusions from the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and we believe that we may rely on another exclusion, which relates to the Company being listed on the NYSE (Rule 3a51-1(a)(2)) (the “Exchange Rule”). Therefore, the Company intends to rely on the Exchange Rule to not be deemed a penny stock issuer. In the event that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and we receive notice of redemptions of public shares approaching or in excess of the Redemption Limitation, we and/or World Quantum Growth Acquisition LLC (our “Sponsor”) may take action to increase our net tangible assets to avoid exceeding the Redemption Limitation.

The Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow our board to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates to permit further solicitation of proxies. Notwithstanding the order of the resolutions on the notice to the Extraordinary General Meeting, the Adjournment Proposal may be presented first to our shareholders if, based on the tabulated vote collected at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses


(2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our Class B ordinary shares (the “founder shares” and, together with the public shares, the “shares” or “ordinary shares”), including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

The approval of each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Our board has fixed the close of business on January 23, 2023 (the “record date”) as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of the ordinary shares on the record date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Extraordinary General Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

After careful consideration of all relevant factors, our board has determined that the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal are advisable and recommends that you vote or give instruction to vote “FOR” such proposals.

No other business is proposed to be transacted at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Enclosed is the Proxy Statement containing detailed information concerning the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal, the Adjournment Proposal and the Extraordinary General Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, we urge you to read this material carefully and vote your ordinary shares.

January 23, 2023

 

By Order of the Board of Directors

 
 

/s/ Xavier Rolet

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

Your vote is important. If you are a shareholder of record, please sign, date and return your proxy card as soon as possible to make sure that your shares are represented at the Extraordinary General Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you may also cast your vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting (including by virtual means as provided in the accompanying Proxy Statement). If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, you must instruct your broker or bank how to vote your shares, or you may cast your vote in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting by obtaining a proxy from your brokerage firm or bank (including by virtual means as provided in the accompanying Proxy Statement). Your failure to vote or instruct your broker or bank how to vote will mean that your ordinary shares will not count towards the quorum requirement for the Extraordinary General Meeting and will not be voted. An abstention or broker non-vote will be counted towards the quorum requirement but will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.


WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP.

A Cayman Islands Exempted Company

(Company Number 372660)

PO Box 309, Ugland House

Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

To Be Held On February 8, 2023

PROXY STATEMENT

The extraordinary general meeting (the “Extraordinary General Meeting”) of World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corp. (“we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) will be held at 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on February 8, 2023 at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, located at 609 Main Street, Suite 4700, Houston, TX 77002, or at such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be postponed or adjourned, and will also be held virtually via the Internet. While shareholders are encouraged to attend the meeting virtually, you will be permitted to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. You will be able to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023. If you do not have Internet capabilities, you can listen to the Extraordinary General Meeting by phone dialing +1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) within the U.S. and Canada or +1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) outside of the U.S. and Canada. When prompted enter the pin number 2521357#. This option is listen-only, and you will not be able to vote or enter questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting if you choose to participate telephonically. The sole purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:

 

   

Proposal No. 1 – The Extension Amendment Proposal – to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as may be amended from time to time, the “Articles”) as provided by the first resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement (the “Extension Amendment” and, such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”) to extend the date (the “Extension”) by which the Company must (1) consummate a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a “business combination”), (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to consummate such business combination, and (3) redeem all of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering (such shares, including any shares issued in exchange thereof, the “public shares”) that was consummated on August 13, 2021 (our “IPO”), from February 13, 2023 (which is 18 months from the closing date of our IPO) to June 13, 2023 (such date, the “Extended Date”) and to allow the Company, without another shareholder vote, by resolution of the Company’s board of directors (our “board”), to elect to further extend the Extended Date by four additional months, for a total of eight months, until October 13, 2023 (the “Additional Extension Date”), unless the closing of the Company’s business combination has occurred prior thereto;

 

   

Proposal No. 2 – The Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal – to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Articles as provided by the second resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement (the “Redemption Limitation Amendment” and such proposal, the “Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal”) to eliminate from the Articles the limitation that the Company shall not redeem public shares to the extent that such redemption would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (the “Redemption Limitation”). The Redemption Limitation Amendment would allow the Company to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed the Redemption Limitation; and

 

   

Proposal No. 3 – The Adjournment Proposal – to approve, as an ordinary resolution, the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary

 

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or convenient, either (x) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the foregoing proposals or (y) if our board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”).

The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and consummate a business combination. The Articles currently provide that we have until February 13, 2023 to consummate our initial business combination. Our board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek an extension of such date and have our shareholders approve the Extension Amendment Proposal to allow for additional time to consider, negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement relating to an initial business combination, to hold an extraordinary general meeting to obtain the shareholder approvals required in connection with a business combination and to consummate the closing of a business combination. Without the Extension, if we are unable to complete a business combination on or before February 13, 2023, we would be precluded from completing our initial business combination and would be forced to liquidate. Our board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before February 13, 2023. Accordingly, our board believes that in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension..

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and there are significant requests for redemption such that the Company’s net tangible assets would be less than $5,000,001 upon the consummation of the business combination, the Articles would prevent the Company from being able to consummate the business combination even if all other conditions to closing are met. The Company believes that the Redemption Limitation is not needed. The purpose of such limitation was initially to ensure that, in connection with the Company’s initial business combination, the Company would continue, as we have since our IPO, to be not subject to the “penny stock” rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and therefore not a “blank check company” as defined under Rule 419 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), because it complied with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) (the “NTA Rule”). The NTA Rule is one of several exclusions from the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and we believe that we may rely on another exclusion, which relates to the Company being listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (Rule 3a51-1(a)(2)) (the “Exchange Rule”). Therefore, the Company intends to rely on the Exchange Rule to not be deemed a penny stock issuer. In the event that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and we receive notice of redemptions of public shares approaching or in excess of the Redemption Limitation, we and/or World Quantum Growth Acquisition LLC (our “Sponsor”) may take action to increase our net tangible assets to avoid exceeding the Redemption Limitation.

In connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal, shareholders may elect to redeem their public shares (the “Election”) for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account established in connection with our IPO (the “Trust Account”), including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. The Election can be made regardless of whether holders of public shares (“public shareholders”) vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Election can also be made by public shareholders who do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Public shareholders may make the Election regardless of whether such public shareholders were holders as of the record date (as defined below). Public shareholders who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their shares redeemed for cash if we have not consummated our initial business combination by the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable. In addition, regardless of whether public shareholders vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal, or do not vote, or do not instruct their broker or bank how to vote, at the Extraordinary General Meeting, if the Extension is implemented and a public shareholder does not make the Election, they will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem their public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount

 

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then on deposit in the Trust Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of such initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, in the event a proposed business combination is consummated.

We are not asking you to vote on any proposed business combination at this time. If we enter into a definitive agreement relating to a business combination, we intend to file (i) promptly thereafter a current report on Form 8-K with information about the business combination, and (ii) in due course a separate proxy statement or proxy statement/prospectus pursuant to which we will seek approval of the business combination, among other things, at a separate extraordinary general meeting. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal are not approved, we may not be able to enter into, or consummate, a business combination. We urge you to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting regarding the Extension Amendment and the Redemption Limitation Amendment.

The withdrawal of funds from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election, and the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be only a small fraction of the approximately $209,428,035 that was in the Trust Account as of January 20, 2023. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to consummate an initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on acceptable terms or at all.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our Class B ordinary shares (the “founder shares” and, together with the public shares, the “shares” or “ordinary shares”), including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of January 20, 2023, which was approximately $209,428,035, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.26 at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The closing price of the public shares on the NYSE on January 20, 2023, the most recent practicable closing price prior to the mailing of this Proxy Statement, was $10.24. We cannot assure shareholders that they will be able to sell their shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our securities when such shareholders wish to sell their shares.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, we will (1) remove from the Trust Account an amount (the “Withdrawal Amount”) equal to the number of public shares properly redeemed multiplied by the per-share price, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned thereon and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares

 

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and (2) deliver to the holders of such redeemed public shares their pro rata portion of the Withdrawal Amount. The remainder of such funds will remain in the Trust Account and will be available for use by us in connection with consummating an initial business combination on or before the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable. Holders of public shares who do not redeem their public shares now will retain their redemption rights and their ability to vote on any initial business combination through the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable, if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved.

Our board has fixed the close of business on January 23, 2023 (the “record date”) as the record date for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of the ordinary shares on the record date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Extraordinary General Meeting or any adjournment thereof. On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 25,493,750 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 20,395,000 were public shares and 5,098,750 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor, which holds 5,023,750 founder shares, and our independent directors, who hold the remaining founder shares, that they intend to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

This Proxy Statement contains important information about the Extraordinary General Meeting and the proposals. Please read it carefully and vote your shares.

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies. We have engaged Morrow Sodali LLC (“Morrow”), to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Extraordinary General Meeting. We have agreed to pay Morrow a fee of $30,000. We will also reimburse Morrow for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify Morrow and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials, our directors and officers may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other means of communication. These parties will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.

This Proxy Statement is dated January 23, 2023 and is first being mailed to shareholders on or about January 24, 2023.

 

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

These Questions and Answers are only summaries of the matters they discuss. They do not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should read carefully the entire document, including the annexes to this Proxy Statement.

 

Q:

Why am I receiving this Proxy Statement?

 

A:

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. On August 13, 2021, we consummated our IPO of 20,000,000 units for which we derived gross proceeds of $200.0 million, and on August 27, 2021, we sold an additional 395,000 units for gross proceeds of approximately $4.0 million pursuant to the partial exercise by the underwriter of our IPO of its over-allotment option (the “Over-Allotment”). Simultaneously with the closing of our IPO, we completed the private placement of 8,500,000 warrants (the “private placement warrants”) to our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds to us of $8.5 million, and, simultaneously with the closing of the Over-Allotment, on August 27, 2021, we consummated a second private placement, resulting in the purchase of an aggregate of an additional 118,500 private placement warrants by our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds to us of approximately $0.1 million. Of the gross proceeds received from our IPO, the Over-Allotment and the sale of the private placement warrants, we deposited $205,989,500 in the Trust Account.

Like many blank check companies, our Articles provide for the return of the funds held in Trust Account to our public shareholders if we do not consummate a business combination within 18 months after the closing date of our IPO (or February 13, 2023). Our board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to amend the Articles to extend the date we have to consummate a business combination to June 13, 2023 (or, if necessary, October 13, 2023), in order to allow us and our board to evaluate, negotiate and enter into an initial business combination, and subsequently to allow our shareholders to evaluate the initial business combination, and for us to be able to potentially consummate the initial business combination, and is submitting the proposals included herein to our shareholders to vote upon at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

What is being voted on?

 

A:

You are being asked to vote on the following proposals:

 

   

Proposal No. 1 – The Extension Amendment Proposal – to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Articles as provided by the first resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement to extend the date by which the Company must (1) consummate a business combination, (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to consummate such business combination, and (3) redeem all of the Company’s public shares, from February 13, 2023 (which is 18 months from the closing date of our IPO) to June 13, 2023 (such date, the “Extended Date”) and to allow the Company, without another shareholder vote, by resolution of our board, to elect to further extend the Extended Date by four additional months, for a total of eight months, until October 13, 2023 (the “Additional Extension Date”), unless the closing of the Company’s business combination has occurred prior thereto;

 

   

Proposal No. 2 – The Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal – to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Articles as provided by the second resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to this Proxy Statement to eliminate from the Articles the limitation that the Company shall not redeem public shares to the extent that such redemption would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. The Redemption Limitation Amendment would allow the Company to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed such Redemption Limitation; and

 

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Proposal No. 3 – The Adjournment Proposal – to approve, as an ordinary resolution, the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary or convenient, either (x) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the foregoing proposals or (y) if our board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals.

We are not asking you to vote on any proposed business combination at this time. If we enter into a definitive agreement relating to a business combination, we intend to file (i) promptly thereafter a current report on Form 8-K with information about the business combination, and (ii) in due course a separate proxy statement or proxy statement/prospectus pursuant to which we will seek approval of the business combination, among other things, at a separate extraordinary general meeting. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal are not approved, we may not be able to enter into, or consummate, a business combination. We urge you to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting regarding the Extension Amendment and the Redemption Limitation Amendment.

Unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved and the Extension is implemented, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election. We cannot predict the amount that will remain in the Trust Account if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved and the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be only a small fraction of the approximately $209,428,035 that was in the Trust Account as of January 20, 2023. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to consummate an initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on acceptable terms or at all.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

 

Q:

Why is the Company proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Our Articles provide for the return of the funds held in the Trust Account to the holders of public shares if we do not consummate a business combination on or before February 13, 2023. As we explain below, we may not be able to enter into and consummate an initial business combination by that date.

We are asking for an extension of this timeframe in order to enter into and consummate a business combination. Our board currently believes that is not sufficient time before February 13, 2023 to enter into a definitive agreement relating to an initial business combination, to hold an extraordinary general meeting to

 

6


obtain the shareholder approvals required in connection with a business combination and to consummate the closing of a business combination.

Accordingly, in order for us to consider, negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement relating to a business combination, for our shareholders to be able to evaluate the potential business combination and for us to be able to consummate such business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension.

 

Q:

Why should I vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Our Articles provide that if our shareholders approve an amendment to our Articles that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all of our public shares if we do not consummate our initial business combination before February 13, 2023, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. This provision of the Articles was included to protect our shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable business combination in the timeframe contemplated by the Articles.

The Extension Amendment Proposal would give us the opportunity to consummate a business combination, which our board believes in the best interests of the Company. If you do not elect to redeem your public shares, you will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem your public shares in connection with such initial business combination.

Our board recommends that you vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

Will you seek any further extensions to liquidate the Trust Account?

 

A:

Other than the extensions until the Extended Date, or the Additional Extension Date, if applicable, as of the date of this Proxy Statement, we do not anticipate seeking any further extension to consummate a business combination, although we may determine to do so in the future, if necessary.

 

Q:

Why is the Company proposing the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

The Company is presenting the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal to facilitate the consummation of a business combination. If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and there are significant requests for redemption such that the Company’s net tangible assets would be less than $5,000,001 upon the consummation of a business combination, the Articles would prevent the Company from being able to consummate the business combination even if all other conditions to closing are met. The Company believes that the Redemption Limitation is not needed. The purpose of such limitation was initially to to ensure that, in connection with the Company’s initial business combination, the Company would continue, as we have since our IPO, to be not subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC, and therefore not a “blank check company” as defined under Rule 419 of the Securities Act because it complied with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) (the “NTA Rule”). The NTA Rule is one of several exclusions from the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and we believe that we may rely on another exclusion, which relates to the Company being listed on the NYSE (Rule 3a51-1(a)(2)) (the “Exchange Rule”). Therefore, the Company intends to rely on the Exchange Rule to not be deemed a penny stock issuer.

 

Q:

Why should I vote “FOR” the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

As discussed above, our board believes the opportunity to consummate a business combination is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Whether a holder of public shares votes in favor of or against the Extension Amendment Proposal, if such proposal is approved, the holder may, but is not required to, redeem all or a portion of her, his or its public

 

7


shares for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. Unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company to exceed the Redemption Limitation. By eliminating the Redemption Limitation, we make it more likely that we will proceed with the Extension and have the opportunity to consummate a business combination.

If holders of public shares do not elect to redeem their public shares, such holders will retain redemption rights in connection with any future initial business combination we may propose. Assuming the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, we will have until the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable, to consummate our initial business combination.

Our board recommends that you vote in favor of the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

Why should I vote “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal?

 

A:

If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by our shareholders, our board may not be able to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal.

If presented, our board recommends that you vote in favor of the Adjournment Proposal.

 

Q:

When would the board abandon the Extension Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we are not permitted to redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. We will not proceed with the Extension if (i) redemptions of our public shares in connection with the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal would cause us to have less than $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and (ii) the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved.

 

Q:

How do the Company insiders intend to vote their shares?

 

A:

Our Sponsor and our independent directors collectively own 5,098,750 founder shares. Such founder shares represent 20.0% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor and our independent directors that they intend to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal. Pursuant to a letter agreement entered into with us by our Sponsor and each of our officers and directors in connection with our IPO, our Sponsor, directors and officers and their respective affiliates are not entitled to redeem any founder shares held by them in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal.

In addition, our Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting. 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 public shares in such transactions. Any such purchases that are completed after the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting may include an agreement with a selling shareholder that such shareholder, for so long as he, she or it remains the record holder of the shares in question, will vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and/or

will not exercise such shareholder’s redemption rights with respect to the shares so purchased. The purpose of such share purchases and other transactions would be to increase the likelihood that the resolutions to be put to the Extraordinary General Meeting are approved by the requisite number of votes. In the event that

 

8


such purchases do occur, the purchasers may seek to purchase shares from shareholders who would otherwise have voted against the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and/or elected to redeem their shares for a portion of the funds held in the Trust Account. Any such privately negotiated purchases may be effected at purchase prices that are below or in excess of the per-share pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account. Any public shares held by or subsequently purchased by our affiliates may be voted in favor of the Extension Amendment and the Redemption Limitation Amendment proposals.

 

Q:

What vote is required to adopt the Extension Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

The approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

What vote is required to adopt the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

The approval of the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal also requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

What vote is required to approve the Adjournment Proposal?

 

A:

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

What if I do not want to vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

If you do not want the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must vote “AGAINST” the proposals. If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, and the Extension is implemented, then the Withdrawal Amount will be withdrawn from the Trust Account and paid pro rata to the redeeming public shareholders. You will still be entitled to make the Election if you vote against, abstain or do not vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal.

Broker “non-votes” and abstentions will have no effect with respect to the approval of the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal or the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Q:

What happens if the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved?

 

A:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law

 

9


There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

 

Q:

What happens if the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved?

 

A:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved but the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved, we will not redeem public shares in an amount that would exceed the Redemption Limitation. In the event that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and we receive notice of redemptions of public shares approaching or in excess of the Redemption Limitation, we and/or our Sponsor may take action to increase our net tangible assets to avoid exceeding the Redemption Limitation. If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and the Redemption Limitation is exceeded, either because we do not take action to increase our net tangible assets or because our attempt to do so is not successful, then we will not proceed with the Extension and we will not redeem any public shares in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, and the public shareholders will retain their shares and redemption rights.

 

Q:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, what happens next?

 

A:

We will continue our efforts to enter into and consummate an initial business combination.

Upon approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal by the requisite number of votes, the amendments to our Articles that are set forth in Annex A hereto will become effective. We will remain a reporting company under the Exchange Act and our units, public shares and public warrants will remain publicly traded.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account will reduce the amount remaining in the Trust Account and increase the percentage interest of our ordinary shares held by our Sponsor and our independent directors as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved but we do not consummate our initial business combination by the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable (or, if the date by which we have to consummate a business combination is further extended at a duly called extraordinary general meeting, such later date), we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 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 $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company to exceed the Redemption Limitation following approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

10


Q:

What happens to the Company warrants if the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved?

 

A:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

 

Q:

What happens to the Company’s warrants if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved?

 

A:

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, we will retain the blank check company restrictions previously applicable to us and continue to attempt to consummate an initial business combination until the Extended Date or Additional Extension Date, as applicable. The Company’s warrants will remain outstanding and only become exercisable 30 days after the completion of an initial business combination, provided we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise warrants on a cashless basis).

 

Q:

How are the funds in the Trust Account currently being held?

 

A:

With respect to the regulation of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) like the Company, on March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”) relating to, among other items, disclosures in business combination transactions involving SPACs and private operating companies; the condensed financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; the use of projections by SPACs in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), including a proposed rule that would provide SPACs a safe harbor from treatment as an investment company if they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities.

With regard to the SEC’s investment company proposals included in the SPAC Rule Proposals, while the funds in the Trust Account have, since our IPO, been held only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in 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, to mitigate the risk of being viewed as operating an unregistered investment company (including pursuant to the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following

 

11


such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemptions of public shares or liquidation of the Company.

 

Q:

If I do not exercise my redemption rights in connection with the Extension Amendment, would I still be able to exercise my redemption rights in connection with any future initial business combination?

 

A:

Unless you elect to redeem your shares in connection with the Extension Amendment as described in this Proxy Statement, you will be able to exercise redemption rights in respect of any future initial business combination subject to any limitations set forth in our Articles.

 

Q:

How do I change my vote?

 

A:

You may change your vote by sending a later-dated, signed proxy card to the Company at World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corp., 460 East 79th Street, Suite #5ABC, New York, NY 10075, so that it is received prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting or by attending the Extraordinary General Meeting in person and voting (including by virtual means as provided below). You also may revoke your proxy by sending a notice of revocation to the same address, which must be received by the Company prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Please note, however, that if on the record date your shares were held, not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, custodian bank or other nominee, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by that organization. If your shares are held in street name and you wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, you must bring to the Extraordinary General Meeting a legal proxy from the broker, bank or other nominee holding your shares, confirming your beneficial ownership of the shares and giving you the right to vote your shares.

Any shareholder wishing to attend the virtual Extraordinary General Meeting should register for the meeting by February 1, 2023 (five business days prior to the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting). To register for the Extraordinary General Meeting, please follow the following instructions as applicable to the nature of your ownership of ordinary shares:

 

   

If your shares are registered in your name with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and you wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, go to https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023, enter the control number included on your proxy card and click on the “Click here to preregister for the online meeting” link at the top of the page. Just prior to the start of the meeting you will need to log back into the meeting site using your control number. Pre-registration is recommended but is not required in order to attend.

 

   

Beneficial shareholders (those whose shares are held through a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other holder of record) who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online and vote must obtain a legal proxy by contacting their account representative at the bank, broker, or other nominee that holds their shares and e-mail a copy (a legible photograph is sufficient) of their legal proxy to proxy@continentalstock.com. Continental will issue a control number and email it back with the meeting information.

 

Q:

How are votes counted and what vote is required to approve each of the proposals?

 

A:

Votes will be counted by the inspector of election appointed for the Extraordinary General Meeting, who will separately count “FOR” and “AGAINST” votes, abstentions and broker non-votes.

The Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal must be approved as a special resolution under the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the

 

12


Articles, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Island law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Accordingly, if a valid quorum is established, a shareholder’s failure to vote by proxy or to vote in person (including by virtual means) at the Extraordinary General Meeting, as well as abstentions and broker non-votes, which will not count as votes cast, will have no effect on the outcome of any vote on any of the proposals.

 

Q:

If my shares are held in “street name,” will my broker automatically vote them for me?

 

A:

No. Under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, your broker, bank or other nominee cannot vote your shares with respect to non-discretionary matters unless you provide instructions on how to vote in accordance with the information and procedures provided to you by your broker, bank, or nominee. We believe all the proposals presented to the shareholders will be considered non-discretionary and therefore your broker, bank or other nominee cannot vote your shares without your instruction. Your bank, broker or other nominee can vote your shares only if you provide instructions on how to vote. You should instruct your broker to vote your shares in accordance with directions you provide. If your shares are held by your broker as your nominee, which we refer to as being held in “street name,” you may need to obtain a proxy form from the institution that holds your shares and follow the instructions included on that form regarding how to instruct your broker to vote your shares.

 

Q:

What is a quorum requirement?

 

A:

A quorum of our shareholders is necessary to hold a valid Extraordinary General Meeting. A quorum will be present at the Extraordinary General Meeting if the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting are represented in person (including by virtual means) or by proxy. As of the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting, the holders of at least 12,746,876 ordinary shares would be required to achieve a quorum.

Your shares will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy (or one is submitted on your behalf by your broker, bank or other nominee) or if you vote in person (including by virtual means) at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted towards the quorum requirement, but will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting. In the absence of a quorum, the chairman of the meeting has power to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

Q:

Who can vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting?

 

A:

Only holders of record of our ordinary shares at the close of business on January 23, 2023 are entitled to have their vote counted at the Extraordinary General Meeting and any adjournments thereof. On this record date, 25,493,750 ordinary shares (consisting of 20,395,000 Class A ordinary shares and 5,098,750 Class B ordinary shares) were outstanding and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Shareholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name. If on the record date your shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (our “transfer agent”), then you are a shareholder of record. As a shareholder of record, you may vote in person (including by virtual means) at the Extraordinary General Meeting or vote by proxy. Whether or not you plan to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person, we urge you to fill out and return the enclosed proxy card to ensure your vote is counted.

Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of a Broker or Bank. If on the record date your shares were held, not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are

 

13


being forwarded to you by that organization. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent on how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.

 

Q:

Does the board recommend voting for the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal?

 

A:

Yes. After careful consideration of the terms and conditions of these proposals, our board has determined that the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The board recommends that our shareholders vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

 

Q:

What interests do the Company’s Sponsor, directors and officers have in the approval of the proposals?

 

A:

Our Sponsor, directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, director or indirect ownership of founder shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and advances that will not be repaid in the event of our winding up and the possibility of future compensatory arrangements. See the section entitled “The Extraordinary General Meeting—Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers.”

 

Q:

Do I have dissenters’ or appraisal rights if I object to the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal?

 

A:

Our shareholders do not have dissenters’ rights or appraisal rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal under Cayman Islands law.

 

Q:

What do I need to do now?

 

A:

We urge you to read carefully and consider the information contained in this Proxy Statement, including the annexes hereto, and to consider how the proposals will affect you as a shareholder. You should then vote as soon as possible in accordance with the instructions provided in this Proxy Statement and on the enclosed proxy card.

 

Q:

How do I vote?

 

A:

If you are a holder of record of our ordinary shares, you may vote in person (including by virtual means as provided herein) at the Extraordinary General Meeting or by submitting a proxy for the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person (including by virtual means), we urge you to vote by proxy to ensure your vote is counted. You may submit your proxy by completing, signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card in the accompanying pre-addressed postage paid envelope. You may still attend the Extraordinary General Meeting and vote in person if you have already voted by proxy.

If your ordinary shares are held in “street name” by a broker or other agent, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent on how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares in person at the Extraordinary General Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.

 

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Q:

How do I redeem my ordinary shares?

 

A:

Each of our public shareholders may submit an Election to, subject to the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the implementation of the Extension, redeem all or a portion of its, his her public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. If you do not make an Election to redeem your public shares, you will also be able to redeem your public shares in connection with any proposed initial business combination, or if we have not consummated our initial business combination by the Extended Date or Additional Extension Date, as applicable.

In order to tender your ordinary shares (and/or deliver your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption, you must elect either to physically tender your share certificates to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent, at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 1 State Street 30th Floor, New York, New York, 10004, Attn: Mark Zimkind, mzimkind@continentalstock.com, or to tender your ordinary shares (and/or deliver your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) to our transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, which election would likely be determined based on the manner in which you hold your shares. If you are a holder of public shares and you intend to seek redemption of your shares, you will need to deliver your shares to our transfer agent (together with any applicable share certificates and redemption forms), either physically or electronically through DTC, at the address above prior to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on February 6, 2023 (two business days prior to the date of Extraordinary General Meeting).

 

Q:

How do I withdraw my election to redeem my ordinary shares?

 

A:

If you tender your ordinary shares (and/or delivered your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption to our transfer agent and decide prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting not to redeem your shares, you may request that our transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting our transfer agent at the address listed above. Any request for redemption, once made by a holder of public shares, may not be withdrawn once submitted to us unless our board determines (in its sole discretion) to permit the withdrawal of such redemption request (which it may do in whole or in part).

 

Q:

What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?

 

A:

You may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this Proxy Statement and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards, if your shares are registered in more than one name or are registered in different accounts. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. Please complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive in order to cast a vote with respect to all of your shares.

 

Q:

Who is paying for this proxy solicitation?

 

A:

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies. We have engaged Morrow to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Extraordinary General Meeting. We have agreed to pay Morrow a fee of $30,000. We will also reimburse Morrow for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify Morrow and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials, our directors and officers may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other means of communication. These parties will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.

 

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Q:

Who can help answer my questions?

 

A:

If you have questions about the proposals or if you need additional copies of the Proxy Statement or the enclosed proxy card you should contact our proxy solicitor:

 

Morrow Sodali LLC  
333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower  
Stamford, Connecticut 06902  

Shareholders may call toll-free: (800) 662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms, please call: (203) 658-9400

Email: WQGA.info@investor.morrowsodali.com

If you have questions regarding the certification of your position or tendering your ordinary shares (and/or delivering your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms), please contact:

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Attention: Mark Zimkind

Email: mzimkind@continentalstock.com

You may also obtain additional information about us from documents we file with the SEC by following the instructions in the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Proxy Statement contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this Proxy Statement, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When the Company discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results and shareholders’ value will be affected by a variety of risks and factors, including, without limitation, international, national and local economic conditions, merger, acquisition and business combination risks, financing risks, geo-political risks, acts of terror or war, and those risk factors described under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022, in this Proxy Statement and in other reports the Company files with the SEC. Many of the risks and factors that will determine these results and shareholders’ value are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict.

All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Proxy Statement. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the Company’s behalf are qualified in their entirety by this “Forward-Looking Statements” section.

 

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RISK FACTORS

You should consider carefully all of the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022 and in the other reports we file with the SEC before making a decision to invest in our securities. Furthermore, if any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected or we could face liquidation. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results or result in our liquidation.

If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may be forced to abandon our efforts to consummate an initial business combination and instead be required to liquidate the Company. To avoid that result, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, we will liquidate securities held in the Trust Account and instead hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount that our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company.

On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued the SPAC Rule Proposals, relating, among other things, to circumstances in SPACs such as us could potentially be subject to the Investment Company Act and the regulations thereunder. The SPAC Rule Proposals would provide a safe harbor for such companies from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that a SPAC satisfies certain criteria. To comply with the duration limitation of the proposed safe harbor, a SPAC would have a limited time period to announce and complete a de-SPAC transaction. Specifically, to comply with the safe harbor, the SPAC Rule Proposals would require a SPAC to file a report on Form 8-K announcing that it has entered into an agreement with a target company for an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to the SPAC’s initial public offering. Such SPAC would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to its initial public offering.

There is currently uncertainty concerning the applicability of the Investment Company Act to a SPAC, including a company like ours, that has not entered into a definitive agreement within 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to its initial public offering or that does not consummate its initial business combination within 24 months after such date. We cannot be sure as to whether we will be able to enter into a definitive business combination agreement within 18 months after the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, or whether we will be able to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months of such date. As a result, it is possible that a claim could be made that we have been operating as an unregistered investment company. If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we might be forced to abandon our efforts to consummate an initial business combination and instead be required to liquidate. If we are required to liquidate, our investors would not be able to realize the benefits of owning shares in a successor operating business, including the potential appreciation in the value of our shares and warrants following such a transaction, and our warrants would expire worthless.

The funds in the Trust Account have, since our IPO, been held only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in 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. However, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of

 

18


Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our initial public offering, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption or liquidation of the Company.

In addition, even prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, we may be deemed to be an investment company. The longer that the funds in the Trust Account are held in short-term U.S. government securities or in money market funds invested exclusively in such securities, even prior to the 24-month anniversary, there is a greater risk that we may be considered an unregistered investment company, in which case we may be required to liquidate. Accordingly, we may determine, in our discretion, to liquidate the securities held in the Trust Account at any time, even prior to the 24-month anniversary, and instead hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash, which would further reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of our public shares or liquidation of the Company.

In the event the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved and effected, the ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our public shares may adversely affect the liquidity of our securities.

A public shareholder may request that the Company redeem all or a portion of such public shareholder’s ordinary shares for cash. The ability of our public shareholders to exercise such redemption rights with respect to a large number of our public shares may adversely affect the liquidity of our Class A ordinary shares. As a result, you may be unable to sell your Class A ordinary shares even if the market price per share is higher than the per-share redemption price paid to public shareholders who elect to redeem their shares.

A new 1% U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with redemptions by us of our shares.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded domestic (i.e., U.S.) corporations and certain domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations occurring after December 31, 2022. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. On December 27, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) issued a notice that it intends to publish proposed regulations addressing the application of the excise tax (the “Notice”). To provide taxpayers with interim guidance, the Notice describes certain rules upon which taxpayers are generally entitled to rely until publication of the proposed regulations.

Any redemption or other repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022 in connection with a business combination—particularly one that involves our combination with a U.S. entity and/or our re-domestication as a U.S. corporation—may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent we would be subject to the excise tax would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with any such business combination, (ii) the status of the target (for example, whether the target is a domestic corporation) and the structure of any such business combination, (iii) the nature and

 

19


amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with any such business combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with such business combination but issued within the same taxable year of the business combination) and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. In addition, because the excise tax would be payable by us, and not by the redeeming holder, the mechanics of any required payment of the excise tax have not been determined. The foregoing could cause a reduction in our ability to complete a business combination or the cash available on hand to complete a business combination.

Any business combination may be subject to U.S. foreign investment regulations, which may impose conditions on or prevent the consummation of our initial business combination. Such conditions or limitations could also potentially make our public shares less attractive to investors or cause our future investments to be subject to U.S. foreign investment regulations.

Investments that involve the acquisition of, or investment in, a U.S. business by a non-U.S. investor may be subject to U.S. laws that regulate foreign investments in U.S. businesses and access by foreign persons to technology developed and produced in the United States. These laws include Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended by the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, and the regulations at 31 C.F.R. Parts 800 and 802, as amended, administered by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).

Whether CFIUS has jurisdiction to review an acquisition or investment transaction depends on, among other factors, the nature and structure of the transaction, including the level of beneficial ownership interest and the nature of any information or governance rights involved. For example, investments that result in “control” of a “U.S. business” by a “foreign person” (in each case, as such terms are defined in 31 C.F.R. Part 800) always are subject to CFIUS jurisdiction. Significant CFIUS reform legislation, which was fully implemented through regulations that became effective in 2020, expanded the scope of CFIUS’s jurisdiction to investments that do not result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person, but afford certain foreign investors certain information or governance rights in a U.S. business that has a nexus to “critical technologies,” “covered investment critical infrastructure” and/or “sensitive personal data” (in each case, as such terms are defined in 31 C.F.R. Part 800).

Our Sponsor is not “controlled” (as defined in 31 C.F.R. 800.208) by one or more foreign persons, such that the Sponsor’s involvement in any business combination may be a “covered transaction” (as defined in 31 C.F.R. 800.213). However, it is possible that non-U.S. persons could be involved in our business combination, or that a non-controlling member of our Sponsor may be considered to have “substantial ties” to a foreign person under CFIUS, which may increase the risk that our Business Combination becomes subject to regulatory review, including a potential mandatory or voluntary review by CFIUS, and that restrictions, limitations or conditions will be imposed by CFIUS. Therefore, we risk CFIUS intervention in connection with a business combination. Further, depending on the beneficial ownership of any prospective target company and the composition and governance rights of any PIPE investors in connection with a business combination, a business combination could result in investments that would be considered by CFIUS to be covered investments or a covered control transaction that CFIUS would have authority to review.

To the extent that this occurs, CFIUS or another U.S. governmental agency could choose to review a business combination or past or proposed transactions involving new or existing foreign investors in the prospective target company, even if a filing with CFIUS is or was not required at the time of such transaction. Any review and approval of an investment or transaction by CFIUS may have outsized impacts on transaction certainty, timing, feasibility and cost, among other things. CFIUS policies and agency practices are rapidly evolving, and in the event that CFIUS reviews a business combination or one or more proposed or existing investments by foreign investors in a prospective target company, there can be no assurances that such investors will be able to maintain, or proceed with, such investments on terms acceptable to the parties to a business combination or such investors. Among other things, CFIUS could seek to impose limitations or restrictions on, or prohibit, a business combination or investments by such investors. CFIUS could also order us to divest all or a portion of a target company if we had proceeded without first obtaining CFIUS clearance.

 

20


If CFIUS elects to review a business combination, the time necessary to complete such review of the business combination or a decision by CFIUS to prohibit the business combination could prevent us from completing a business combination prior to February 13, 2023 or the Extended Date (or the Additional Extension Date), as applicable.

If we are not able to consummate a business combination by February 5, 2023 or the Extended Date (or the Additional Extension Date), as applicable, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. Finally, the Company’s public shareholders will not receive the benefit of any price appreciation of our public shares that might result from a business combination with a target company.

 

21


BACKGROUND

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.

On August 13, 2021, we consummated our IPO of 20,000,000 units (the “units”), with each unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, which we refer to (together with any shares issued in exchange thereof) as the “public shares,” and one-half of one redeemable warrant, generating gross proceeds of $200.0 million. On August 25, 2021, the underwriter of our IPO partially exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 395,000 units (the “over-allotment units”). On August 27, 2021, we completed the sale of the over-allotment units to the underwriter (the “Over-Allotment”), generating gross proceeds of approximately $4.0 million.

Simultaneously with the closing of our IPO, we completed the private placement of 8,500,000 private placement warrants, at a purchase price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, to our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds to us of $8.5 million. Simultaneously with the closing of the Over-Allotment, on August 27, 2021, we consummated a second private placement, resulting in the purchase of an aggregate of an additional 118,500 private placement warrants by our Sponsor, generating gross proceeds to us of approximately $0.1 million. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in our IPO except that, so long as they are held by our Sponsor or its permitted transferees, they (1) may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, (2) are not subject to being called for redemption (except in certain circumstances when the public warrants are called for redemption and a certain price per public share threshold is met), (3) subject to certain limited exceptions, will be subject to transfer restrictions until 30 days following the consummation of the our initial business combination and (4) they (including the ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) are entitled to registration rights.

Of the gross proceeds received from our IPO, the Over-Allotment and the sale of the private placement warrants, $205,989,500 was deposited in the Trust Account.

The proceeds held in the Trust Account may be invested by the trustee only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or in 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. As of January 20, 2023, funds held in the Trust Account totaled approximately $209,428,035, and were held in a money market fund which invests in U.S. Treasury securities. However, to mitigate the risk of being viewed as operating as an unregistered investment company (including pursuant to the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act), we will, on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement relating to our IPO, instruct Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government securities or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in cash until the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination or liquidation. As a result, following such liquidation, we will likely receive minimal interest, if any, on the funds held in the Trust Account, which would reduce the dollar amount our public shareholders would receive upon any redemption of public shares or liquidation of the Company.

Our Sponsor, directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, director or indirect ownership of founder shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and advances that will not be repaid in the event of our winding up and the possibility of future compensatory arrangements. See the section entitled “The Extraordinary General Meeting—Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers.”

 

22


On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 25,493,750 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 20,395,000 were public shares and 5,098,750 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor, which holds 5,023,750 founder shares, and our independent directors, who hold the remaining founder shares, that they intend to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

Our principal executive offices are located at PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands and our telephone number is (345) 949-8066.

 

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THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL

We are proposing to amend our Articles to extend the date by which we have to consummate a business combination to the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and consummate an initial business combination, which our board believes is in the best interest of the Company. The Articles currently provide that we have until February 13, 2023 to consummate our initial business combination. In order for us to consider, negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement relating to a business combination, for our shareholders to be able to evaluate the potential business combination and for us to be able to consummate such business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension in order to extend the date by which we must (1) consummate our initial business combination, (2) cease our operations except for the purpose of winding up if we fail to consummate such business combination, and (3) redeem all the public shares, from February 13, 2023 to the Extended Date or Additional Extension Date, as applicable.

A copy of the proposed amendments to the Articles of the Company is attached to this Proxy Statement under the first resolution in Annex A.

Reasons for the Extension Amendment Proposal

Our Articles provide that if our shareholders approve an amendment to our Articles that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all of our public shares if we do not consummate our initial business combination before February 13, 2023, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. We believe that this provision of the Articles was included to protect our shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable business combination in the timeframe contemplated by the Articles.

The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow us more time to enter into and consummate a business combination. The Articles currently provide that we have until February 13, 2023 to consummate our initial business combination. Our board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek an

 

24


extension of such date and have our shareholders approve the Extension Amendment Proposal to allow for additional time to consider, negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement relating to our initial business combination, to hold an extraordinary general meeting to obtain the shareholder approvals required in connection with a business combination and to consummate the closing of a business combination. Without the Extension, if we are unable to complete a business combination on or before February 13, 2023, we would be precluded from completing our initial business combination and would be forced to liquidate.

Our board currently believes that it is improbable that we will be able to negotiate and complete our initial business combination before February 13, 2023. Accordingly, our board believes that in order for us to potentially consummate an initial business combination, we will need to obtain the Extension. If you do not elect to redeem your public shares, you will retain the right to vote on any proposed initial business combination in the future and the right to redeem your public shares in connection with such initial business combination.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is Not Approved

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is Approved

Upon approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal by the requisite number of votes, the amendments to our Articles that are set forth under the first resolution in Annex A hereto will become effective. We will remain a reporting company under the Exchange Act, and our units, public shares and public warrants will remain publicly traded.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved and the Extension is implemented, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election. We cannot predict the amount that will remain in the Trust Account if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved and the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be only a small fraction of the approximately $209,428,035 that was in the Trust Account as of January 20, 2023. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to consummate our initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on acceptable terms or at all.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved but we do not consummate our initial business combination by the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable (or, if the date by which we have to consummate a business combination is further extended at a duly called extraordinary general meeting, such later date), we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as

 

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reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

We cannot assure you that the per-share distribution from the Trust Account, if we liquidate, will not be less than $10.26 due to unforeseen claims of creditors. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company to exceed the Redemption Limitation. In the event that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and we receive notice of redemptions of public shares approaching or in excess of the Redemption Limitation, we and/or our Sponsor may take action to increase our net tangible assets to avoid exceeding the Redemption Limitation.

Redemption Rights

Each of our public shareholders may submit an Election to, subject to the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the implementation of the Extension, redeem all or a portion of its, his her public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. You will also be able to redeem your public shares in connection with any proposed initial business combination, or if we have not consummated our initial business combination by the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable.

TO DEMAND REDEMPTION, PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON FEBRUARY 6, 2023 (TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING), YOU SHOULD ELECT EITHER TO PHYSICALLY TENDER YOUR SHARES (AND/OR DELIVER YOUR SHARE CERTIFICATE(S) (IF ANY) AND OTHER REDEMPTION FORMS) TO OUR TRANSFER AGENT AT CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, 1 STATE STREET 30TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10004, ATTN: MARK ZIMKIND, MZIMKIND@CONTINENTALSTOCK.COM, OR TO TENDER YOUR SHARES (AND/OR DELIVER YOUR SHARE CERTIFICATE(S) (IF ANY) AND OTHER REDEMPTION FORMS) TO OUR TRANSFER AGENT ELECTRONICALLY USING DTC’S DWAC (DEPOSIT/WITHDRAWAL AT CUSTODIAN), WHICH ELECTION WOULD LIKELY BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU HOLD YOUR SHARES. YOU SHOULD ENSURE THAT YOUR BANK OR BROKER COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED ELSEWHERE HEREIN.

Through the DWAC system, this electronic delivery process can be accomplished by the shareholder, whether or not such shareholder is a record holder or its, his or her shares are held in “street name,” by contacting our transfer agent or the shareholder’s broker and requesting delivery of its, his or her shares through the DWAC system. Delivering shares physically may take significantly longer. In order to obtain a physical share certificate, a shareholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC, and our transfer agent will need to act together to facilitate this request. There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of

 

26


certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. Our transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $100 and the broker would determine whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. It is our understanding that shareholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from our transfer agent. We do not have any control over this process or over the brokers or DTC, and it may take longer than two weeks to obtain a physical share certificate. Such shareholders will have less time to make their investment decisions than those shareholders that tender their shares through the DWAC system.

Shareholders who request physical share certificates and wish to redeem may be unable to meet the deadline for tendering their shares before exercising their redemption rights and thus will be unable to redeem their shares.

Certificates that have not been tendered in accordance with these procedures prior to the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal at the Extraordinary General Meeting will not be redeemed for cash held in the Trust Account on the redemption date. In the event that a public shareholder tenders its, his or her shares and decides prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting that it, he or she does not want to redeem such shares, the shareholder may withdraw the tender. If you tender your ordinary shares (and/or delivered your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption to our transfer agent and decide prior to the vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting not to redeem your shares, you may request that our transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting our transfer agent at the address listed above. Any request for redemption, once made by a holder of public shares, may not be withdrawn once submitted to us unless our board determines (in its sole discretion) to permit the withdrawal of such redemption request (which it may do in whole or in part). In the event that a public shareholder tenders shares and the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved, such shares will not be redeemed and will be returned (along with any applicable share certificates) to the shareholder promptly following the determination that the Extension Amendment Proposal will not be approved. Our transfer agent will hold any share certificates of public shareholders that make the Election until such shares are redeemed for cash or returned to such shareholders.

If properly demanded, we will redeem each public share for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. Based upon the amount in the Trust Account as of January 20, 2023, which was approximately $209,428,035, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.26 at the time of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The closing price of the public shares on NYSE on January 20, 2023, the most recent practicable closing price prior to the mailing of this Proxy Statement, was $10.24. We cannot assure shareholders that they will be able to sell their shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our securities when such shareholders wish to sell their shares.

If you exercise your redemption rights, you will be exchanging your ordinary shares for cash and will no longer own the shares. You will be entitled to receive cash for these shares only if you properly demand redemption and tender your ordinary shares (and/or deliver your share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) to our transfer agent prior to the vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal at the Extraordinary General Meeting. We anticipate that a public shareholder who tenders ordinary shares (and/or deliver share certificate(s) (if any) and other redemption forms) for redemption in connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal would receive payment of the redemption price for such shares soon after the effectiveness of the Extension Amendment.

 

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THE REDEMPTION LIMITATION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL

We are proposing to amend our Articles as provided by the second resolution in the amendment to the Articles in the form set forth in Annex A of this Proxy Statement to eliminate from the Articles the Redemption Limitation in order to allow the Company to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed the Redemption Limitation.

Reasons for the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal

Our board believes the opportunity to consummate a business combination is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The purpose of such limitation was initially to ensure that, in connection with the Company’s initial business combination, the Company would continue, as we have since our IPO, to be not subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC, and therefore not a “blank check company” as defined under Rule 419 of the Securities Act because it complied with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) (the “NTA Rule”). The NTA Rule is one of several exclusions from the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and we believe that we may rely on another exclusion, which relates to the Company being listed on the NYSE (Rule 3a51-1(a)(2)) (the “Exchange Rule”). Therefore, the Company believes that the Redemption Limitation is not needed, and intends to rely on the Exchange Rule to not be deemed a penny stock issuer.

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and there are significant requests for redemption such that the Company’s net tangible assets would be less than $5,000,001 upon the consummation of a business combination, the Articles would prevent the Company from being able to consummate the business combination even if all other conditions to closing are met.

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is Not Approved

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved, we will not redeem public shares to the extent that accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would exceed the Redemption Limitation. In the event that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and we receive notice of redemptions of public shares approaching or in excess of the Redemption Limitation, we and/or our Sponsor may take action to increase our net tangible assets to avoid exceeding the Redemption Limitation.

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is Approved

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, our Articles will be amended pursuant to the second resolution in the form set forth in Annex A of this Proxy Statement effective on the date of the approval.

A copy of the proposed amendments to the Articles of the Company is attached to this Proxy Statement under the second resolution in Annex A.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR SHAREHOLDERS MAKING THE ELECTION

The following is a discussion of U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to U.S. Holders (as defined below) that make the Election if the Extension is implemented. This discussion applies only to public shares that are held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not describe all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a particular holder in light of their particular circumstances or status, including:

 

   

our Sponsor or our directors and officers;

 

   

financial institutions or financial services entities;

 

   

broker-dealers;

 

   

taxpayers that are subject to the mark-to-market method of accounting;

 

   

tax-exempt entities;

 

   

governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts;

 

   

expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;

 

   

persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of our voting shares or five percent or more of the total value of all classes of our shares;

 

   

persons that acquired ordinary shares pursuant to an exercise of employee share options or upon payout of a restricted share unit, in connection with employee share incentive plans or otherwise as compensation or in connection with the performance of services;

 

   

persons that hold public shares as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction;

 

   

persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

   

controlled foreign corporations; or

 

   

passive foreign investment companies.

This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), proposed, temporary and final Treasury Regulations promulgated under the Code, and judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all as of the date hereof. All of the foregoing is subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could adversely affect the accuracy of the statements in this discussion. This discussion does not address U.S. federal taxes other than those pertaining to U.S. federal income taxation (such as estate or gift taxes, the alternative minimum tax or the Medicare tax on investment income), nor does it address any aspects of U.S. state or local or non-U.S. taxation.

We have not sought, and do not intend to seek, any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regarding the exercise of redemption rights. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take positions inconsistent with the considerations discussed below or that any such positions would not be sustained by a court.

This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities or persons who hold our securities through such entities. If a partnership (or any entity or arrangement so characterized for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds public shares, the tax treatment of such partnership and a person treated as a partner of such partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the

 

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partnership. Partnerships holding any public shares and persons that are treated as partners of such partnerships should consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Election to them.

EACH HOLDER SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH HOLDER OF MAKING THE ELECTION, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX LAWS.

For purposes of this discussion, because any unit consisting of one public share and one-half of one warrant is separable at the option of the holder, we are treating each public share and one-half of one warrant held by a holder in the form of a single unit as separate instruments and are assuming that the unit itself will not be treated as an integrated instrument. Accordingly, consistent with the foregoing treatment, the cancellation or separation of the units in connection with the exercise of redemption rights pursuant to the Election generally should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This position is not free from doubt, and no assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a contrary position.

As used herein, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of public shares who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

  1.

an individual citizen or resident of the United States,

 

  2.

a corporation (or other entity that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized (or treated as created or organized) in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia,

 

  3.

an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source, or

 

  4.

a trust if (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons (within the meaning of the Code) have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) it has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

Redemption of Public Shares

In addition to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) considerations discussed below under “—PFIC Considerations,” the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the redemption of a U.S. Holder’s public shares pursuant to the Election will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of such shares redeemed under Section 302 of the Code or is treated as a distribution under Section 301 of the Code.

If the redemption qualifies as a sale of public shares under Section 302 of the Code, a U.S. Holder will be treated as described below under the section entitled “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Public Shares.” If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of public shares under Section 302 of the Code, a U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution with the tax consequences described below under the section entitled “—Taxation of Distributions.”

The redemption of public shares will generally qualify as a sale of the public shares that are redeemed if such redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the redeeming U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of such U.S. Holder’s interest or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to such U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

For purposes of such tests, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only ordinary shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder, but also ordinary shares that are constructively owned by such U.S. Holder. A redeeming U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to ordinary shares owned directly, ordinary shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which such U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any ordinary shares such U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants.

 

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The redemption of ordinary shares will generally be “substantially disproportionate” with respect to a redeeming U.S. Holder if the percentage of the relevant entity’s outstanding voting shares that such U.S. Holder actually or constructively owns immediately after the redemption is less than 80% of the percentage of the relevant entity’s outstanding voting shares that such U.S. Holder actually or constructively owned immediately before the redemption. Prior to an initial business combination, the public shares may not be treated as voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of such U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of the ordinary shares actually or constructively owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the ordinary shares actually owned by such U.S. Holder are redeemed and such U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of ordinary shares owned by certain family members and such U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other ordinary shares. The redemption of public shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if it results in a “meaningful reduction” of such U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in the relevant entity. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in such U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest will depend on the particular facts and circumstances applicable to it. The IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.”

If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption of public shares will be treated as a distribution to the redeemed holder and the tax effects to such U.S. holder will be as described below under the section entitled “—Taxation of Distributions.”

U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption, including any special reporting requirements.

Taxation of Distributions

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below under “—PFIC Considerations,” if the redemption of a U.S. Holder’s public shares is treated as a distribution, as discussed above, such distribution will generally be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Such dividends will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations.

With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, dividends will generally be taxed at preferential long-term capital gains rates only if (i) public shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or (ii) public shares are eligible for the benefits of an applicable income tax treaty, in each case, provided that the Company is not treated as a PFIC in the taxable year in which the dividend was paid or in any previous year and certain holding period and other requirements are met. Because we believe it is likely that we were a PFIC for our prior taxable years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, it is likely that the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate would not apply to any redemption proceeds treated as a distribution.

Moreover, it is unclear whether redemption rights with respect to the public shares may prevent the holding period of such shares from commencing prior to the termination of such rights. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for any redemption treated as a dividend with respect to public shares.

Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will generally constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our public shares. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the public shares and will be treated as described below under the section entitled “—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Public Shares.” After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed public shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its

 

31


remaining public shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares constructively owned by it.

Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Public Shares

Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below under “—PFIC Considerations,” if the redemption of a U.S. Holder’s public shares is treated as a sale or other taxable disposition, as discussed above, a U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount of cash received in such redemption and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the public shares redeemed. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its ordinary shares generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a public share or the U.S. Holder’s initial basis for the public shares received upon exercise of a whole warrant) less any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.

Under tax law currently in effect, long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. Holders are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at a reduced rate of tax. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares exceeds one year. However, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the public shares described in this Proxy Statement may prevent the holding period of the public shares from commencing prior to the termination of such rights. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to various limitations. U.S. Holders who hold different blocks of public shares (public shares purchased or acquired on different dates or at different prices) should consult their tax advisor to determine how the above rules apply to them.

PFIC Considerations

A foreign corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year is passive income. Alternatively, a foreign corporation will be a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year of the foreign corporation, ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than certain rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.

We believe it is likely that we were a PFIC for our prior taxable years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022. Our PFIC status for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2023, however, depends in part on whether we complete a business combination prior to the end of such year, as well as the timing and specifics of any such business combination. Because these and other facts on which any determination of PFIC status are based may not be known until the close of our current taxable year, there can be no assurances with respect to our PFIC status for such year. Even if we are not a PFIC for our current taxable year, a determination that we were a PFIC for any prior taxable year will continue to apply to any U.S. Holders who held our securities during such prior taxable years, absent certain elections described below.

If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in a U.S. Holder’s holding period for public shares and the U.S. Holder did not make a timely and effective “qualified electing fund” election for each of our taxable years as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) public shares (“QEF Election”), a QEF Election along with a purging election, or a “mark-to-market” election, then such U.S. Holder will generally be subject to special and adverse rules (the “Default PFIC Regime”) with respect to:

 

   

any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its public shares; and

 

   

any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of its ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for such public shares).

 

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Under the Default PFIC Regime:

 

   

the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its public shares;

 

   

the amount of gain allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of the first taxable year in which we are a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;

 

   

the amount of gain allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in such U.S. Holder’s holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder without regard to such U.S. Holder’s other items of income and loss for such taxable year; and

 

   

an additional tax equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the U.S. Holder in respect of the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of such U.S. Holder.

THE PFIC RULES ARE VERY COMPLEX AND ARE IMPACTED BY VARIOUS FACTORS IN ADDITION TO THOSE DESCRIBED ABOVE. ALL U.S. HOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE PFIC RULES TO THE REDEMPTION OF PUBLIC SHARES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WHETHER A QEF ELECTION, A PURGING ELECTION, A MARK-TO-MARKET ELECTION, OR ANY OTHER ELECTION IS AVAILABLE AND THE CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF MAKING OR HAVING MADE ANY SUCH ELECTION, AND THE IMPACT OF ANY PROPOSED OR FINAL PFIC TREASURY REGULATIONS.

Backup Withholding

In general, proceeds received from the exercise of redemption rights will be subject to backup withholding for a non-corporate U.S. Holder that:

 

   

fails to provide an accurate taxpayer identification number;

 

   

is notified by the IRS regarding a failure to report all interest or dividends required to be shown on his or her federal income tax returns; or

 

   

in certain circumstances, fails to comply with applicable certification requirements.

Any amount withheld under these rules will be creditable against the U.S. Holder’s federal income tax liability or refundable to the extent that it exceeds this liability, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS and other applicable requirements are met.

AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED ABOVE, THE FOREGOING DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES IS INCLUDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS, LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE TO ANY HOLDER. WE URGE YOU TO CONSULT WITH YOUR TAX ADVISER TO DETERMINE THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU (INCLUDING THE APPLICATION AND EFFECT OF ANY U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL OR FOREIGN INCOME OR OTHER TAX LAWS) OF THE RECEIPT OF CASH IN EXCHANGE FOR SHARES IN THE CONNECTION WITH THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL AND ANY REDEMPTION OF YOUR PUBLIC SHARES.

 

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THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

Date, Time and Place. The Extraordinary General Meeting will be held at 9 a.m., Eastern Time, on February 8, 2023 at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, located at 609 Main Street, Suite 4700, Houston, TX 77002, or at such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be postponed or adjourned, or to attend virtually via the Internet. While shareholders are encouraged to attend the meeting virtually, you will be permitted to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting in person at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. You will be able to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023. If you do not have Internet capabilities, you can listen to the Extraordinary General Meeting by phone dialing +1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) within the U.S. and Canada or +1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) outside of the U.S. and Canada. When prompted enter the pin number 2521357#. This option is listen-only, and you will not be able to vote or enter questions during the Extraordinary General Meeting if you choose to participate telephonically. The sole purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals described in this Proxy Statement.

Voting Power; Record Date. You will be entitled to vote or direct votes to be cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting if you owned the ordinary shares at the close of business on January 23, 2023, the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting. You will have one vote per proposal for each ordinary share you owned at that time. The Company warrants do not carry voting rights.

Votes Required. The approval of each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

On the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, there were 25,493,750 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 20,395,000 were public shares and 5,098,750 were founder shares. The founder shares carry voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and we have been informed by our Sponsor, which holds 5,023,750 founder shares, and our independent directors, who hold the remaining founder shares, that they intend to vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

If you do not want the Extension Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must vote “AGAINST” such proposal. If you do not want the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must vote “AGAINST” such proposal. If the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, and the Extension is implemented, then the Withdrawal Amount will be withdrawn from the Trust Account and paid pro rata to the redeeming public shareholders. You will still be entitled to make the Election if you vote against, abstain or do not vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal.

Broker “non-votes” and abstentions will have no effect with respect to the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal or the Adjournment Proposal.

Proxies; Board Solicitation; Proxy Solicitor. Your proxy is being solicited on behalf of our board on the proposals to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal being presented to shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting. We have engaged Morrow to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Extraordinary General Meeting. No recommendation is being made as to whether you should elect to redeem your shares. Proxies may be solicited in person, by telephone or other means of communication. If you grant a proxy, you may still revoke your proxy and vote your shares in person

 

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(including by virtual means as provided herein) at the Extraordinary General Meeting. You may contact Morrow at:

 

Morrow Sodali LLC  

333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower

 
Stamford, Connecticut 06902  

Shareholders may call toll-free: (800) 662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms, please call: (203) 658-9400

Email: WQGA.info@investor.morrowsodali.com

Required Vote

The approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our Articles, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. We cannot assure you that the per-share distribution from the Trust Account, if we liquidate, will not be less than $10.26 due to unforeseen claims of creditors. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the holders of our founder shares, including our Sponsor, will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the founder shares.

Additionally, unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company to exceed the Redemption Limitation. However, in the event that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is not approved and we receive notice of redemptions of public shares approaching or in excess of the Redemption Limitation, we and/or our Sponsor may take action to increase our net tangible assets to avoid exceeding the Redemption Limitation.

In addition, our Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting. 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 public shares in such transactions. Any such purchases that are completed after the record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting may include an agreement with a selling shareholder that such shareholder, for so long as he, she or it remains the record holder of the shares in question, will vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and/or will not exercise such shareholder’s redemption rights with respect to the shares so purchased. The purpose of such share

 

35


purchases and other transactions would be to increase the likelihood that the resolutions to be put to the Extraordinary General Meeting are approved by the requisite number of votes. In the event that such purchases do occur, the purchasers may seek to purchase shares from shareholders who would otherwise have voted against the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and/or elected to redeem their shares for a portion of the funds held in the Trust Account. Any such privately negotiated purchases may be effected at purchase prices that are below or in excess of the per-share pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account. Any public shares held by or subsequently purchased by our affiliates may be voted in favor of the Extension Amendment and the Redemption Limitation Amendment proposals. Our Sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates will be restricted from making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or during a restricted period under Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

Interests of our Sponsor, Directors and Officers

When you consider the recommendation of our board, you should keep in mind that our Sponsor, directors and officers have interests that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder. These interests include, among other things, the interests listed below:

 

   

If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, or by the Extended Date (or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable) if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved by the requisite number of votes (or, if the date by which we have to consummate a business combination is further extended at a duly called extraordinary general meeting, such later date), we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (2) and (3), to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such event, the founder shares, which are owned by our Sponsor and our independent directors, would be worthless because following the redemption of the public shares, we would likely have few, if any, net assets and because our holders of our founder shares have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the founder shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the required period.

 

   

In addition, simultaneously with the closing of our IPO and the closing of the Over-Allotment, we sold an aggregate of 8,618,500 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant in private placement transactions to our Sponsor. The private placement warrants are each exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share. If we do not consummate our initial business combination by February 13, 2023, or by the Extended Date (or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable) if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved by the requisite number of votes (or, if the date by which we have to consummate a business combination is further extended at a duly called extraordinary general meeting, such later date), then the proceeds from the sale of the private placement warrants will be part of the liquidating distribution to the public shareholders and the warrants held by our Sponsor will be worthless.

 

   

Our directors and executive officers may continue to be directors and officers of any acquired business after the consummation of an initial business combination. As such, in the future, if they continue as

 

directors and officers following such initial business combination, our directors and executive officers

 

36


 

will receive any cash fees, share options or share awards that a post-business combination board of directors determines to pay to its directors and officers.

 

 

   

In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, our Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent auditors) 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 the lesser of (i) $10.10 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account if less than $10.10 per public share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest that may be withdrawn to pay our tax obligations, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business that executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account, nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriter of our IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The Board’s Reasons for the Extension Amendment Proposal and Its Recommendation

As discussed below, after careful consideration of all relevant factors, our board has determined that the Extension Amendment is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Our board has approved and declared advisable adoption of the Extension Amendment Proposal and recommends that you vote “FOR” such proposal.

Our Articles currently provide that we have until February 13, 2023 to consummate our initial business combination. Our Articles provide that if our shareholders approve an amendment to our Articles that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem all of our public shares if we do not consummate our initial business combination before February 13, 2023, we will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. We believe that this provision of the Articles was included to protect our shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable business combination in the timeframe contemplated by the Articles.

We believe that it is in the best interests of the Company to extend the date that we have to consummate a business combination to the Extended Date or, if necessary, the Additional Extension Date in order to allow us to enter into an initial business combination, our shareholders to then evaluate the initial business combination and for us to be able to consummate the initial business combination.

After careful consideration of all relevant factors, our board determined that the Extension Amendment is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Resolutions to be Voted Upon

The full text of the resolution to be proposed in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal is set out as the first resolution in the amendment to the Articles in the form set forth in Annex A of this Proxy Statement.

Our board unanimously recommends that our shareholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

 

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The Board’s Reasons for the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and Its Recommendation

As discussed below, after careful consideration of all relevant factors, our board has determined that the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Our board has approved and declared advisable adoption of the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and recommends that you vote “FOR” such proposal.

Our board believes the opportunity to consummate a business combination is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Unless the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is approved, we will not proceed with the Extension if redemptions of our public shares would cause the Company to exceed the Redemption Limitation. By eliminating the Redemption Limitation, we make it more likely that we will proceed with the Extension and have the opportunity to consummate a business combination.

After careful consideration of all relevant factors, our board determined that the Redemption Limitation Amendment is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Resolutions to be Voted Upon

The full text of the resolution to be proposed in connection with the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal is set out as the second resolution in the amendment to the Articles in the form set forth in Annex A of this Proxy Statement.

Our board unanimously recommends that our shareholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal.

 

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THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL

Overview

The Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow our board to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary or convenient, either (x) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and/or the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal or (y) if our board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal. In no event will our board adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting for more than 30 days.

Consequences if the Adjournment Proposal is Not Approved

If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by our shareholders, our board may not be able to adjourn the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies or if our board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals.

Resolution to be Voted Upon

The full text of the resolution to be proposed is as follows:

“RESOLVED, as an ordinary resolution, that the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates to be determined by the chairman of the Extraordinary General Meeting, or indefinitely, if necessary or convenient, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies or if the Board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals be confirmed, ratified and approved in all respects.”

Vote Required for approval

The Adjournment Proposal must be approved as an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares who, being present and entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as a vote cast at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Recommendation of the Board

If presented, our board unanimously recommends that our shareholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Adjournment Proposal.

 

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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares as of January 20, 2023, based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of the ordinary shares, by:

 

   

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our Class A ordinary shares or Class B ordinary shares;

 

   

each of our executive officers and directors; and

 

   

all our executive officers and directors as a group.

As of the record date, there were a total of 25,493,750 ordinary shares outstanding. Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these are not exercisable within 60 days of January 20, 2023.

 

     Class B ordinary shares     Class A ordinary shares        

Name of Beneficial Owners(1)

   Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)
     Approximate
Percentage of
Class
    Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
     Approximate
Percentage of
Class
    Approximate
Percentage of Voting
Control of

Ordinary
Shares
 

World Quantum Growth Acquisition LLC(3)(4)

     5,023,750        98.53     —          —         19.71

Xavier Rolet(5)

     —          —         —          —         —    

Serge Harry(5)

     —          —         —          —         —    

Antoine Shagoury(5)

     —          —         —          —         —    

Michel Brogard(5)

     —          —         —          —         —    

Sharda Cherwoo(5)

     25,000        *       —          —         *  

Peter Lenardos(5)

     25,000        *       —          —         *  

Emer Timmons(5)

     25,000        *       —          —         *  

All officers and directors as a group (seven individuals)

     75,000        1.47     —          —         *  

HGC Investment Management Inc.(6)

     —          —         1,909,631        9.36     7.49

Saba Capital Management, L.P.(7)

     —          —         1,029,094        5.05     4.04

 

*

Less than one percent

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of our shareholders is PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands.

(2)

Interests shown consist solely of founder shares, classified as Class B ordinary shares. Such shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the consummation of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, as more fully described under the heading “Description of Securities—Founder Shares” of our final prospectus (File No. 333-255890), filed in connection with our IPO.

(3)

The shares reported above are held in the name of our Sponsor. Our Sponsor is controlled by a four-member board of managers composed of Xavier Rolet, Serge Harry, Antoine Shagoury and Michel Brogard. The approval of a majority of the managers is required to approve an action of our Sponsor. Under the so-called “rule of three,” if voting and dispositive decisions regarding an entity’s securities are made by three or more individuals, and a voting and dispositive decision requires the approval of a majority of those individuals, then none of the individuals is deemed a beneficial owner of the entity’s securities. This is the situation with regard to our Sponsor. Based upon the foregoing analysis, no individual member of the board of managers of our Sponsor exercises voting or dispositive control over any of the securities held by our Sponsor, even those in which such manager directly holds a pecuniary interest. Accordingly, none of them will be deemed to have or share beneficial ownership of such shares.

 

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(4)

Excludes 8,618,500 Class A ordinary shares which may be purchased by exercising private placement warrants that are not presently exercisable.

(5)

Does not include any shares indirectly owned by this individual as a result of his or her partnership interest in our Sponsor or its affiliates.

(6)

Pursuant to the Schedule 13G filed by HGC Investment Management Inc. on February 14, 2022, HGC Investment Management Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of Canada, which serves as the investment manager to The HGC Fund LP, an Ontario limited partnership (the “Fund”), may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of 1,909,631 Class A Ordinary Shares held on behalf of the Fund. The address of the business office of the reporting person is 1073 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M4W 2L2, Canada.

(7)

Pursuant to the Schedule 13G filed by Saba Capital Management, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Saba Capital”), Saba Capital Management GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Saba GP”), and Mr. Boaz R. Weinstein (together, the “Saba Reporting Persons”) on December 17, 2021, the Saba Reporting Persons may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of 1,029,094 Class A Ordinary Shares. The address of the business office of each of the Saba Reporting Persons is 405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, New York 10174.

 

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HOUSEHOLDING INFORMATION

Unless we have received contrary instructions, we may send a single copy of this Proxy Statement to any household at which two or more shareholders reside if we believe the shareholders are members of the same family. This process, known as “householding,” reduces the volume of duplicate information received at any one household and helps to reduce our expenses. However, if shareholders prefer to receive multiple sets of our disclosure documents at the same address this year or in future years, the shareholders should follow the instructions described below. Similarly, if an address is shared with another shareholder and together both of the shareholders would like to receive only a single set of our disclosure documents, the shareholders should follow these instructions:

 

   

if the shares are registered in the name of the shareholder, the shareholder should contact us at our offices at PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands to inform us of the shareholder’s request; or

 

   

if a bank, broker or other nominee holds the shares, the shareholder should contact the bank, broker or other nominee directly.

FUTURE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

If the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal and the Extension Amendment Proposal are approved and the Extension is implemented, we anticipate that we will hold another extraordinary general meeting before the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable, to consider and vote upon approval of our initial business combination and other related matters. Accordingly, if we consummate a business combination within the required timeframe, the Company’s next annual general meeting of shareholders will be held at a future date to be determined by the post-business combination company. If the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved, or if it is approved but we do not consummate a business combination before the Extended Date or the Additional Extension Date, as applicable, the Company will dissolve and liquidate and there will be no annual general meeting.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC as required by the Exchange Act. You can read our SEC filings, including this Proxy Statement, at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

If you would like additional copies of this Proxy Statement or if you have questions about the proposals to be presented at the Extraordinary General Meeting, you should contact our proxy solicitation agent at the following address and telephone number:

Morrow Sodali LLC

333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Shareholders may call toll-free: (800) 662-5200

Banks and Brokerage Firms, please call: (203) 658-9400

Email: WQGA.info@investor.morrowsodali.com

You may also obtain these documents by requesting them in writing from us by addressing such request to us at World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corp., PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands.

If you are a shareholder of the Company and would like to request documents, please do so by February 1, 2023 (five business days prior to the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting), in order to receive them before the Extraordinary General Meeting. If you request any documents from us, we will mail them to you by first class mail, or another equally prompt means.

 

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ANNEX A

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE

AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP.

WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP.

(the “Company”)

RESOLUTIONS OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY

FIRST, RESOLVED, as a special resolution THAT, effective immediately, the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended by:

 

  (a)

amending Article 49.7 by deleting the following introduction of such sub-section:

“In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business Combination within 18 months from the consummation of the IPO, or such later time as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles, the Company shall:”

and replacing it with the following:

“In the event that either the Company does not consummate a Business Combination by June 13, 2023 (the “Extended Date”), or by October 13, 2023 (the “Additional Extension Date”) if the board of Directors of the Company, prior to the Extended Date, resolves to extend the deadline date for the consummation by the Company of a Business Combination to the Additional Extension Date, or by such later time as the Members may approve in accordance with the Articles, the Company shall:”; and

 

  (b)

amending Article 49.8(a) by deleting the words:

“within 18 months from the consummation of the IPO”

and replacing them with the words:

“by the Extended Date or, if applicable, the Additional Extension Date”; and

 

  (c)

amending and Article 49.10(b) by deleting the words:

“business combination beyond 18 months from the closing of this offering”

and replacing them with the words:

“Business Combination beyond the Extended Date or, if applicable, the Additional Extension Date”.

SECOND, RESOLVED, as a special resolution THAT, effective immediately, the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended by:

 

  (a)

amending Article 49.2(b) by deleting the following words in their entirety:

“, provided that the Company shall not repurchase Public Shares in an amount that would cause the Company’s net tangible assets to be less than US$5,000,001 following such repurchases”; and

 

  (b)

amending Article 49.4 by deleting the following words:

“the Company shall be authorised to consummate such Business Combination, provided that the Company shall not consummate such Business Combination unless the Company has net tangible assets of at least US$5,000,001 immediately prior to, or upon such consummation of, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to, such Business Combination”


and replacing them with the words:

“the Company shall be authorised to consummate a Business Combination only with the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution”; and

 

  (c)

deleting in its entirety the last sentence of Article 49.5; and

 

  (d)

deleting in its entirety the last sentence of Article 49.8.


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WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE PROXY CARD IF YOU ARE VOTING ELECTRONICALLY. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE VOTE TODAY. IMMEDIATE - 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week or by Mail Vote by Internet - QUICK EASY FOLD HERE DO NOT SEPARATE INSERT IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED CONTROL NUMBER Signature Signature, if held jointly Date , 2023 Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. Joint owners should each sign personally. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate name by president or other authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by an authorized person. Proposal No. 1 The Extension Amendment Proposal to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as may be amended from time to time, the Articles) as provided by the first resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying Proxy Statement (the Extension Amendment and, such proposal, the Extension Amendment Proposal) to extend the date (the Extension) by which the Company must (1) consummate a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities (a business combination), (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to consummate such business combination, and (3) redeem all of the Companys Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units sold in the Companys initial public offering (such shares, including any shares issued in exchange thereof, the public shares) that was consummated on August 13, 2021 (our IPO), from February 13, 2023 (which is 18 months from the closing date of our IPO) to June 13, 2023 (such date, the Extended Date) and to allow the Company, without another shareholder vote, by resolution of the Companys board of directors (our board), to elect to further extend the Extended Date by four additional months, for a total of eight months, until October 13, 2023 (the Additional Extension Date), unless the closing of the Companys business combination has occurred prior thereto; Proposal No. 2 The Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal to approve, as a special resolution, the amendment of the Articles as provided by the second resolution in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying Proxy Statement (the Redemption Limitation Amendment and such proposal, the Redemption Limitation Amendment Proposal) to eliminate from the Articles the limitation that the Company shall not redeem public shares to the extent that such redemption would cause the Companys net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (the Redemption Limitation). The Redemption Limitation Amendment would allow the Company to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed the Redemption Limitation; and Proposal No. 3 The Adjournment Proposal to approve, as an ordinary resolution, the adjournment of the Extraordinary General Meeting to a later date or dates or indefinitely, if necessary or convenient, either (x) to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the foregoing proposals or (y) if our board determines before the Extraordinary General Meeting that it is not necessary or no longer desirable to proceed with the other proposals (the Adjournment Proposal). PROXY CARD WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR PROPOSAL NOS. 1, 2 AND 3. Please mark your votes like this X FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN INTERNET www.cstproxyvote.com Use the Internet to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card available when you access the above website. Follow the prompts to vote your shares. Telephone Access (listen-only): Within the U.S. and Canada: +1 800-450-7155 (toll-free) Outside of the U.S. and Canada: +1 857-999-9155 (standard rates apply) Conference ID: 2521357# Vote at the Meeting Vote in person at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, located at 609 Main Street, Suite 4700, Houston, TX 77002. If you plan to attend the virtual online Extraordinary General Meeting, you will need your 12 digit control number to vote electronically at the Extraordinary General Meeting. To attend: https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023 MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided. Your Internet vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card. Votes submitted electronically over the Internet must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on February 7, 2023. FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN


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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on February 8, 2023 This notice of meeting and the accompanying Proxy Statement are available at https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023 FOLD HERE DO NOT SEPARATE INSERT IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED PROXY CARD FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF WORLD QUANTUM GROWTH ACQUISITION CORP. THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The undersigned hereby appoints each of Xavier Rolet, Serge Harry, Antoine Shagoury and Michel Brogard (each, a Proxy) as proxy, with the power to appoint a substitute to vote the shares that the undersigned is entitled to vote (the Shares) at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corp. to be held on February 8, 2023 at 10 a.m., Eastern Time, at the offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, located at 609 Main Street, Suite 4700, Houston, TX 77002 and virtually via live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/wquantumga/2023 or at any adjournments and/or postponements thereof. Such Shares shall be voted as indicated with respect to the proposals listed on the reverse side hereof and in the Proxys discretion on such other matters as may properly come before the Extraordinary General Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the accompanying Proxy Statement and revokes all prior proxies for said meeting. THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN. IF NO SPECIFIC DIRECTION IS GIVEN AS TO THE PROPOSALS ON THE REVERSE SIDE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR PROPOSAL NOS. 1, 2 AND 3. PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD PROMPTLY. (Continued and to be marked, dated and signed on reverse side)

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