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
(Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant |
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Filed by a Party other
than the Registrant |
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Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of
the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material under
§240.14a-12 |
INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
Not Applicable
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement,
if other than the Registrant)
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No fee required. |
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Fee paid previously with
preliminary materials. |
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Fee computed on table in
exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a- 6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
1441 Broadway, 6th
Floor
New York, NY 10018
(917) 397-7625
Dear Shareholders:
On behalf of the board
of directors (the “Board”) of Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp (the “Company,” “we”
or similar terminology), I invite you to attend an extraordinary general meeting in lieu of an annual general meeting of shareholders
(the “Meeting”). The Meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on December 11, 2024, at the offices
of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10105, or at
such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be adjourned or postponed.
As discussed in the enclosed proxy statement,
the purpose of the Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:
(i) Proposal 1 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association, as amended prior to the date hereof (the “M&A”) in the form set forth in Annex
A to the accompanying proxy statement to extend the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business combination
(the “Extension”) from December 13, 2024 (the “Termination Date”) to December 15, 2025
(or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors in its sole discretion) (the “Extended Date”)
(such period, the “Extension Period” and such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”);
(ii) Proposal 2 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Liquidation Amendment”, and together with the Extension Amendment, the
“M&A Amendments”) the M&A in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying proxy statement to permit our
Board, in its sole discretion, to elect to wind up our operations on, or on an earlier date than December 15, 2025 (including prior
to December 13, 2024) (the “Liquidation Amendment Proposal”);
(iii) Proposal 3 — A proposal
to ratify, by way of ordinary resolution, the selection by the audit committee of the Board of BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”)
to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024 (the “Auditor
Ratification Proposal”); and
(iv) Proposal 4 —
A proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the Meeting a) to a later date or dates, if necessary, 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 b) sine die in the event that the holders of public shares (defined below) have elected to
redeem an amount of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals (defined below) such that if such redemptions were consummated
the Company would not adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, and the Board therefore determines
that approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals is no longer in the best interests of the Company, and in such event the Company will
ask its shareholders to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal or the Auditor Ratification Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
Approval of the Extension
Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal (together, the “M&A Amendment Proposals”) are each conditioned
on one another. This means that unless both proposals are approved by the shareholders, none of the M&A Amendment Proposals will
take effect.
Each of the M&A Amendment
Proposals, the Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal is more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement.
Only holders of record of
our class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares” or “Class A
ordinary shares”) and our class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”
or “Class B ordinary shares”, and together with the Class A Ordinary Shares, the “Ordinary Shares”)
at the close of business on November 12, 2024 are entitled to notice of the Meeting and to vote at the Meeting and any adjournments
or postponements of the Meeting.
Our Board has approved the
Extension Amendment Proposal, the Auditor Ratification Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal, and
recommends that shareholders vote in favor of each proposal. Approval of each of the M&A Amendment Proposals requires the affirmative
vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person
or by proxy thereon. Approval of each of the Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal requires the affirmative vote
of a simple majority of the votes cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by
proxy thereon.
In connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals, holders (“public
shareholders”) of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001, par value per share included in the units sold
in the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) (“public shares” or “Public Shares”),
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 (the “Trust Account”) established in connection with the IPO, including
interest not previously released to the Company to pay taxes, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, regardless
of whether or how such public shareholders vote on the proposals at the Meeting; however, redemption payments for Elections in
connection with this Meeting will only be made if the M&A Amendment Proposals receive the requisite shareholder approvals. Further,
the Company shall not redeem any Class A Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsor (defined below) or its affiliates or the directors
or officers of the Company.
The purpose of the M&A
Amendment Proposals and, if necessary, the Adjournment Proposal, is to allow the Company additional time to complete its initial business
combination (the “Business Combination”). We originally had 15 months from the consummation of our initial public
offering, or until March 13, 2023, to consummate our initial business combination. However, as requested by its prior sponsor and
as permitted under its M&A, we extended the date by which we must consummate an initial business combination by an additional three
months until June 13, 2023.
On June 2, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting,
at which its shareholders approved, among others, a proposal to extend the date by which it would be required to consummate a business
combination from June 13, 2023 to December 13, 2023 (or such earlier date as determined by the Board) (the “June 2023
Extension”). On December 11, 2023, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting, at which its shareholders approved,
among others, a proposal to extend the date by which it would be required to consummate a business combination from December 13,
2023 to December 13, 2024 (or such earlier date as determined by the Board) (the “December 2023 Extension”).
As a result of the
June 2023 Extension and the December 2023 Extension, and as provided in the M&A, the Company currently has until
December 13, 2024 to complete its Business Combination. While the Company is using its best efforts to complete the Business
Combination as soon as practicable, the board of directors (the “Board”) believes that there will not be
sufficient time before the Termination Date to complete the Business Combination. Accordingly, the Board believes that in order to
be able to consummate the Business Combination, the Company will need to obtain approval for the Extension. Without the Extension,
the Board believes that there is significant risk that the Company might not, despite its best efforts, be able to complete the
Business Combination on or before the Termination Date. If that were to occur, the Company would be precluded from completing the
Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination and would be forced to liquidate even if the Company’s shareholders
are otherwise in favor of consummating such transaction.
Therefore, the Board has
determined that it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate
the Business Combination to the Extended Date in order that the Company’s shareholders have the opportunity to participate in its
future investment, as well as to provide additional flexibility to wind up our operations prior to the end of the Extension Period.
If the M&A Amendment
Proposals are approved and implemented, the Company intends to complete the Business Combination as soon as possible and in any event
on or before the Extended Date. The Board will have the discretion to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified
date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end
of the Extension Period. Notwithstanding shareholder approval of the M&A Amendments, our Board will retain the right to abandon and
not implement the M&A Amendments at any time before the implementation thereof without any further action by our shareholders.
You are not being asked to vote
on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the separate
Business Combination Meeting (as defined below) of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders
in connection with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection
with the Business Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A
Amendment Proposals), will be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed
in the event the M&A Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection
with the Meeting.
On May 30, 2024,
the Company entered into a Business Combination Agreement (the “Original Business Combination Agreement”) with IWAC
Georgia Merger Sub, Inc., a Georgia corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Btab Ecommerce Group, Inc.,
a Georgia corporation (“Btab”).
On August 26, 2024,
the Company and Btab entered into an Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”)
with IWAC Holding Company Inc., a Delaware corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Pubco”), IWAC
Purchaser Merger Sub II Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Purchaser Merger Sub”), IWAC
Company Merger Sub Inc., a Georgia corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Company Merger Sub”), and
acknowledging and agreeing solely with respect to Section 2.1(a)(ii) thereof, Binson Lau. The Business Combination Agreement
amended, restated and superseded the Original Business Combination Agreement. Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, the Business
Combination will be effected in two steps. Subject to the approval and adoption of the Business Combination Agreement by the shareholders
of the Company and Btab, on the date of the consummation of the Business Combination and following the Domestication (as defined below):
(a) Purchaser Merger Sub will merge with and into IWAC (the “Purchaser Merger”), with the Company as the surviving
company in the Purchaser Merger and, as a result of the Purchaser Merger, the Company will become a wholly owned Subsidiary of Pubco
with the security holders of the Company receiving securities of Pubco with terms substantially equivalent to the terms of their securities
of the Company, and (b) Company Merger Sub will merge with and into Btab, with Btab as the surviving company in the Company Merger
and, as a result of the Company Merger, Btab will become a wholly owned Subsidiary of Pubco. Upon the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Btab
Business Combination”), Pubco expects to be renamed “Btab Ecommerce Holdings, Inc.”
If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Sponsor or its designee has agreed to loan to us the lesser of (i) $125,000 and (ii) $0.045 per Public
Share that remain outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Extension, for each calendar month (commencing on December 14,
2024 and ending on the 13th day of each subsequent month), or portion thereof, that is needed by the Company to complete an initial business
combination from December 14, 2024 until the Extended Date (each, a “Contribution” and the Contributions, collectively,
the “Extension Loan”). Accordingly, the amount deposited per share will depend on the number of Public Shares that
remain outstanding after redemptions in connection with the Extension. If more than 2,777,778 Public Shares remain outstanding after
redemptions in connection with the Extension, then the amount paid per share will be reduced proportionately. For example, if no Public
Shares are redeemed and all of our Public Shares remain outstanding in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited
per share will be approximately $0.03 per share. However, if 1,255,117 Public Shares are redeemed and 3,000,000 of our Public Shares
remain outstanding after redemptions in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be $0.042 per
share.
Assuming the M&A
Amendments are implemented, the initial Extension Loan amount will be deposited into the Trust Account within seven calendar days from
the beginning of such extension month. Accordingly, if the M&A Amendments are approved and implemented and the Company takes the
full time through the Extended Date to complete the initial business combination, which would represent twelve calendar months, in comparison
to the current redemption amount of approximately $11.90 per share, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for such business
combination or the Company’s subsequent liquidation will be approximately $12.26 per share if all of our Public Shares remain outstanding
after redemptions, or approximately $12.40 per share if 3,000,000 Public Shares remain outstanding.
The Extension Loan is
conditioned upon the implementation of the M&A Amendments. The Extension Loan will not occur if the M&A Amendments are not approved,
or the Extension is not completed. Amounts advanced under the Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable to the Sponsor
or its designees upon the earlier of the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. The Board will
have the sole discretion to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the
M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period, and if the
Board so determines, the obligation to make additional Contributions will terminate and the Company will liquidate and dissolve promptly
thereafter.
If either of the M&A Amendment Proposals
are not approved and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13, 2024, then as contemplated by and in accordance
with the M&A, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably
possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the
aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously
released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding
Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to
receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following
such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in each case to
our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
To exercise your redemption
rights, you must tender your shares to Continental, the Company’s transfer agent, at least two business days prior to the Meeting.
You may tender your shares by delivering your shares electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal
At Custodian) system. If you hold your shares in street name, you will need to instruct your bank, broker or other nominee to withdraw
the shares from your account in order to exercise your redemption rights. The redemption rights include the requirement that a shareholder
must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide its legal name, phone number, and address in order to validly redeem
its Public Shares.
Any demand for redemption,
once made, may be withdrawn at any time until the Meeting and, thereafter, with our consent. Furthermore, if a holder of Public Shares
delivers the certificate representing such holder’s shares in connection with an Election and subsequently decides prior to the
Meeting not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
The Company estimates
that the per-share pro rata portion of the Trust Account will be approximately $11.90 (which is expected to be the same approximate amount
two business days prior to the Meeting), based on the aggregate amount in the Trust Account of approximately $50.64 million as of the
Record Date (including accrued interest and less taxes paid or payable), divided by the total number of then outstanding Public Shares.
The closing price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange on November 12, 2024 was $11.88.
Accordingly, if the market price were to remain the same until the date of the Meeting, exercising redemption rights would result in
a public shareholder receiving $0.02 more for each share than if such shareholder sold the shares in the open market. The Company 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, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in its securities when such shareholders wish to sell their public
shares.
If the Extension Amendment
Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are not approved and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13,
2024, we will be required to dissolve and liquidate our Trust Account by returning the then-remaining funds in such account to the public
shareholders.
Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal will require the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting who, being
entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy thereon. Approval of each of the Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal
requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the shareholders which are present themselves or represented
by proxy at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy thereon. The Adjournment Proposal will only be put forth
for a vote if there are not sufficient votes to approve the other proposals at the Meeting or if
due to redemptions in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals, the Company would not adhere to the continued listing requirements
of the New York Stock Exchange, and in such event, the Company will ask its shareholders to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal
and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor Ratification Proposal.
The Board has fixed the
close of business on November 12, 2024 (the “Record Date”) as the date for determining the Company’s shareholders
entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of Ordinary Shares on that
date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. However, the holders of Public Shares may elect
to redeem all or a portion of their shares in connection with the Meeting. On the Record Date, there were 7,130,117 Ordinary Shares issued
and outstanding.
The Board believes that given the Company’s expenditure of time,
effort and money on identifying a Business Combination, including the Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination, circumstances
warrant providing public shareholders an opportunity to consider the Business Combination.
After careful consideration
of all relevant factors, the Board has determined that each of the proposals is advisable and recommends that you vote or give instruction
to vote “FOR” each proposal.
Enclosed is the proxy
statement containing detailed information concerning the Meeting, the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal,
the Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal. Whether or not you plan to participate in the Meeting, we urge you to
read this material carefully and vote your shares. In addition to sending our shareholders this proxy statement, we are also sending
shareholders the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 2, 2024 (the “2023 Annual Report”), so that at the Meeting,
shareholders may discuss and ask questions of the management with respect to the 2023 Annual Report.
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By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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/s/ Binson Lau |
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Binson Lau |
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Chairman of the Board |
November 20, 2024
INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
1441 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10018
(917) 397-7625
NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING IN
LIEU OF AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
OF SHAREHOLDERS TO
BE HELD ON DECEMBER 11, 2024
November 20, 2024
To the Shareholders of Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
that an extraordinary general meeting in lieu of an annual general meeting of the shareholders (the “Meeting”) of
Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp (“the Company,” the “Company,” “we” or
similar terminology), a Cayman Islands exempted company, will be held on December 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at
the offices of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York, New York
10105, or at such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be adjourned or postponed.
The purpose of the Meeting will be
to consider and vote upon the following proposals:
(i) |
Proposal 1 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association as amended prior to the date hereof (the “M&A”) in the form set forth in Annex
A to the accompanying proxy statement to extend the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business combination
(the “Extension”) from December 13, 2024 (the “Termination Date”) to December 15,
2025 (or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors in its sole discretion) (the “Extended
Date”) (such period, the “Extension Period” and such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”).
The text of the special resolution is as follows: “RESOLVED, as a special resolution, that subject to and conditional upon
the Trust Account having net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 as at the date of this special resolusion and the approval of
the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, with effect from the date that the directors of the Company determine in their sole discretion,
the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business combination be extended to December 15, 2025 (or such
earlier date as determined by our Board in its sole discretion) and each amendment to the amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association of the Company as amended and currently in effect set forth in Annex A to the proxy statement, be and is hereby
adopted.”; |
(ii) |
Proposal 2 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Liquidation Amendment”, and together with the Extension Amendment,
the “M&A Amendments”) the M&A in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying proxy statement to
permit our Board, in its sole discretion, to elect to wind up our operations on, or on an earlier date than December 15, 2025
(including prior to December 13, 2024) (the “Liquidation Amendment Proposal”). The text of the special resolution
is as follows: “RESOLVED, as a special resolution, that subject to and conditional upon the Trust Account having net tangible
assets of at least $5,000,001 as at the date of this special resolusion and the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, with
effect from the date that the directors of the Company determine in their sole discretion, the board of directors of the Company,
in its sole discretion, is authorized to elect to wind up the operations of the Company on a date on or prior to December 15,
2025 and each amendment to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company as amended and currently
in effect set forth in Annex A to the proxy statement, be and is hereby adopted.”; and |
(iii) |
Proposal 3
— A proposal to ratify, by way of ordinary resolution, the selection by the audit committee of the Board of BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”)
to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024 (the “Auditor
Ratification Proposal”); and |
(iv) |
Proposal 4 —
A proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the Meeting a) to a later date or dates, if necessary, 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; or b) sine die in the event that the holders of public shares have elected to
redeem an amount of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals such that if such redemptions were consummated the
Company would not adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Board of the Company therefore
determines that approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals is no longer in the best interests of the Company, and in such event
the Company will ask its shareholders to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the
Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor Ratification Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”). |
Approval of the Extension
Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal (together, the “M&A Amendment Proposals”) are each conditioned
on one another. This means that unless these two proposals are approved by the shareholders, none of these two proposals will take effect.
The purpose of the M&A Amendment Proposals and, if necessary, the
Adjournment Proposal, is to allow the Company additional time to complete its initial business combination (the “Business Combination”).
The M&A currently provides that the Company has until December 13, 2024 to complete its Business Combination. The Company does
not believe it will consummate the Business Combination prior to December 13, 2024. The purpose of the M&A Amendment Proposals
and, if necessary, the Adjournment Proposal, are to allow the Company more time to complete the Business Combination. The Company originally
had 15 months from the consummation of our initial public offering, or until March 13, 2023, to consummate our initial business combination.
However, as requested by its prior sponsor and as permitted under its M&A, the Company extended the date by which it must consummate
an initial business combination by an additional three months until June 13, 2023.
On June 2, 2023, the
Company held an extension meeting, at which its shareholders approved, among others, a proposal to extend the date by which it would
be required to consummate a business combination from June 13, 2023 to December 13, 2023 (or such earlier date as determined
by the Board) (the “June 2023 Extension”). On December 11, 2023, the Company held an extension meeting,
at which its shareholders approved, among others, a proposal to extend the date by which it would be required to consummate a business
combination from December 13, 2023 to December 13, 2024 (or such earlier date as determined by the Board) (the “December 2023
Extension”).
As a result of the
June 2023 Extension and the December 2023 Extension, and as provided in the M&A, the Company currently has until
December 13, 2024 to complete its Business Combination. While the Company is using its best efforts to complete the Business
Combination as soon as practicable, the Board believes that there will not be sufficient time before the Termination Date to
complete the Business Combination. Accordingly, the Board believes that in order to be able to consummate the Business Combination,
the Company will need to obtain approval for the Extension. Without the Extension, the Board believes that there is significant risk
that the Company might not, despite its best efforts, be able to complete the Business Combination on or before the Termination
Date. If that were to occur, the Company would be precluded from completing the Btab Business Combination or another Business
Combination and would be forced to liquidate even if the Company’s shareholders are otherwise in favor of consummating such
transaction.
Therefore, the Board has
determined that it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate
the Business Combination to the Extended Date in order that the Company’s shareholders have the opportunity to participate in its
future investment.
If the M&A Amendment
Proposals are approved and implemented, the Company intends to complete the Business Combination as soon as possible and in any event
on or before the Extended Date. The Board will have the flexibility to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all Public Shares on a specified
date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end
of the Extension Period. Notwithstanding shareholder approval of the M&A Amendments, our Board will retain the right to abandon and
not implement the M&A Amendments at any time before the implementation thereof without any further action by our shareholders.
You are not being asked to vote
on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the separate
Business Combination Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection
with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business
Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals),
will be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the
M&A Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
On May 30, 2024,
the Company entered into a Business Combination Agreement (the “Original Business Combination Agreement”) with IWAC
Georgia Merger Sub, Inc., a Georgia corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Btab Ecommerce Group, Inc.,
a Georgia corporation (“Btab”).
On August 26, 2024,
the Company and Btab entered into an Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”)
with IWAC Holding Company Inc., a Delaware corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IWAC (“Pubco”), IWAC Purchaser
Merger Sub II Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Purchaser Merger Sub”), IWAC
Company Merger Sub Inc., a Georgia corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Company Merger Sub”), and
acknowledging and agreeing solely with respect to Section 2.1(a)(ii) thereof, Binson Lau. The Business Combination Agreement
amended, restated and superseded the Original Business Combination Agreement. Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, the Business
Combination will be effected in two steps. Subject to the approval and adoption of the Business Combination Agreement by the shareholders
of the Company and Btab, on the date of the consummation of the Business Combination and following the Domestication (as defined below):
(a) Purchaser Merger Sub will merge with and into IWAC (the “Purchaser Merger”), with the Company as the surviving
company in the Purchaser Merger and, as a result of the Purchaser Merger, the Company will become a wholly owned Subsidiary of Pubco
with the security holders of the Company receiving securities of Pubco with terms substantially equivalent to the terms of their securities
of the Company, and (b) Company Merger Sub will merge with and into Btab, with Btab as the surviving company in the Company Merger
and, as a result of the Company Merger, Btab will become a wholly owned Subsidiary of Pubco. Upon the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Btab
Business Combination”), Pubco expects to be renamed “Btab Ecommerce Holdings, Inc.”
If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Sponsor or its designee has agreed to loan to us the lesser of (i) $125,000 and (ii) $0.045 per Public
Share that remain outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Extension, for each calendar month (commencing on December 14,
2024 and ending on the 13th day of each subsequent month), or portion thereof, that is needed by the Company to complete an initial business
combination from December 14, 2024 until the Extended Date (each, a “Contribution” and the Contributions, collectively,
the “Extension Loan”). Accordingly, the amount deposited per share will depend on the number of Public Shares that
remain outstanding after redemptions in connection with the Extension. If more than 2,777,778 Public Shares remain outstanding after
redemptions in connection with the Extension, then the amount paid per share will be reduced proportionately. For example, if no Public
Shares are redeemed and all of our Public Shares remain outstanding in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited
per share will be approximately $0.03 per share. However, if 1,255,117 Public Shares are redeemed and 3,000,000 of our Public Shares
remain outstanding after redemptions in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be $0.042 per
share.
Assuming the M&A
Amendments are implemented, the initial Extension Loan amount will be deposited into the Trust Account within seven calendar days from
the beginning of such extension month. Accordingly, if the M&A Amendments are approved and implemented and the Company takes the
full time through the Extended Date to complete the initial business combination, which would represent twelve calendar months, in comparison
to the current redemption amount of approximately $11.90 per share, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for such business
combination or the Company’s subsequent liquidation will be approximately $12.26 per share if all of our Public Shares remain outstanding
after redemptions, or approximately $12.40 per share if 3,000,000 Public Shares remain outstanding.
The Extension Loan is
conditioned upon the implementation of the M&A Amendments. The Extension Loan will not occur if the M&A Amendments are not approved,
or the Extension is not completed. Amounts advanced under the Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable to the Sponsor
or its designees upon the earlier of the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. The Board will
have the sole discretion to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the
M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period, and if the
Board so determines, the obligation to make additional Contributions will terminate and the Company will liquidate and dissolve promptly
thereafter.
If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal is not approved, and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13, 2024, then as contemplated by
and in accordance with the M&A, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly
as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash,
equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and
not previously released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then
issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including
the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably
possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject
in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable
law.
The full text of the Extension
Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal are set out in the accompanying proxy statement.
The Adjournment Proposal
will only be presented at the Meeting if there are not sufficient tabulated votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation
Amendment Proposal, the Auditor Ratification Proposal or if due to redemptions in connection with
the M&A Amendment Proposals, the Company would not adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.
In such event the Company will ask its shareholders to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal,
the Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor Ratification Proposal.
The Board has fixed the
close of business on November 12, 2024 as the record date for the Meeting and only holders of shares of record at that time will
be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
A shareholder who is entitled
to attend and vote at the Meeting is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and vote instead of that shareholder, and such
proxyholder need not be a shareholder of the Company.
|
By Order of the Board of Directors
of Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp, |
|
|
|
/s/Binson Lau |
|
Binson Lau |
|
Chairman of the Board |
November 20, 2024
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, IT
IS REQUESTED THAT YOU INDICATE YOUR VOTE ON THE PROPOSALS INCLUDED ON THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND DATE, SIGN AND MAIL IT IN THE ENCLOSED SELF-ADDRESSED
ENVELOPE WHICH REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR SUBMIT YOUR PROXY AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE FIRST MAILING THIS PROXY STATEMENT
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS AND THE ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023 TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER
21, 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING IN LIEU
OF AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
To be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
on December 11, 2024
The information provided
in the Questions and Answers below 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.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why am I receiving this proxy statement?
This proxy statement of
Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp (“the Company,” the “Company,” “we” or
similar terminology) and the enclosed proxy card are being sent to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our board of
directors (the “Board”) for use at the Meeting, or at any adjournments or postponements thereof. This proxy statement
summarizes the information that you need to make an informed decision on the proposals to be considered at the Meeting.
We are a blank check company
incorporated in the Cayman Islands for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization
or similar business combination with one or more businesses (our “initial business combination”). Our sponsor is Suntone
Investment Pty Ltd, an Australian proprietary limited company (the “Sponsor”). On December 13, 2021, we consummated
our initial public offering of 11,500,000 units, and a concurrent private placement (the “Private Placement”) of 6,850,000
warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”). A total of $117,300,000 (equal to $10.20 per unit sold in the IPO), comprised
of $112,700,000 of the proceeds from the IPO (which amount includes $4,025,000 of the deferred underwriting discount) and $4,600,000
of the proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, was placed in a Trust Account maintained by Continental Stock Transfer &
Trust Company, acting as trustee.
On March 14, 2023,
the Company announced that IWH Sponsor LP, a Delaware limited partnership, the Company’s prior sponsor, had exercised the first
of two three-month paid extensions and deposited an aggregate of $1.15 million (representing $0.10 per public share) into the Trust Account
for its public shareholders. The deposit enabled the Company to extend the date by which the Company has to complete an initial business
combination from March 13, 2023 to June 13, 2023.
On June 2, 2023, the
Company held an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders to approve a further extension of the date by which it had to complete
an initial business combination from June 13, 2023 to December 13, 2023 (the “June 2023 Extension”),
which extension was reflected in an amendment to the Company's amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which was
adopted at such meeting on June 2, 2023. In connection with the approval of the extension, shareholders elected to redeem an aggregate
of 6,108,728 Class A Ordinary Shares. As a result, an aggregate of approximately $64.98
million (or approximately $10.64 per share) was released from the Trust Account to pay such shareholders.
On December 11, 2023,
the Company held an extension meeting, at which its shareholders approved, among others, a proposal to extend the date by which the Company
would be required to consummate a business combination from December 13, 2023 to December 13, 2024 (or such earlier date as
determined by the Board) (the “December 2023 Extension”). In connection with this meeting, shareholders holding
an aggregate of 1,136,155 public shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for
a pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account. As a result, approximately $12.6 million (approximately $11.09 per Public Share)
was removed from the Trust Account to pay such holders and 4,255,117 Class A Ordinary Shares were issued and outstanding. As a result
of the June 2023 Extension and December 2023 Extension, and as provided in the current M&A, the Company currently has until
December 13, 2024 to complete its initial business combination.
If the M&A Amendment
Proposals (which are conditioned on each other) are approved and implemented, the Termination Date will be extended as far as December 15,
2025 (or such earlier date as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion). If these proposals are approved and implemented, our
Board may elect, in its sole discretion, to wind up our operations on any date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments, in which
case we will liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares and thereafter liquidate and dissolve in accordance with law. Our
Board believes that it is in the best interests of the shareholders to both continue the Company’s existence as currently permitted
under our M&A until the expiration of the Extension Period and to enable the Company to liquidate the Trust Account and dissolve
in accordance with law and to redeem all public shares following the adoption of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after the
current Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period. Therefore, the Board is submitting the proposals described in
this proxy statement for the shareholders to vote upon.
The Company will hold a separate general meeting of its shareholders
to approve the Business Combination (the “Business Combination Meeting”).
The Company believes that
it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders to continue the Company’s existence until the Extended Date in
order to allow the Company additional time to complete the Business Combination and is therefore holding this Meeting.
What is being voted on?
You are being asked to vote on the
following proposals:
(i) Proposal 1 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association as amended prior to the date hereof (the “M&A”) in the form set forth in Annex
A to the accompanying proxy statement to extend the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business combination
(the “Extension”) from December 13, 2024 (the “Termination Date”) to December 15, 2025
(or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors in its sole discretion) (the “Extended Date”)
(such period, the “Extension Period” and such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”);
(ii) Proposal 2 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Liquidation Amendment”, and together with the Extension Amendment, the
“M&A Amendments”) the M&A in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying proxy statement to permit our
Board, in its sole discretion, to elect to wind up our operations on, or on an earlier date than December 15, 2025 (including prior
to December 13, 2024) (the “Liquidation Amendment Proposal”);
(iii) Proposal 3 — A proposal
to ratify, by way of ordinary resolution, the selection by the audit committee of the Board of BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”)
to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024 (the “Auditor
Ratification Proposal”); and
(iv) Proposal 4 —
A proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the Meeting a) to a later date or dates, if necessary, 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 b) sine die in the event that the holders of public shares have elected to redeem an amount
of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals such that if such redemptions were consummated the Company would not adhere
to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Board of the Company therefore determines that approval
of the M&A Amendment Proposals is no longer in the best interests of the Company, and in such event the Company will ask its shareholders
to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor
Ratification Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
Why is the Company proposing the M&A
Amendment Proposals?
The Company’s current
M&A provide that the Company has until December 13, 2024 (the date which is 36 months after the consummation of the IPO) to
complete the initial business combination. If the M&A Amendment Proposals (which are conditioned on each other) are approved and
implemented, the Termination Date will be extended as far as December 15, 2025 (or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s
board of directors in its sole discretion). If these proposals are approved and implemented, our Board may elect, in its sole discretion,
to wind up our operations on any date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments, in which case we will liquidate the Trust Account
to redeem all Public Shares and thereafter liquidate and dissolve in accordance with law. Our Board believes that it is in the best interests
of our shareholders to provide for the Extension and incremental flexibility. The purpose of the M&A Amendment Proposals and, if
necessary, the Adjournment Proposal, is to allow the Company additional time to complete the Business Combination.
While the Company is
using its best efforts to complete the Business Combination as soon as practicable, the Board believes that there will not be
sufficient time before the Termination Date to complete the Business Combination. Accordingly, the Board believes that in order to
be able to consummate the Business Combination, the Company will need to obtain the Extension. Without the Extension, the Board
believes that there is significant risk that the Company might not, despite its best efforts, be able to complete the Business
Combination on or before the Termination Date. If that were to occur, the Company would be precluded from completing the Btab
Business Combination or another Business Combination and would be forced to liquidate even if the Company’s shareholders are
otherwise in favor of consummating such transaction.
Therefore, the Board has
determined that it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate
the Business Combination to the Extended Date in order that the Company’s shareholders have the opportunity to participate in its
future investment, as well as to enable the Board to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following
the adoption of the amended M&A and prior to the end of the Extension Period (including a date prior to December 13, 2024).
If the M&A Amendment
Proposals are approved and implemented, the Company intends to complete the Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination
as soon as possible and in any event on or before the Extended Date. The Board will have the flexibility to liquidate the Trust Account
to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current
Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period. Notwithstanding shareholder approval of the M&A Amendments, our Board
will retain the right to abandon and not implement the M&A Amendments at any time before the implementation thereof without any further
action by our shareholders.
The Board believes that given the Company’s expenditure of time,
effort and money on identifying a Business Combination, including the Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination, circumstances
warrant ensuring that the Company is in the best position possible to consummate the Business Combination and that it is in the best interests
of the Company’s shareholders that the Company obtain the Extension if needed.
You are not being asked to vote
on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the separate
Business Combination Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection
with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business
Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals),
will be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the
M&A Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
If the M&A Amendment
Proposals are not approved by the Company’s shareholders, the Company may put the Adjournment Proposal to a vote in order to seek
additional time to obtain sufficient votes in support of the Extension. In the event the M&A Amendment Proposals are not approved
at the adjourned meeting and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13, 2024, the Company will dissolve
and liquidate in accordance with its M&A.
Why should I vote “FOR” the
Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal?
Our Board believes shareholders
will benefit from the Company consummating the Business Combination and is proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal to extend the date
by which the Company must complete an initial business combination to the expiration of the Extension Period. The Extension would give
the Company additional time to complete the Business Combination. Our Board also believes that shareholders will benefit from enabling
the Board to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments
and prior to the end of the Extension Period (including a date prior to December 13, 2024), after taking into account various factors,
including, but not limited to, the prospect of consummating a Business Combination prior to the end of the Extension Period. Your vote
in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are required for the Company to implement the Extension
Amendment and the Liquidation Amendment.
The Board believes that
it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders that the Extension be obtained so that, in the event the Business
Combination is not able to be consummated on or before the Termination Date, the Company will have additional time to consummate the
Business Combination. Without the Extension, the Board believes that there is significant risk that the Company might not, despite
its best efforts, be able to complete the Business Combination on or before the Termination Date. If that were to occur, the Company
would be precluded from completing the Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination and would be forced to liquidate
even if the Company’s shareholders are otherwise in favor of consummating such transaction.
The Board believes that
given the Company’s expenditure of time, effort and money on identifying a Business Combination, including the Btab Business
Combination or another Business Combination, circumstances warrant providing public shareholders an opportunity to consider the Business Combination.
The Company’s M&A
currently provides that if the Company’s shareholders approve an amendment to the Company’s M&A that would affect the
substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem public shares if the Company does not complete its initial business combination
before December 13, 2024, the Company will provide holders of its Public Shares (“public shareholders”) with
the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon such approval (the election for such a redemption, the “Election”)
at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (including accrued interest
and less taxes paid or payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares. The Company believes that this M&A
provision was included to protect the Company’s shareholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long
period if the Company failed to find a suitable business combination before the Termination Date. 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 Public
Shares in connection with such initial business combination.
If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Board will have the flexibility to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified
date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after December 13, 2024, and prior to the end of the
Extension Period.
If
the Company liquidates, the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third-party for services
rendered or products sold to us (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with
which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20
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 $10.20 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 representative of the underwriters in our IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be
unenforceable against a third-party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
The Company has not independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believes
that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of the Company and, therefore, the Sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations.
None of the Company’s officers or directors will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties, including, without limitation,
claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our Board recommends that
you vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal and the Auditor Ratification Proposal, but
expresses no opinion as to whether you should redeem your public shares. Public shareholders may elect to redeem their Public Shares
regardless of whether or how they vote on the proposals at the Meeting; however, redemption payments for Elections in connection with
this Meeting will only be made if the M&A Amendment Proposals receive the requisite shareholder approvals.
Why should I vote “FOR” the Auditor Ratification
Proposal?
BDO has served as the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm since 2021. Our Audit Committee and Board believe that stability and continuity in the
Company’s auditor is important as we continue to search for and complete a Business Combination. Our Board recommends that you
vote in favor of the Auditor Ratification Proposal.
Why should I vote “FOR” the
Adjournment Proposal?
If the Adjournment Proposal
is not approved by the Company’s shareholders, the Board may not be able to adjourn the Meeting a) to a later date or dates in
the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the other proposals or b) sine die
in the event that the holders of public shares (defined below) have elected to redeem an amount of shares in connection with the
M&A Amendment Proposals (defined below) such that if such redemptions were consummated the Company would not adhere to the continued
listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Board of the Company therefore determines that approval of the M&A Amendment
Proposals is no longer in the best interests of the Company, and in such event the Company will ask its shareholders to vote only upon
the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor Ratification
Proposal.
How do the Company insiders intend to vote their shares?
The Sponsor and all of the
Company’s directors and officers and their respective affiliates are expected to vote any Ordinary Shares over which they have
voting control (including any Public Shares owned by them) in favor of the proposals.
The Sponsor and all of the
Company’s directors and officers have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed (i) vote
any shares owned by it, him or her in favor of any proposed Business Combination (including any proposals recommended by the Company’s
Board of Directors in connection with such Business Combination) and (ii) not redeem any shares owned by it, him or her in connection
with such shareholder approval. The Sponsor and all of the Company’s directors and officers further waived, with respect to any
shares held by it, him or her, if any, any redemption rights it, he or she may have in connection with (x) the consummation of a
Business Combination, including, without limitation, any such rights available in the context of a shareholder vote to approve such Business
Combination or in the context of a tender offer made by the Company to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares and (y) a shareholder
vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the
substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination
or to redeem 100% of the public shares if the Company has not consummated its initial Business Combination by December 13, 2024
or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity (although
the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and officers shall be entitled to redemption and liquidation rights with respect to any
public shares it or they hold if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination by December 13, 2024.
In addition, the Sponsor
may enter into arrangements with a limited number of the Company’s shareholders pursuant to which such shareholders would agree
not to redeem the public shares beneficially owned by them in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal. The Sponsor may provide
such shareholders either Class B ordinary shares, membership interests in the Sponsor or other consideration pursuant to such arrangements.
Does the Board recommend voting for the
approval of the proposals?
Yes. After careful consideration
of the terms and conditions of the proposals, the Board has determined that the proposals are in the best interests of the Company and
its shareholders. The Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” each of the Extension Amendment Proposal,
the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, the Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.
What vote is required to approve the proposals
presented at the Meeting?
Approval of each of the
Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal will require the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes
cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy thereon.
Our Board will abandon the
M&A Amendments if our shareholders do not approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal.
Approval of each of the
Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal (if put forth at the Meeting) requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority
of the votes cast by the holders of the Ordinary Shares, voting as a single class, who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by
proxy at the Meeting.
What happens if I sell my Ordinary Shares
or units of the Company before the Meeting?
The November 12, 2024
record date is earlier than the date of the Meeting. If you transfer your Public Shares after the record date but before the Meeting,
unless the transferee obtains from you a proxy to vote those shares, you will retain your right to vote at the Meeting. If you transfer
your Ordinary Shares prior to the record date, you will have no right to vote those shares at the Meeting.
Will you seek any further extensions to liquidate the Trust
Account?
Other than the Extension,
until the expiration of the Extension Period as described in this proxy statement, the Company does not currently anticipate seeking
any further extension to consummate the Business Combination.
If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal are approved, what happens next?
We are seeking the Extension
Amendment to provide us additional time to complete the Business Combination. Our seeking to complete the Business Combination will involve:
| · | completing
proxy materials; |
| · | establishing
a meeting date and record date for considering the Business Combination, and distributing
proxy materials to shareholders; and |
| · | holding
an extraordinary general meeting to consider the Business Combination. |
We are seeking approval
of the Extension Amendment Proposal because we will not be able to complete all of the tasks listed above prior to December 13,
2024. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are approved and implemented, the Company will continue
to attempt to consummate the Business Combination until the Extended Date. The Board will ensure that the special resolutions approving
the Extension Amendment and the Liquidation Amendment and the resulting amendments to the M&A in substantially the form that appears
in Annex A hereto are filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands within fifteen days of the passing of such special
resolutions and will continue its efforts to obtain approval of the Business Combination at an extraordinary general meeting and consummate
the closing of the Business Combination on or before the Extended Date.
If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Board will have the flexibility to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all Public Shares on a specified
date following the adoption of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after December 13, 2024, and prior to the end of the
Extension Period. Notwithstanding shareholder approval of the M&A Amendments, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not
implement the M&A Amendments at any time before the implementation thereof without any further action by our shareholders.
If the M&A Amendments
are implemented, the Sponsor or its designee has agreed to loan to us the lesser of (i) $125,000 and (ii) $0.045 per Public Share that
remain outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Extension, for each calendar month (commencing on December 14, 2024 and
ending on the 13th day of each subsequent month), or portion thereof, that is needed by the Company to complete an initial business combination
from December 14, 2024 until the Extended Date (each, a “Contribution” and the Contributions, collectively, the “Extension
Loan”). Accordingly, the amount deposited per share will depend on the number of Public Shares that remain outstanding after
redemptions in connection with the Extension. If more than 2,777,778 Public Shares remain outstanding after redemptions in connection
with the Extension, then the amount paid per share will be reduced proportionately. For example, if no Public Shares are redeemed and
all of our Public Shares remain outstanding in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be approximately
$0.03 per share. However, if 1,255,117 Public Shares are redeemed and 3,000,000 of our Public Shares remain outstanding after redemptions
in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be $0.042 per share.
Assuming the M&A
Amendments are implemented, the initial Extension Loan amount will be deposited into the Trust Account within seven calendar days from
the beginning of such extension month. Accordingly, if the M&A Amendments are approved and implemented and the Company takes the
full time through the Extended Date to complete the initial business combination, which would represent twelve calendar months, in comparison
to the current redemption amount of approximately $11.90 per share, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for such business
combination or the Company’s subsequent liquidation will be approximately $12.26 per share if all of our Public Shares remain outstanding
after redemptions, or approximately $12.40 per share if 3,000,000 Public Shares remain outstanding.
The Extension Loan is
conditioned upon the implementation of the M&A Amendments. The Extension Loan will not occur if the M&A Amendments are not approved,
or the Extension is not completed. Amounts advanced under the Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable to the Sponsor
or its designees upon the earlier of the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. The Board will
have the sole discretion to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the
M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period, and if the
Board so determines, the obligation to make additional Contributions will terminate and the Company will liquidate and dissolve promptly
thereafter.
The M&A Amendment proposals
are conditioned on each other. Therefore, the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal must each be approved
for the Extension to be implemented. The Auditor Ratification Proposal is not conditioned on the approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals
or the Adjournment Proposal. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on the approval of any of the other proposals. The Adjournment
Proposal will only be put forth for a vote if there are not sufficient votes to approve the other proposals at the Meeting or
if due to redemptions in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals, the Company would not adhere to the continued listing requirements
of the New York Stock Exchange. If the Adjournment Proposal is put forth at the Meeting, the Adjournment Proposal will be the
first and only proposal voted on and the other proposals will not be submitted to the shareholders for a vote, provided that the Adjournment
Proposal passes.
What happens if either the Extension Amendment
Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal is not approved?
If there are insufficient
votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Auditor Ratification Proposal, or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, the Company
may put the Adjournment Proposal to a vote in order to seek additional time to obtain sufficient votes in support of the Extension.
If the Extension Amendment
Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal is not approved, and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13,
2024, then as contemplated by and in accordance with the M&A, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose
of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares,
at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on
the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution
expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’
rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as
promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate
and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements
of other applicable law.
The Sponsor, the Company’s
prior sponsor and the officers and directors of the Company have waived their rights to participate in any liquidation distribution with
respect to the 2,875,000 Class B Ordinary Shares held by them. There will be no distribution from the Trust Account with respect
to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless in the event the Company dissolves and liquidates the Trust Account.
Would I still be able to exercise my redemption
rights if I vote against the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal?
Yes, assuming you are a
shareholder as of the record date and continue to hold your shares at the time of your Election (and subsequent redemption payment).
However, redemption payments for Elections in connection with this Meeting will only be made if the M&A Amendment Proposals receive
the requisite shareholder approvals. If you do not redeem your public shares in connection with the Meeting, you will retain your right
to redeem your Public Shares upon consummation of the Business Combination, subject to any limitations set forth in the M&A (as amended
by the M&A Amendments).
When and where is the Meeting?
The Meeting will be held
at the offices of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York, New York
10105. The meeting will start at 10:00 am Eastern Time, on December 11, 2024. You can only attend the Meeting in person.
How do I vote?
If you are a holder of
record of Ordinary Shares as of November 12, 2024, the Record Date for the Meeting, you may vote in person at the Meeting, or by submitting
a proxy for the Meeting.
Voting by Mail.
By signing the proxy card and returning it in the enclosed prepaid and addressed envelope, you are authorizing the individuals named
on the proxy card to vote your shares at the Meeting in the manner you indicate. You are encouraged to sign and return the proxy card
even if you plan to attend the Meeting so that your shares will be voted if you are unable to attend the Meeting. If you receive more
than one proxy card, it is an indication that your shares are held in multiple accounts. Please sign and return all proxy cards to ensure
that all of your shares are voted. Votes submitted by mail must be received by 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on December 11, 2024.
Voting by Internet.
Shareholders who have received a copy of the proxy card by mail may be able to vote over the Internet by visiting the web address
on the proxy card and entering the voter control number included on your proxy card.
How do I change my vote?
If you are a holder of
record of Ordinary Shares as of the Record Date, you can revoke your proxy at any time before the final vote at the Meeting by (i) delivering
a later-dated, signed proxy card so that it is received at least 48 hours prior to the time for holding the Meeting, (ii) entering a
new vote by internet, or (iii) attending and voting, in person, during the Meeting. Attending the Meeting alone will not cause your
previously granted proxy to be revoked unless you specifically so request.
If your Ordinary Shares
are held in “street name” by a broker or other agent and you wish to revoke your proxy, you should follow the instructions
provided by your broker or agent.
How are votes counted?
Votes will be counted by
the inspector of election appointed for the Meeting, who will separately count “FOR” and “AGAINST” votes and
abstentions for each proposal.
If my shares are held in “street
name,” will my broker automatically vote them for me?
Generally, if shares are
held in street name, the beneficial owner of the shares is entitled to give voting instructions to the broker, bank or other nominee
holding the shares. If the beneficial owner does not provide voting instructions, the broker, bank or other nominee can still vote the
shares with respect to matters that are considered to be “routine,” but cannot vote the shares with respect to “non-routine”
matters. Under the applicable rules, “non-routine” matters are matters that may substantially affect the rights or privileges
of shareholders, such as mergers, reverse stock splits, shareholder proposals, elections of directors (even if not contested), and executive
compensation, including advisory shareholder votes on executive compensation and on the frequency of shareholder votes on executive compensation.
The M&A Amendment Proposals and the Adjournment Proposal are considered to be “non-routine” and brokers, banks or other
nominees will not have discretionary voting power with respect to such proposals. Thus, your broker can vote your shares with respect
to “non-discretionary items” only if you provide instructions on how to vote. You should instruct your broker to vote your
shares, and your broker can tell you how to provide these instructions.
In contrast, brokerage firms
generally have the authority to vote shares not voted by customers on certain “routine” matters, including the ratification
of an independent registered public accounting firm. Accordingly, at the Meeting, your shares may be voted by your brokerage firm for
the Auditor Ratification Proposal.
What is a quorum requirement?
A quorum of shareholders
is necessary to hold a valid meeting. A quorum will be present if one or more shareholders who together hold not less than a majority
of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares is represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting.
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 at the Meeting. Abstentions will be counted towards the quorum requirement. If there is no quorum, the Meeting shall
be adjourned in accordance with the M&A.
Who can vote at the Meeting?
Only holders of record of
Ordinary Shares at the close of business on November 12, 2024 are entitled to have their vote counted at the Meeting and any adjournments
or postponements thereof. On this record date, 2,875,000 Class B Ordinary Share and 4,255,117 Class A Ordinary Shares are issued
and outstanding and entitled to vote.
See above in “How do I vote?”
for information on how to vote.
What interests do the Company’s directors
and executive officers have in the approval of the proposals?
When you consider the recommendation
of our Board, you should keep in mind that 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, the interests listed below.
· |
If an initial business
combination is not consummated by December 13, 2024, the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of winding
up, redeeming 100% of the issued and outstanding Public Shares for cash and, subject to the approval of its remaining shareholders
and its Board, dissolving and liquidating. In such event, the 2,012,500 Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsor and the Company’s
directors and officers, would be worthless because they are not entitled to participate in any Redemption or distribution with respect
to such shares. Such shares had an aggregate market value of approximately $23.91 million based upon the closing price of the Company’s
Ordinary Shares of $11.88 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on November 12, 2024, despite having been purchased for an aggregate
of $25,000. As a result, the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and officers are likely to be able to recoup their investment
in the Company and make a substantial profit on that investment, even if Public Shares have lost significant value. This means that
the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and officers could earn a positive rate of return on their investment, even if the
Public Shareholders experience a negative rate of return in the post-business combination company. Accordingly, the Company’s
management team, which owns an interest in the Sponsor, may have an economic incentive that differs from that of the Public Shareholders
to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the Trust Account
to the Public Shareholders, even if that business combination were with a less favorable target company or on terms less favorable
to shareholders rather than liquidate. |
· |
The Sponsor owns an
aggregate of 4,795,000 Private Placement Warrants with an aggregate market value of $54,663 based upon the closing price of the Company’s
Warrants of $0.0114 per warrant on the New York Stock Exchange on November 13, 2024. If the Company is unable to complete a business
combination by December 13, 2024, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless and the Sponsor will be unable to recoup
its investment in the Company. Accordingly, the Company’s management team, which owns an interest in the Sponsor, may have
an economic incentive that differs from that of the Public Shareholders to pursue and consummate an initial business combination
rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the Trust Account to the Public Shareholders, even if that business combination
were with a less favorable target company or on terms less favorable to shareholders rather than liquidate. |
· |
the fact that the Sponsor
and its affiliates has made outstanding loans and advances to the Company in the aggregate amount of approximately $2.6 million as
of November 15, 2024, which amount the Company will be unable to repay to the Sponsor to the extent that the amount of such loans
exceeds the amount of available proceeds not deposited in the Trust Account if a business combination is not completed. |
· |
the Company’s
Sponsor and its officers and directors and their affiliates are entitled to reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them
in connection with certain activities on the Company’s behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets
and business combinations. However, if the Company fails to consummate a business combination within the required time period under
its organizational documents, these persons will not have any claim against the Trust Account for reimbursement. Accordingly, the
Company may not be able to reimburse these expenses if an initial business combination is not completed by December 13, 2024
(subject to the Extension, as applicable). As of September 30, 2024, there were no unreimbursed expenses. |
|
|
· |
the Company’s existing
directors and officers will be eligible for continued indemnification and continued coverage under the Company’s directors’
and officers’ liability insurance after the Business Combination. |
What happens to the Company’s warrants if either of the
M&A Amendment Proposals is not approved?
If either of the M&A
Amendment Proposals is not approved and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13, 2024, we will be required
to dissolve and liquidate the Trust Account by returning the then-remaining funds in such account to the public shareholders in accordance
with our M&A and the Company’s warrants will expire worthless.
What happens to the Company’s warrants
if the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved?
If the M&A Amendment
Proposals are approved and implemented, the Company will be able to continue its efforts to consummate its initial business combination
until the expiration of the Extension Period (or the Board’s election for earlier liquidation) and will retain the blank check
company restrictions previously applicable to it, and the Company’s warrants will remain outstanding in accordance with their terms.
How do I redeem my public shares?
If the M&A Amendments
are approved, each public shareholder may seek to redeem all or a portion of his or her public shares at a per-share price, payable in
cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (including accrued interest and less taxes paid or payable),
divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares. You will also be able to redeem your public shares in connection
with any shareholder vote to approve the Business Combination, or if the Company has not consummated an initial business combination
by the expiration of the Extension Period.
To demand redemption,
you must ensure your bank or broker complies with the requirements identified herein, including submitting a written request that your
shares be redeemed for cash to the transfer agent and delivering your shares to the transfer agent prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
on December 9, 2024 (two business days prior to the Meeting). You will only be entitled to receive cash in connection with a redemption
of these shares if you continue to hold them until the Election and the effective date of the M&A Amendments.
Pursuant to our M&A,
a public shareholder may request that the Company redeem all or a portion of such public shareholder’s public shares for cash if
the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved. You will be entitled to receive cash for any Public Shares to be redeemed only if you:
(i) (a) hold public shares
or (b) hold public shares through units and you elect to separate your units into the underlying shares and warrants prior to exercising
your redemption rights with respect to the public shares; and
(ii) prior
to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on December 9, 2024, (a) submit a written request to Continental, the Company’s transfer agent
(the “transfer agent”), at Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, One State Street Plaza, 30th
Floor, New York, NY 10004, Attn: SPAC Redemption Team, E-mail:spacredemptions@continentalstock.com, that the Company redeem
your Public Shares for cash and (b) deliver your Public Shares to the transfer agent, physically or electronically through The Depository
Trust Company (“DTC”).
If holders hold their units
in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying
public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact the transfer agent
directly and instruct it to do so. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of their public shares even if they vote
for the M&A Amendment Proposals.
Through DTC’s DWAC
(Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian) System, this electronic delivery process can be accomplished by the shareholder, whether or not it
is a record holder or its shares are held in “street name,” by contacting the transfer agent or its broker and requesting
delivery of its shares through the DWAC system. Delivering shares physically may take significantly longer. In order to obtain a physical
stock certificate, a shareholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC, and the Company’s 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 certificating
the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The 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 the Company’s understanding that shareholders
should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. The Company does 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 stock certificate. Such shareholders
will have less time to make their investment decision than those shareholders that deliver their shares through the DWAC system. Shareholders
who request physical stock 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 and the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal will not be redeemed for cash held in the Trust Account. In the event that a public shareholder tenders its shares and
decides prior to the Meeting (and thereafter, with our consent) that it does not want to redeem its shares, the shareholder may withdraw
the tender. If you delivered your shares for redemption to our transfer agent and decide prior to the Meeting (and thereafter, with our
consent) 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. In the event that a public shareholder tenders shares
and either of the M&A Amendment Proposals are not approved, these shares will not be redeemed and the physical certificates representing
these shares will be returned to the shareholder promptly following the determination that either of the M&A Amendment Proposals
will not be approved. The Company anticipates that a public shareholder who tenders shares for redemption in connection with the vote
to approve the M&A Amendment Proposals would receive payment of the redemption price for such shares soon after the approval of the
M&A Amendments. The transfer agent will hold the certificates of public shareholders that make the election until such shares are
redeemed for cash or returned to such shareholders.
If I am a public unit holder, can I exercise
redemption rights with respect to my units?
No. Holders of outstanding
public units must separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the
public shares.
If you hold units registered
in your own name, you must deliver the certificate (physically or electronically) for such units to Continental, our transfer agent,
with written instructions to separate such units into public shares and public warrants. This must be completed far enough in advance
to permit the delivery of the public share certificates back to you so that you may then exercise your redemption rights upon the separation
of the units into public shares and public warrants. See “How do I redeem my public shares?” above.
What should I do if I receive more than
one set of voting materials?
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 Company shares.
Who is paying for this proxy solicitation?
The Company will pay
for the entire cost of soliciting proxies, the Sponsor shall assume such cost. The Company has engaged Issuer Direct Corporation (“Solicitor”)
to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Meeting. The Company has agreed to pay the Solicitor approximately $12,000 in connection
with such services for the Meeting. We will also reimburse the Solicitor for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify the
Solicitor and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials,
our directors and executive 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. The Company may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other
agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners. While the payment of these expenses will reduce the cash available
to us to consummate an initial business combination if the Extension is approved, we do not expect such payments to have a material effect
on our ability to consummate an initial business combination.
Where do I find the voting results of the
Meeting?
We will announce preliminary
voting results at the Meeting. The final voting results will be tallied by the inspector of election and published in a Current Report
on Form 8-K, which the Company is required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) within
four (4) business days following the Meeting.
Who can help answer my questions?
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 the Solicitor at:
Issuer Direct Corporation
1 Glenwood Avenue, STE 1001
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 481-4000
Email: proxy@issuerdirect.com
You may also obtain additional information about the Company from
documents filed with the SEC by following the instructions in the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This proxy statement contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. We
have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements
are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity,
performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,”
“should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,”
“estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Such statements include,
but are not limited to, possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements
other than statements of historical fact.
The forward-looking statements
contained in this proxy statement are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential
effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking
statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual
results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that might
cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in this proxy
statement and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 2, 2024 (the “Annual Report”)
and in our other SEC filings. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities
involves risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other factors discussed in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 2, 2024 and in other reports we file with the SEC. Our business, financial
condition or results of operations could also be materially and adversely affected by additional factors that apply to all companies
generally, as well as other risks that are not currently known to us or that we currently view to be immaterial. In any such case, the
trading price of our securities could decline and you may lose all or part of your original investment. While we attempt to mitigate
known risks to the extent we believe to be practicable and reasonable, we can provide no assurance, and we make no representation, that
our mitigation efforts will be successful. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
There are no assurances
that the Extension will enable us to complete a business combination.
Approving the Extension
involves a number of risks. Even if the Extension is approved and implemented, the Company can provide no assurances that the Business
Combination will be consummated prior to the Extended Date. Our ability to consummate any business combination is dependent on a variety
of factors, many of which are beyond our control. If the Extension is approved and implemented, the Company intends to seek shareholder
approval of the Business Combination and consummate the Business Combination. We are required to offer shareholders the opportunity to
redeem their public shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals and, if needed, any additional amendments to the M&A,
and we will be required to offer shareholders redemption rights again in connection with any shareholder vote to approve an initial business
combination. Even if the M&A Amendment Proposals (or the Business Combination) are approved by our shareholders, it is possible that
redemptions will leave us with insufficient cash to consummate an initial business combination on commercially acceptable terms, or at
all. The fact that we will have separate redemption periods in connection with the Extension and the Business Combination vote could
exacerbate these risks. Other than in connection with a redemption offer or liquidation, our shareholders may be unable to recover their
investment except through sales of our shares on the open market. The price of our shares may be volatile, and there can be no assurance
that shareholders will be able to dispose of our shares at favorable prices, or at all.
We may not be able
to complete an initial business combination with certain potential target companies if a proposed transaction with the target company
is subject to review or approval by regulatory authorities pursuant to certain U.S. or foreign laws or regulations.
Our sponsor is an
Australian proprietary limited company. Jiang Hui Bao, a non-U.S. person, is the Chief Executive Officer of our Sponsor. In
addition, the members of the Sponsor are non-U.S. persons. The level of control and ownership of the Sponsor may prevent us from
completing an initial business combination with certain U.S. targets as described below.
Certain acquisitions or
an initial business combination may be subject to review or approval by regulatory authorities pursuant to certain U.S. or foreign laws
or regulations. In the event that such regulatory approval or clearance is not obtained, or the review process is extended beyond the
period of time that would permit an initial business combination to be consummated with us, we may not be able to consummate an initial
business combination with such target. In addition, regulatory considerations may decrease the pool of potential target companies we
may be willing or able to consider.
Among other things, the
U.S. Federal Communications Act prohibits foreign individuals, governments, and corporations from owning more than a specified percentage
of the capital stock of a broadcast, common carrier, or aeronautical radio station licensee. In addition, U.S. law currently restricts
foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. In the United States, certain mergers that may affect competition may require certain filings and
review by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, and investments or acquisitions that may affect national security
are subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). CFIUS is an interagency
committee authorized to review certain transactions involving foreign investment in the United States by foreign persons in order to
determine the effect of such transactions on the national security of the United States.
Outside the United States,
laws or regulations may affect our ability to consummate an initial business combination with potential target companies incorporated
or having business operations in jurisdictions where national security considerations, involvement in regulated industries (including
telecommunications), or in businesses where a country’s culture or heritage may be implicated.
U.S. and foreign regulators
generally have the power to deny the ability of the parties to consummate a transaction or to condition approval of a transaction on
specified terms and conditions, which may not be acceptable to us or a target. In such event, we may not be able to consummate a transaction
with that potential target.
We do not believe that the
Btab Business Combination is subject to review by CFIUS. However, if we do not complete the Btab Business Combination , the pool of other
potential targets with whom we could complete an initial business combination may be limited and we may be adversely affected in competing
with other SPACs that do not have similar ownership issues. Moreover, the process of government review, whether by CFIUS or otherwise,
could be lengthy. Because we have only a limited time to complete our initial business combination, our failure to obtain any required
approvals within the requisite time period may require us to liquidate. If we liquidate, our public shareholders may only receive a pro
rata amount of the funds in the Company’s trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless. This will also cause you to lose
any potential investment opportunity in a target company and the chance of realizing future gains on your investment through any price
appreciation in the combined company.
Changes in laws
or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate
and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.
We
are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we are required to comply with
certain SEC and other legal requirements and numerous complex tax laws. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations
may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from
time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition,
a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business,
including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial Business Combination, and results of operations.
On
January 24, 2024, the SEC adopted new rules and regulations (the “2024 SPAC Rules”) for special purpose
acquisition companies (“SPACs”) requiring, among other matters, (i) additional disclosures relating to SPAC business
combination transactions; (ii) additional disclosures relating to dilution and to conflicts of interest involving sponsors and their
affiliates in both SPAC initial public offerings and Business Combination transactions; (iii) additional disclosures regarding projections
included in SEC filings in connection with proposed Business Combination transactions; and (iv) the requirement that both the SPAC
and its target company be co-registrants for Business Combination registration statements.
In
addition, the SEC’s adopting release provided guidance describing circumstances in which a SPAC could become subject to regulation
under the Investment Company Act, including its duration, asset composition, business purpose, and the activities of the SPAC and
its management team in furtherance of such goals.
Compliance
with the 2024 SPAC Rules and related guidance may (i) increase the costs of and the time needed to negotiate and complete an
initial Business Combination and (ii) constrain the circumstances under which we could affect our ability to complete an initial
Business Combination.
Even if the Extension Amendment Proposal
is approved by our shareholders, our securities may be suspended from trading on NYSE and delisted if we do not consummate our initial
Business Combination by December 13, 2024. Any trading suspension or delisting may have a material adverse effect on the trading
of our securities and our ability to consummate an initial Business Combination.
Our Registration
Statement on Form S-1 with respect to our IPO was declared effective by the SEC on December 8, 2021 and our
IPO was closed on December 13, 2021and our securities are currently listed on The New
York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we have until
December 13, 2024 to consummate our initial Business Combination and, if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved, we will have
until December 15, 2025 to consummate our initial Business Combination. However, Section 802.01B and 102.06e of NYSE’s
Listed Company Manual requires SPACs (such as us) to satisfy certain listing conditions, including the requirement that a SPAC complete
one or more Business Combinations within the shorter of (i) the three year anniversary of its IPO (the “36-Month Requirement”)
or (ii) the time period specified in the Company’s constitutive documents or by contract. If a SPAC does not meet the 36-Month
Requirement, NYSE will promptly commence delisting procedures. A SPAC can request a review of NYSE’s determination to commence
delisting proceedings decision by a Committee of the Board of Directors of NYSE (“NYSE Board Committee”); however, its NYSE-listed
securities may be immediately suspended from trading through the pendency of the NYSE’s review or appeal process.
Accordingly, unless we are
able to consummate our Business Combination on or prior to December 13, 2024, even if the Extension Amendment Proposal is approved,
our securities may be suspended from trading on NYSE after December 13, 2024 and subject to delisting from the NYSE. If the NYSE
were to suspend our securities from trading, or delist our securities, our securities would be quoted on an over-the-counter market.
If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
| · | appearing
to be less attractive to potential target companies than an exchange listed SPAC; |
| · | a
limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| · | reduced
liquidity for our securities; |
| · | a
determination that our Class A ordinary shares are a “penny stock” which
will require brokers trading in our Class A ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent
rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading
market for our securities; |
| · | a
limited amount of news and analyst coverage; |
| · | a
decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future;
and |
| · | being
subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities, including in connection
with our initial business combination. |
As a result, an investor
would likely find it more difficult to trade, or to obtain accurate price quotations for, the Company’s securities if the Company’s
securities are delisted from the NYSE. Delisting would likely also reduce the visibility, liquidity and value of the Company’s
securities, including as a result of reduced institutional investor interest in the Company, and may increase the volatility of the Company’s
securities. Delisting could also cause a loss of confidence of current or potential investors in the Company securities, which could
negatively impact public shareholders’ decision-making regarding redemptions or potentially indirectly impact the ability of the
combined company’s securities to meet initial listing criteria on a national exchange at the Closing. Additionally, delisting could
also adversely affect the level of interest among potential business combination partners, which could further harm the Company’s
ability to consummate a business combination with another company, if the proposed Btab Business Combination were to be terminated. Alternatively,
the Company could take steps to wind down and liquidate if it is delisted from NYSE.
If our initial business
combination involves a company organized under the laws of a state of the United States, it is possible a 1% U.S. federal excise tax
will be imposed on us in connection with redemptions of our ordinary shares after or in connection with such initial business combination.
On
August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 became law in the United States, which, among other things, imposes a 1% excise
tax on the fair market value of certain repurchases (including certain redemptions) of stock by publicly traded domestic (i.e., United
States) corporations (and certain non-U.S. corporations treated as “surrogate foreign corporations”). The excise tax applies
to stock repurchases occurring in 2023 and beyond. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares
of stock repurchased at the time of the repurchase. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury Department”)
has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out, and prevent the abuse or avoidance of, the excise tax.
In April 2024, the Treasury Department issued proposed regulations providing guidance with respect to the excise tax. Taxpayers
may rely on these proposed regulations until final regulations are issued. Under the proposed regulations, liquidating distributions
made by publicly traded domestic corporations are exempt from the excise tax. In addition, any redemptions that occur in the same taxable
year as a liquidation is completed will also be exempt from such tax.
As
an entity incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company, the 1% excise tax is not expected to apply to redemptions of our Class A
ordinary shares (absent any regulations and other additional guidance that may be issued in the future with retroactive effect).
However, if we complete
an initial business combination involving a company organized under the laws of the United States, such as the Btab Business Combination,
we may domesticate and continue as a Delaware corporation prior to certain redemptions and, because our securities are trading on the
NYSE, it is possible that we will be subject to the excise tax with respect to any subsequent redemptions,
including redemptions in connection with the initial business combination, that are treated as repurchases for this purpose (other than,
pursuant to recently issued guidance from the Treasury Department, redemptions in complete liquidation of the company). In all cases,
the extent of the excise tax that may be incurred will depend on a number of factors, including: the fair market value of our ordinary
shares redeemed, the extent such redemptions could be treated as dividends and not repurchases, and the
content of any regulations and other additional guidance from the Treasury Department that may be issued and applicable to the redemptions.
Issuances of stock by a repurchasing corporation in a year in which such corporation repurchases stock may reduce the amount of excise
tax imposed with respect to such repurchase. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not the stockholders from
which stock is repurchased. The imposition of the excise tax as a result of redemptions in connection with the initial business combination
could, however, reduce the amount of cash available to pay redemptions or reduce the cash contribution to the target business in connection
with our initial business combination, which could cause the other shareholders of the combined company to economically bear the impact
of such excise tax.
BACKGROUND
We are a Cayman Islands-incorporated
blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or
similar business combination with one or more businesses.
Extension of Time to
Complete Business Combination
We originally had 15 months
from the consummation of our initial public offering, or until March 13, 2023, to consummate our initial business combination. However,
as requested by our prior sponsor and as permitted under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust
agreement entered into between us and Continental, in March 2023 we extended the date by which we must consummate an initial business
combination by an additional three months until June 13, 2023.
On June 2, 2023, we
held an extension meeting, at which our shareholders approved, among others, a proposal to extend the date by which we would be required
to consummate a business combination from June 13, 2023 to December 13, 2023 (or such earlier date as determined by the Board)
(the “June 2023 Extension”). In connection with this meeting, shareholders holding an aggregate of 6,108,728
public shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Trust Account. As a result,
approximately $64.98 million (approximately $10.64 per Public Share) was removed from the Trust Account to pay such holders.
On December 11, 2023,
we held an extension meeting, at which our shareholders approved, among others, a proposal to extend the date by which we would be required
to consummate a business combination from December 13, 2023 to December 13, 2024 (or such earlier date as determined by the
Board) (the “December 2023 Extension”). In connection with this meeting, shareholders holding an aggregate of
1,136,155 public shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion
of the funds in the Trust Account. As a result, approximately $12.6 million (approximately $11.09 per Public Share) was removed from
the Trust Account to pay such holders.
As of the record date, there
are issued and outstanding (i) 4,255,117 Class A ordinary shares and (ii) 2,875,000 Class B ordinary share. In addition,
we issued (i) 5,750,000 public warrants included in the public units, every whole warrant entitling their holder to purchase one
Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial business combination, and (iii) 6,850,000 Private Placement Warrants,
each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share as part of the Private Placement with the Sponsor that we consummated simultaneously
with the consummation of our IPO.
As of November 12, 2024,
approximately $50.64 million in proceeds from our IPO and the Private Placement and interest income were held in the Trust Account in
the United States maintained by Continental, acting as trustee. The proceeds held in the Trust Account may only be invested in United
States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, having a maturity
of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company
Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the Trust Agreement, the trustee is not permitted to
invest in other securities or assets. As currently in effect, the Trust Account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the
earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly
submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption
in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our Public Shares if we do not complete our initial business
combination by December 13, 2024, subject to any extension approved by shareholders, or (B) with respect to any other provision
relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination
by December 13, 2024, our return of the funds held in the Trust Account to our public shareholders as part of our redemption of
the public shares.
Sponsor Handover
On November 8, 2023,
we entered into a purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with IWH Sponsor LP, the Company’s prior sponsor,
and Sriram Associates, LLC ( “Sriram”), pursuant to which, the prior sponsor agreed to transfer to Sriram or its designees
(i) 2,012,500 of the Company’s Class B ordinary shares and (ii) 4,795,000 of the Company’s Private Placement
Warrants (as defined below) for a total purchase price of one dollar (the “Transfer”). In connection with the Transfer,
new officers and directors were appointed (the “Management Change”). The Transfer, the Management Change and the other
transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are hereinafter referred to as the “Sponsor Handover.”
On February 1, 2024,
the Sponsor Handover was consummated (the “Closing”). Suntone Investment Pty Ltd, a designee and affiliate of Sriram,
acquired the securities in the Transfer and has subsequently served as the sponsor 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 ownership of Class B ordinary shares and warrants that may become exercisable in the future and the possibility of future
compensatory arrangements. See the section entitled “The Meeting — Interests of the Sponsor, Directors and
Officers.”
BTAB Business Combination
On May 30, 2024,
the Company entered into a Business Combination Agreement (the “Original Business Combination Agreement”) with IWAC Georgia
Merger Sub, Inc., a Georgia corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Btab Ecommerce Group, Inc., a Georgia
corporation (“Btab”).
On August 26, 2024,
the Company and Btab entered into an Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”)
with IWAC Holding Company Inc., a Delaware corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IWAC (“Pubco”), IWAC Purchaser
Merger Sub II Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Purchaser Merger Sub”), IWAC Company
Merger Sub Inc., a Georgia corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Company Merger Sub”), and acknowledging and
agreeing solely with respect to Section 2.1(a)(ii) thereof, Binson Lau. The Business Combination Agreement amended, restated
and superseded the Original Business Combination Agreement.
Pursuant to the Business
Combination Agreement, the Business Combination will be effected in two steps. Subject to the approval and adoption of the Business Combination
Agreement by the shareholders of the Company and Btab, on the date of the consummation of the Business Combination and following the
domestication: (a) Purchaser Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Purchaser Merger”), with the Company
as the surviving company in the Purchaser Merger and, as a result of the Purchaser Merger, the Company will become a wholly owned subsidiary
of Pubco with the security holders of the Company receiving securities of Pubco with terms substantially equivalent to the terms of their
securities of the Company, and (b) Company Merger Sub will merge with and into Btab (the “Company Merger”), with Btab
as the surviving company in the Company Merger and, as a result of the Company Merger, Btab will become a wholly owned Subsidiary of
Pubco. Upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, Pubco expects to be renamed “Btab
Ecommerce Holdings, Inc.”
Our M&A currently
provides that the Company has until December 13, 2024 to complete its initial business combination. While the Company is using
its best efforts to complete the Business Combination as soon as practicable, the board of directors (the
“Board”) believes that there will not be sufficient time before the Termination Date to complete the Business
Combination. Accordingly, the Board believes that in order to be able to consummate the Business Combination, the Company will need
to obtain the Extension. Without the Extension, the Board believes that there is significant risk that the Company might not,
despite its best efforts, be able to complete the Btab Business Combination on or before the Termination Date. If that were to
occur, the Company would be precluded from completing the Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination and would be
forced to liquidate even if the Company’s shareholders are otherwise in favor of consummating such transaction.
Therefore, the Board has
determined that it is in the best interests of the Company’s shareholders to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate
an initial business combination to the Extended Date in order that the Company’s shareholders have the opportunity to participate
in its future investment, as well as to provide additional flexibility to wind up our operations prior to the end of the Extension Period.
If the Extension is approved
and implemented, the Company intends to complete the Business Combination as soon as possible and in any event on or before the Extended
Date.
You are not being asked to vote on the Business
Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the separate Business Combination
Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection with such separate Business
Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business Combination (which is
a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals), will be the subject
of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the M&A Amendments are
approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
THE
MEETING
Date, Time and Place of the Meeting
The enclosed proxy is
solicited by the Board in connection with the extraordinary general meeting in lieu of an annual general meeting to be held on December 11,
2024 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Meeting, at the offices of Ellenoff Grossman &
Schole LLP at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10105, or at such other time, on such other
date and at such other place to which the meeting may be adjourned or postponed.
Purpose of the Meeting
At the Meeting, you will be asked
to consider and vote upon the following matters:
(i) Proposal 1 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association as amended prior to the date hereof (the “M&A”) in the form set forth in Annex
A to the accompanying proxy statement to extend the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business combination
(the “Extension”) from December 13, 2024 (the “Termination Date”) to December 15, 2025
(or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors in its sole discretion) (the “Extended Date”)
(such period, the “Extension Period” and such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”);
(ii) Proposal 2 — A
proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Liquidation Amendment”, and together with the Extension Amendment, the
“M&A Amendments”) the M&A in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying proxy statement to permit our
Board, in its sole discretion, to elect to wind up our operations on, or on an earlier date than December 15, 2025 (including prior
to December 13, 2024) (the “Liquidation Amendment Proposal”);
(iii) Proposal 3 — A proposal
to ratify, by way of ordinary resolution, the selection by the audit committee of the Board of BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”)
to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024 (the “Auditor
Ratification Proposal”); and
(iv) Proposal 4 —
A proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the Meeting a) to a later date or dates, if necessary, 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 b) sine die in the event that the holders of public shares have elected to redeem an amount
of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals such that if such redemptions were consummated the Company would not adhere
to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Board of the Company therefore determines that approval
of the M&A Amendment Proposals is no longer in the best interests of the Company, and in such event the Company will ask its shareholders
to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor
Ratification Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
Approval of the Extension
Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are each conditioned on one another. This means that unless both of these proposals
are approved by the shareholders, none of these proposals will take effect. The Auditor Ratification Proposal is not conditioned on the
approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals or the Adjournment Proposal. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on the approval
of any of the other proposals.
The Adjournment Proposal
will only be presented at the Meeting (a) if there are not sufficient tabulated votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal,
the Auditor Ratification Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal (in which case the resolution will adjourn the Meeting to a later
date or dates to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies); or (b) if the holders of public shares have elected to redeem
an amount of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals such that if such redemptions were consummated the Company would
not adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (in which case the resolution will adjourn the meeting
sine die). The Adjournment Proposal may be presented as the first proposal at the time of the Meeting.
The Extension Amendment
Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are essential to the overall implementation of the Board’s plan to extend the date
by which the Company has to complete the Business Combination prior to the Termination Date as well as to enable the Board to liquidate
the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the approval and implementation of the M&A Amendments
but prior to the Extended Period (including prior to December 13, 2024) if it determines such action is in the best interests of
the shareholders.
You are not being asked to vote
on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the separate
Business Combination Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection
with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business
Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendments), will
be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the M&A
Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
Public shareholders may
elect to redeem their Public Shares for their pro rata portion of the funds available in the Trust Account in connection with the Extension
Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal regardless of whether or how such public shareholders vote with respect to
such proposals. Additionally, redemption payments for Elections in connection with this Meeting will only be made if the M&A Amendment
Proposals receive the requisite shareholder approvals. If the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved by the requisite vote of shareholders,
the remaining public shareholders will retain their right to redeem their public shares for their pro rata portion of the funds available
in the Trust Account when the Business Combination is submitted to the shareholders.
Any demand for redemption,
once made, may be withdrawn at any time until the Meeting and, thereafter, with our consent. Furthermore, if a holder of public shares
delivers the certificate representing such holder’s shares in connection with an Election and subsequently decides prior to the
Meeting not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically).
The withdrawal of funds
from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the redemption, and
the amount remaining in the Trust Account may be significantly reduced from the approximately $50.64 million that was in the Trust Account
as of November 12, 2024.
If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Sponsor or its designee has agreed to loan to us the lesser of (i) $125,000 and (ii) $0.045 per Public
Share that remain outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Extension, for each calendar month (commencing on December 14,
2024 and ending on the 13th day of each subsequent month), or portion thereof, that is needed by the Company to complete an initial business
combination from December 14, 2024 until the Extended Date (each, a “Contribution” and the Contributions, collectively,
the “Extension Loan”). Accordingly, the amount deposited per share will depend on the number of Public Shares that
remain outstanding after redemptions in connection with the Extension. If more than 2,777,778 Public Shares remain outstanding after
redemptions in connection with the Extension, then the amount paid per share will be reduced proportionately. For example, if no Public
Shares are redeemed and all of our Public Shares remain outstanding in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited
per share will be approximately $0.03 per share. However, if 1,255,117 Public Shares are redeemed and 3,000,000 of our Public Shares
remain outstanding after redemptions in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be $0.042 per
share.
Assuming the M&A
Amendments are implemented, the initial Extension Loan amount will be deposited into the Trust Account within seven calendar days from
the beginning of such extension month. Accordingly, if the M&A Amendments are approved and implemented and the Company takes the
full time through the Extended Date to complete the initial business combination, which would represent twelve calendar months, in comparison
to the current redemption amount of approximately $11.90 per share, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for such business
combination or the Company’s subsequent liquidation will be approximately $12.26 per share if all of our Public Shares remain outstanding
after redemptions, or approximately $12.40 per share if 3,000,000 Public Shares remain outstanding.
The Extension Loan is
conditioned upon the implementation of the M&A Amendments. The Extension Loan will not occur if the M&A Amendments are not approved,
or the Extension is not completed. Amounts advanced under the Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable to the Sponsor
or its designees upon the earlier of the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. The Board will
have the sole discretion to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the
M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period, and if the
Board so determines, the obligation to make additional Contributions will terminate and the Company will liquidate and dissolve promptly
thereafter.
If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal is not approved, and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13, 2024, then as contemplated by
and in accordance with the M&A, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as
promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable
in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust
Account and not previously released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the
number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as
shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as
promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate
and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements
of other applicable law.
The approval of each of
the M&A Amendment Proposals requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders represented at
the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy thereon. Approval of each of the Auditor Ratification Proposal and
the Adjournment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting
who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy thereon. The Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal
will not become effective unless our shareholders approve each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal.
Only holders of record
of our Ordinary Shares at the close of business on November 12, 2024 are entitled to notice of the Meeting and to vote at the Meeting
and any adjournments or postponements of the Meeting.
After careful consideration
of all relevant factors, the Board has determined that each of the proposals is advisable and recommends that you vote or give instruction
to vote “FOR” such proposals.
Voting Rights and Revocation of Proxies
The record date with respect
to this solicitation is the close of business on November 12, 2024 and only shareholders of record at that time will be entitled
to vote at the Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.
If you are a holder of
record of Ordinary Shares, you can revoke your proxy at any time before the final vote at the Meeting by (i) delivering a later-dated,
signed proxy card so that it is received at least 48 hours prior to the time for holding the Meeting, or (ii) attend and voting
in person at the Meeting. Attendance at the Meeting alone will not change your vote. If your Ordinary Shares are held in “street
name” by a broker or other agent and you wish to revoke your proxy, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker
or agent.
Dissenters’ Right of Appraisal
Holders of our Ordinary
Shares do not have appraisal rights under Cayman Islands law or under the governing documents of the Company in connection with this
solicitation.
Outstanding Shares and Quorum
The number of issued and
outstanding Ordinary Shares entitled to vote at the Meeting is 2,875,000 Class B Ordinary Shares and 4,255,117 Class A Ordinary
Shares. Each Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote. The presence in person or by proxy at the Meeting of one or more shareholders who
together hold not less than a majority of the number of issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares, will constitute a quorum. There is no
cumulative voting. Shares that abstain will be treated as present for quorum purposes on all matters.
Broker Non-Votes
Holders of our Ordinary
Shares that are held in street name must instruct their bank or brokerage firm that holds their shares how to vote their shares. We believe
that each of the proposals is a “non-routine” matter, and therefore, banks or brokerages cannot use discretionary authority
to vote shares on such proposals if they have not received instructions from their clients. Please submit your vote instruction form
so your vote is counted.
Required Votes for Each Proposal to Pass
Assuming the presence of a quorum at the Meeting:
· |
the
Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal must each be approved by a special resolution under Cayman Islands
law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes which are cast by the shareholders
who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof; and |
· |
the
Auditor Ratification Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal must be approved by an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which
requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by the shareholders who, being entitled to do so, vote in person
or by proxy at the Meeting. |
Abstentions
will not have an effect on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, the Auditor Ratification Proposal or
the Adjournment Proposal, assuming a quorum is present. The failure to vote will have no effect on the Extension Amendment Proposal,
the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, the Auditor Ratification Proposal or the Adjournment Proposal, assuming a quorum is present.
If there is no quorum, the Meeting
shall be adjourned in accordance with the M&A.
Voting Procedures
Each Ordinary Share that
you own in your name entitles you to one vote on each of the proposals for the Meeting. Your proxy card shows the number of Ordinary
Shares that you own.
· |
You
can vote your shares in advance of the Meeting by completing, signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card in the postage-paid
envelope provided. If you hold your shares in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee, you will need to
follow the instructions provided to you by your broker, bank or other nominee to ensure that your shares are represented and voted
at the Meeting. If you vote by proxy card, your “proxy,” whose name is listed on the proxy card, will vote your shares
as you instruct on the proxy card. If you sign and return the proxy card but do not give instructions on how to vote your shares,
your Ordinary Shares will be voted as recommended by our Board. Our Board recommends voting “FOR” the Extension
Amendment Proposal, “FOR” the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, “FOR” the Auditor Ratification
Proposal and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal. |
· |
You can
attend the Meeting and vote in person even if you have previously voted by submitting a proxy. However, if your Ordinary Shares are
held in the name of your broker, bank or other nominee, you must you first submit a legal proxy to Issuer Direct Corporation at proxy@issuerdirect.com.
Issuer Direct Corporation will then issue you a valid control number which will allow you to vote at the Meeting. That is the only
way we can be sure that the broker, bank or nominee has not already voted your public shares. |
Solicitation of
Proxies
Your
proxy is being solicited by our Board on the proposals being presented to shareholders at the Meeting. You may contact Issuer
Direct Corporation, our Solicitor, at:
Issuer Direct Corporation
1 Glenwood Avenue, STE 1001
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 481-4000
Email: proxy@issuerdirect.com
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. Some
banks and brokers have customers who beneficially own public shares listed of record in the names of nominees and we intend to request
banks and brokers to solicit such customers and will reimburse them for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for such solicitations.
Delivery of Proxy Materials to Shareholders
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 1441 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY 10018 Tel: (917) 397-7625; or |
· |
if
a bank, broker or other nominee holds the shares, the shareholder should contact the bank, broker or other nominee directly. |
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 initial business combination
is not consummated by December 13, 2024, the Company will cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, redeeming
100% of the issued and outstanding Public Shares for cash and, subject to the approval of its remaining shareholders and its Board,
dissolving and liquidating. In such event, the 2,012,500 Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsor would be worthless because the Sponsor,
the Company’s directors and officers are not entitled to participate in any Redemption or distribution with respect to such
shares. Such shares had an aggregate market value of approximately $23.91 million based upon the closing price of the Company’s
Ordinary Shares of $11.88 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on November 12, 2024, despite having been purchased for an aggregate
of $25,000. As a result, the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and officers are likely to be able to recoup their investment
in the Company and make a substantial profit on that investment, even if public shares have lost significant value. This means that
the Sponsor and the Company’s directors and officers could earn a positive rate of return on their investment, even if the
Public Shareholders experience a negative rate of return in the post-business combination company. Accordingly, the Company’s
management team, which owns an interest in the Sponsor, may have an economic incentive that differs from that of the Public Shareholders
to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate and to return all of the cash in the Trust Account
to the Public Shareholders, even if that business combination were with a less favorable target company or on terms less favorable
to shareholders rather than liquidate. |
· |
The Sponsor owns an aggregate of 4,795,000
Private Placement Warrants with an aggregate market value of $54,663 based upon the closing price of the Company’s Warrants
of $0.0114 per warrant on the New York Stock Exchange on November 13, 2024. If the Company is unable to complete a business combination
by December 13, 2024, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless and the Sponsor will be unable to recoup its investment
in the Company. Accordingly, the Company’s management team, which owns an interest in the Sponsor, may have an economic incentive
that differs from that of the Public Shareholders to pursue and consummate an initial business combination rather than to liquidate
and to return all of the cash in the Trust Account to the Public Shareholders, even if that business combination were with a less
favorable target company or on terms less favorable to shareholders rather than liquidate. |
· |
the fact that the Sponsor and its affiliates has made
outstanding loans and advances to the Company in the aggregate amount of approximately $2.6 million as of November 15, 2024, which
amount the Company will be unable to repay to the Sponsor to the extent that the amount of such loans exceeds the amount of available
proceeds not deposited in the Trust Account if a business combination is not completed. |
|
|
· |
the fact that the Sponsor, its affiliates and the prior sponsor have waived their right to redeem their Class B ordinary shares held by them, or to receive distributions from the Trust Account with respect to their Class B ordinary shares upon IWAC’s liquidation and dissolution if IWAC is unable to consummate its initial business combination; |
· |
the Company’s Sponsor, officers and directors
and their affiliates, are entitled to reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with certain activities
on the Company’s behalf, such as identifying and investigating possible business targets and business combinations. However,
if the Company fails to consummate a business combination within the required time period under its organizational documents, these
persons will not have any claim against the Trust Account for reimbursement. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to reimburse
these expenses if the Business Combination is not completed by December 13, 2024. As of September 30, 2024, there were no unreimbursed
expenses. |
|
|
· |
the Company’s existing directors and officers will be eligible for continued indemnification and continued coverage under the Company’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance after the Business Combination. |
· |
The fact that the following individuals have a material interest in the Sponsor, which
represent indirect interests in the following securities: |
Name of Person | |
Class B
ordinary shares | | |
Private
Placement Warrants | |
Jiang Hui Bao | |
| 2,000,000 | | |
| 4,795,000 | |
The foregoing interests
present a risk that the Sponsor and IWAC’s officers and directors may be incentivized to complete a business combination with a
less favorable target company or on terms less favorable to the Public Shareholders rather than to liquidate, in which case the Sponsor
would lose its entire investment. As a result, the Sponsor and IWAC’s officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in
determining whether Btab is an appropriate business with which to effectuate a business combination and/or in evaluating the terms of
the Business Combination.
Redemption Rights
Pursuant to our M&A,
our public shareholders will be provided with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon the approval of the M&A Amendments,
at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (including accrued interest
and less taxes paid or payable) divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares. If your redemption request is properly
made and the M&A Amendments are approved, these shares will cease to be issued and outstanding and will represent only the right
to receive such amount. For illustrative purposes, based on funds in the Trust Account of approximately $50.64 million on November 12,
2024, the estimated per share redemption price would have been approximately $11.90 (including accrued interest and less taxes paid or
payable). Public shareholders may elect to redeem their public shares regardless of whether or how they vote on the proposals at the
Meeting, but redemption payments for Elections in connection with this Meeting will only be made if the Extension Amendment Proposal
and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal receive the requisite shareholder approvals.
In order
to exercise your redemption rights, you must:
· |
submit a
request in writing prior to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time on December 9, 2024 (two (2) business days before the Meeting) that we redeem
your public shares for cash to Continental, our transfer agent, at the following address: |
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street Plaza, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Attn: SPAC Redemption Team
E-mail: spacredemptions@continentalstock.com
and
· |
deliver
your public shares either physically or electronically through DTC to our transfer agent at least two (2) business days before
the Meeting. Shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights and opting to deliver physical certificates should allot sufficient
time to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent and time to effect delivery. It is our understanding that shareholders
should generally allot at least two (2) weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, we do not have
any control over this process and it may take longer than two (2) weeks. Shareholders who hold their shares in street name will
have to coordinate with their broker, bank or other
nominee to have the shares certificated or delivered electronically. If you do not submit a written request and deliver your public
shares as described above, your shares will not be redeemed. |
Any demand for redemption, once made, may be
withdrawn at any time until the Meeting and, thereafter, with our consent. Furthermore, if a holder of public shares delivers the certificate
representing such holder’s shares in connection with an Election and subsequently decides prior to the Meeting not to elect to
exercise such rights, such holder may request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). You may
make such request by contacting our transfer agent at the email address or mailing address listed above.
Prior to exercising redemption
rights, shareholders should verify the market price of our Ordinary Shares, as they may receive higher proceeds from the sale of their
Ordinary Shares in the public market than from exercising their redemption rights if the market price per share is higher than the redemption
price. We cannot assure you that you will be able to sell your Ordinary Shares in the open market, even if the market price per share
is higher than the redemption price, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in our Ordinary Shares when you wish to sell your shares.
If you exercise your redemption
rights and the redemption is effectuated, your Ordinary Shares will cease to be issued and outstanding and will only represent the right
to receive a pro rata share of the aggregate amount on deposit in the Trust Account. You will no longer own those shares and will have
no right to participate in, or have any interest in, the future growth of the Company, if any. You will be entitled to receive cash for
these shares only if you properly and timely request redemption.
If the Extension Amendment
Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are not approved, and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13,
2024, then as contemplated by and in accordance with the M&A, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose
of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares,
at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on
the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution
expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’
rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as
promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate
and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements
of other applicable law.
Holders of outstanding units
must separate the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares.
If you hold units registered
in your own name, you must deliver to Continental written instructions to separate such units into shares and warrants. This must be
completed far enough in advance so that you may then exercise your redemption rights with respect to the public shares upon the separation
of the units into public shares and public warrants.
If a broker, dealer, commercial
bank, trust company or other nominee holds your units, you must instruct such nominee to separate your units. Your nominee must send
written instructions to Continental. Such written instructions must include the number of units to be split and the nominee holding such
units. Your nominee must also initiate electronically, using DTC’s deposit withdrawal at custodian (DWAC) system, a withdrawal
of the relevant units and a deposit of an equal number of public shares and public warrants. This must be completed far enough in advance
to permit your nominee to exercise your redemption rights with respect to the public shares upon the separation of the units into public
shares and public warrants. While this is typically done electronically the same business day, you should allow at least one full business
day to accomplish the separation. If you fail to cause your public shares to be separated in a timely manner, you will likely not be
able to exercise your redemption rights.
PROPOSAL
1: THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL
Overview
The Company is proposing
to amend its currently effective M&A to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate a Business Combination to the Extended
Date so as to give the Company additional time to complete the Business Combination. The proposed Extension Amendment would amend by
special resolution the Company’s M&A to extend the date by which the Company would be required to consummate an initial business
combination from December 13, 2024 to December 15, 2025 (or such earlier date as determined by the Board in its sole discretion).
The complete text of the proposed amendment is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A. All shareholders are encouraged to read the
proposed amendment in its entirety for a more complete description of its terms.
A copy of the proposed Extension
Amendment is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A.
Without the Extension, the Board believes that there is significant
risk that the Company might not, despite its best efforts, be able to complete an initial business combination on or before the Termination
Date. If that were to occur, the Company would be precluded from completing the Btab Business Combination or another Business Combination
and would be forced to liquidate even if the Company’s shareholders are otherwise in favor of consummating such transaction.
As contemplated by the M&A,
the holders of Public Shares may elect to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares in exchange for their pro rata portion of the
funds held in the Trust Account if the Extension Amendment is approved.
The Company estimates
that the per-share pro rata portion of the Trust Account will be approximately $11.90 at the time of the Meeting (including accrued interest
and less taxes paid or payable). The closing price of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange
on November 12, 2024 was $11.88. Accordingly, if the market price were to remain the same until the date of the Meeting, exercising redemption
rights would result in a public shareholder receiving $0.02 more for each share than if such shareholder sold the shares in the open
market. The Company 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, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in its securities when such shareholders
wish to sell their public shares.
You are not being asked
to vote on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the
separate Business Combination Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection
with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business
Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals),
will be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the
M&A Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
Reasons for the Proposed Extension Amendment
The M&A currently provides
that the Company has until December 13, 2024 to complete an initial business combination. The Company does not believe it will consummate
an initial business combination prior to December 13, 2024. The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow the Company more
time to complete the Business Combination.
We intend to hold another
shareholder meeting prior to the Extended Date in order to seek shareholder approval of the Business Combination. If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Board will have the flexibility to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified
date following the approval and implementation of the M&A Amendments at any time before or after December 13, 2024, and prior
to the end of the Extension Period.
If the M&A Amendments are Approved
If the M&A Amendments
are approved and implemented, the Company will file the M&A in the form of Annex A hereto to extend the time it has to complete
a Business Combination until the Extended Date. The Company will then continue to attempt to consummate a Business Combination until
the Extended Date, or until such earlier date as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. The Company will remain a reporting
company under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and its Class A
Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants will remain publicly traded during this time.
If the M&A Amendments
are implemented, the Sponsor or its designee has agreed to loan to us the lesser of (i) $125,000 and (ii) $0.045 per Public Share that
remain outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Extension, for each calendar month (commencing on December 14, 2024 and
ending on the 13th day of each subsequent month), or portion thereof, that is needed by the Company to complete an initial business combination
from December 14, 2024 until the Extended Date (each, a “Contribution” and the Contributions, collectively, the “Extension
Loan”). Accordingly, the amount deposited per share will depend on the number of Public Shares that remain outstanding after
redemptions in connection with the Extension. If more than 2,777,778 Public Shares remain outstanding after redemptions in connection
with the Extension, then the amount paid per share will be reduced proportionately. For example, if no Public Shares are redeemed and
all of our Public Shares remain outstanding in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be approximately
$0.03 per share. However, if 1,255,117 Public Shares are redeemed and 3,000,000 of our Public Shares remain outstanding after redemptions
in connection with the Extension, then the monthly amount deposited per share will be $0.042 per share.
Assuming the M&A
Amendments are implemented, the initial Extension Loan amount will be deposited into the Trust Account within seven calendar days from
the beginning of such extension month. Accordingly, if the M&A Amendments are approved and implemented and the Company takes the
full time through the Extended Date to complete the initial business combination, which would represent twelve calendar months, in comparison
to the current redemption amount of approximately $11.90 per share, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for such business
combination or the Company’s subsequent liquidation will be approximately $12.26 per share if all of our Public Shares remain outstanding
after redemptions, or approximately $12.40 per share if 3,000,000 Public Shares remain outstanding.
The Extension Loan is
conditioned upon the implementation of the M&A Amendments. The Extension Loan will not occur if the M&A Amendments are not approved,
or the Extension is not completed. Amounts advanced under the Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable to the Sponsor
or its designees upon the earlier of the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. The Board will
have the sole discretion to liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on a specified date following the adoption of the
M&A Amendments at any time before or after the current Termination Date, and prior to the end of the Extension Period, and if the
Board so determines, the obligation to make additional Contributions will terminate and the Company will liquidate and dissolve promptly
thereafter.
You are not being asked
to vote on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the
separate Business Combination Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection
with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business
Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals),
will be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the
M&A Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
If the Extension Amendment Is Not Approved
If the Extension Amendment
Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal are not approved, and the Business Combination is not completed on or before December 13,
2024, then as contemplated by and in accordance with the M&A, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose
of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares,
at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on
the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution
expenses), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’
rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as
promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board, liquidate
and dissolve, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements
of other applicable law.
If the Company liquidates,
the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third-party for services rendered or products
sold to us (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with which we have discussed
entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 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 $10.20 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 representative of the underwriters in our IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “Securities Act”). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third-party,
our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company has not independently verified
whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities
of the Company and, therefore, the Sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. None of the Company’s officers or directors
will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our Sponsor, directors and
officers (and their permitted transferees) and prior sponsor have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have
agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Ordinary Shares in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment
to our M&A such as the Extension Amendment. On the record date, the Sponsor, directors and officers and the prior sponsor beneficially
owned and were entitled to vote 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, which in the aggregate represent approximately 40.3% of the Company’s
issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares.
In connection with the
M&A Amendment Proposals, public shareholders may elect to redeem their shares for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the
aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest not previously released to the Company to pay taxes, divided
by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, regardless of whether such public shareholders vote “FOR” or
“AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, and an 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 Meeting. Public shareholders may make an Election
regardless of whether such public shareholders were holders as of the record date. However, redemption payments for Elections in connection
with this Meeting will only be made if the M&A Amendment Proposals receive the requisite shareholder approvals. If the M&A Amendment
Proposals are approved by the requisite vote of shareholders, the remaining holders of public shares will retain their right to redeem
their public shares if and when any initial business combination is submitted to the shareholders, subject to any limitations set forth
in our M&A, as amended by the M&A Amendments (as long as their election is made at least two (2) business days prior to
the meeting at which the shareholders’ vote is sought). Each redemption of shares by our public shareholders will decrease the
amount in the Trust Account, which held approximately $50.64 million as of November 12, 2024. In addition, public shareholders who do
not make the Election would be entitled to have their shares redeemed for cash if the Company has not completed an initial business combination
by the expiration of the Extension Period (if the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved and implemented) or our earlier liquidation.
To exercise your redemption
rights, you must tender your shares to the Company’s transfer agent at least two (2) business days prior to the Meeting (or
December 9, 2024). You may tender your shares by either delivering your share certificate to the transfer agent or by delivering your
shares electronically using the DTC’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system. If you hold your shares in street name, you
will need to instruct your bank, broker or other nominee to withdraw the shares from your account in order to exercise your redemption
rights. The redemption rights include the requirement that a shareholder must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide
its legal name, phone number and address in order to validly redeem its public shares.
As of November 12, 2024,
there was approximately $50.64 million in the Trust Account. If the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved and the Company extends
the Termination Date to December 15, 2025 (or such earlier date as determined by our Board in its sole discretion), the redemption
price per share at the Business Combination Meeting or the Company’s subsequent liquidation may be a different amount in comparison
to the current redemption price of approximately $11.90 per share under the terms of our current M&A and Trust Agreement.
The Extension Amendment
Proposal will not become effective unless our shareholders approve each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal. This means that unless all of these proposals are approved by the shareholders, none of these proposals will take effect.
Notwithstanding shareholder approval of the M&A Amendments, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not implement
the M&A Amendments at any time before the implementation thereof without any further action by our shareholders.
Full Text of the Resolution to be Approved
“RESOLVED, as a special resolution,
that subject to and conditional upon the Trust Account having net tangible assets of at least US$5,000,001 as at the date of this special
resolution and the approval of the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, with effect from the date that the directors of the Company determine
in their sole discretion, the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business combination be extended to December 15,
2025 (or such earlier date as determined by our Board in its sole discretion) and each amendment to the amended and restated memorandum
and articles of association of the Company as amended and currently in effect set forth in Annex A to the proxy statement, be
and is hereby adopted.”
Vote Required for Approval
The affirmative vote of
at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy
thereon is required to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal. Abstentions or the failure to vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal
will not have an effect on the Extension Amendment Proposal, assuming a quorum is present.
Recommendation of the Board
OUR BOARD UNANIMOUSLY
RECOMMENDS THAT OUR SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL 2: THE LIQUIDATION
AMENDMENT PROPOSAL
The proposed Liquidation
Amendment would amend the Company’s M&A to permit our Board, in its sole discretion, to elect to wind up our operations on,
or on a date earlier than December 15, 2025 (including prior to December 13, 2024) as determined by our Board. The complete
text of the proposed amendment is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A. All shareholders are encouraged to read the proposed amendment
in its entirety for a more complete description of its terms.
Reasons for the Proposed Liquidation Amendment
The Company is proposing
to amend its M&A to permit our Board to elect to wind up our operations on, or on an earlier date than, December 15, 2025 (including
prior to December 13, 2024) and liquidate the Trust Account to redeem all public shares on or prior to December 15, 2025 (including
a date prior to December 13, 2024) if it determines such action is in the best interests of the Company. In electing to wind up
at an earlier date, the Board may take into account various factors, including, but not limited to, the prospect of consummating an initial
business combination prior to the end of the Extension Period.
If the Liquidation Amendment Is Approved
If the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal and the Extension Amendment Proposal are approved and implemented, the M&A Amendments in the form of Annex A hereto will
be effective and the Trust Account will not be disbursed except in connection with the Election and with our completion of the initial
business combination or in connection with our liquidation if we do not complete the initial business combination by the applicable Extended
Date. The Company will then continue to attempt to consummate the Business Combination until the expiration of the Extension Period or
until the Company’s Board determines in its sole discretion that it will not be able to consummate the Business Combination before
the expiration of the Extension Period and does not wish to continue operations until such expiration.
If the Liquidation Amendment Proposal Is Not
Approved
If the Liquidation Amendment
Proposal or the Extension Amendment Proposal is not approved, we will (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding
up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds in
the Trust Account (net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then issued
and outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish the 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 the 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 distribution
from the Trust Account with respect to our warrants which will expire worthless in the event we wind up. We do not believe it is likely
that, if the M&A Amendment Proposals are not approved, we will be able to consummate the Business Combination by December 13,
2024.
If the Company liquidates,
the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third-party for services rendered or products
sold to us (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), or a prospective target business with which we have discussed
entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 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 $10.20 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 representative of the underwriters in our IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “Securities Act”). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third-party,
our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company has not independently verified
whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities
of the Company and, therefore, the Sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. None of the Company’s officers or directors
will indemnify the Company for claims by third parties, including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
You are not being asked
to vote on the Business Combination at the Meeting. The vote by the Company shareholders on the Business Combination will occur at the
separate Business Combination Meeting of the Company shareholders and the solicitation of proxies from the Company shareholders in connection
with such separate Business Combination Meeting, and the related right of the Company shareholders to redeem in connection with the Business
Combination (which is a separate right to redeem in addition to the right to redeem in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals),
will be the subject of a separate proxy statement/prospectus. If you want to ensure your Public Shares are redeemed in the event the
M&A Amendments are approved at the Meeting, you should elect to “redeem” your Public Shares in connection with the Meeting.
In connection with the Extension
Amendment Proposal and the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, public shareholders may elect to redeem their shares for a per-share price,
payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest not previously released to the
Company to pay taxes, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, regardless of whether such public shareholders
vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, and an 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 Meeting.
Public shareholders may
make an Election regardless of whether such public shareholders were holders as of the record date. However, redemption payments for
Elections in connection with this Meeting will only be made if the M&A Amendments Proposals receive the requisite shareholder approvals.
If the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved by the requisite vote of shareholders, the remaining holders of public shares will retain
their right to redeem their public shares if and when any initial business combination is submitted to the shareholders, subject to any
limitations set forth in our M&A, as amended by the M&A Amendments (as long as their election is made at least two (2) business
days prior to the meeting at which the shareholders’ vote is sought). Each redemption of shares by our public shareholders will
decrease the amount in the Trust Account, which held approximately $50.64 million as of November 12, 2024. In addition, public shareholders
who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their shares redeemed for cash if the Company has not completed an initial business
combination by the expiration of the Extension Period if the M&A Amendment Proposals are approved and implemented.
Full Text of the Resolution to be Approved
“RESOLVED, as a
special resolution, that subject to and conditional upon the Trust Account having net tangible assets of at least US$5,000,001 as at
the date of this special resolution and the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, with effect from the date that the directors
of the Company determine in their sole discretion, the board of directors of the Company, in its sole discretion, is authorized to elect
to wind up the operations of the Company on a date on or prior to December 15, 2025 and each amendment to the amended and restated
memorandum and articles of association of the Company as amended and currently in effect set forth in Annex A to the proxy statement,
be and is hereby adopted.”
Vote Required for Approval
The affirmative vote of
at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders represented at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy
thereon is required to approve the Liquidation Amendment Proposal. Abstentions or the failure to vote on the Liquidation Amendment Proposal
will not have an effect on the Liquidation Amendment Proposal, assuming a quorum is present.
Recommendation of the Board
OUR BOARD
UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT OUR SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE LIQUIDATION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL
NO. 3 — THE AUDITOR RATIFICATION PROPOSAL
Overview
We are asking the shareholders
to ratify the Audit Committee’s selection of BDO as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2024. BDO has audited our financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023. A representative
of BDO is not expected to be present at the Meeting; if a representative is present, they will not have the opportunity to make a statement
if they desire to do so and are not expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
The following is a summary
of fees paid or to be paid to BDO for services rendered.
Audit Fees
Audit fees consist of fees
for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by BDO
in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees of BDO for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial
statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with
the SEC for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 totaled approximately $199,540 and $179,488, respectively. The aggregate
fees of BDO related to audit services in connection with our initial public offering totaled approximately $89,000. The above amounts
include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees consist
of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial
statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute
or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. During the years ended December 31, 2023
and 2022 we did not pay BDO any audit-related fees.
Tax Fees
Tax fees consist of fees
billed for professional services relating to tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. We did not pay BDO for tax services, planning
or advice for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
All Other Fees
We did not pay BDO for any
other services for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Pre-Approval Policy
Our audit committee was formed
upon the consummation of our initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services,
although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation
of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has pre-approved and will continue to pre-approve all auditing
services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the
de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion
of the audit).
Consequences if the Auditor Ratification Proposal is Not Approved
The Audit Committee is directly
responsible for appointing the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee is not bound by the
outcome of this vote. However, if the shareholders do not ratify the selection of BDO as our independent registered public accounting
firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, our Audit Committee may reconsider the selection of BDO as our independent registered
public accounting firm.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Auditor
Ratification Proposal must be approved as an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of a simple majority
of the votes cast by the holders of the Ordinary Shares, voting together as a single class, who, being entitled to do so, vote in person
or by proxy at the Meeting. Abstentions or the failure to vote on the Auditor Ratification Proposal will not have an effect on the Auditor
Ratification Proposal, assuming a quorum is present.
Resolutions to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution
to be proposed in connection with the Auditor Ratification Proposal is as follows:
“RESOLVED, as an ordinary
resolution, that the selection of BDO USA, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2024 be and is hereby confirmed, ratified and approved in all respects.”
Recommendation of the Board
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS
OF THE COMPANY VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF BDO AS OUR REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM.
PROPOSAL
4: THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL
The Adjournment Proposal,
if approved, will allow our Board to adjourn the Meeting a) to a later date or dates 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 (a
Temporary Adjournment Scenario); or b) sine die in the event that the holders of public shares have elected to redeem an
amount of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals such that if such redemptions were consummated the Company would
not adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Board of the Company therefore determines that
approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals is no longer in the best interests of the Company (an Indefinite Adjournment Scenario),
and in such event the Company will ask its shareholders to vote only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment
Proposal, the Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor Ratification Proposal.
The Adjournment Proposal
will only be presented at the Meeting in the event that there are insufficient tabulated votes for, or otherwise in connection with,
the approval of the other proposals or if holders of public shares have elected to redeem an amount of shares in connection with the
M&A Amendment Proposals such that the Company would not adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.
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 Meeting in the scenarios outlined above.
Full Text of the Resolution to be Approved
In a Temporary Adjournment
Scenario:
“RESOLVED, as an ordinary
resolution, that the adjournment of the general meeting to a later date or dates to be determined by the chairman of the general meeting
to permit further solicitation of proxies be confirmed, adopted, approved and ratified in all respects.”
In an Indefinite Adjournment
Scenario:
“RESOLVED, as an ordinary
resolution, that the adjournment of the Meeting sine die be confirmed, adopted, approved and ratified in all respects.”
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Adjournment
Proposal requires an ordinary resolution being the affirmative vote of holders of a simple majority of the votes cast by shareholders
represented at the Meeting who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy thereon. Abstentions or the failure to vote on the
Adjournment Proposal will not have an effect on the Adjournment Proposal, assuming a quorum is present.
Recommendation of the Board
OUR BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT OUR
SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL.
UNITED
STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR
SHAREHOLDERS EXERCISING REDEMPTION RIGHTS
The following is a summary
of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to the Company’s shareholders with respect to the exercise of redemption rights
in connection with the approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals. Because the components of each unit are separable at the option of
the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying public
share and warrant components of the unit. This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”),
the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department, current administrative interpretations and practices of the Internal Revenue
Services (the “IRS”) (including administrative interpretations and practices expressed in private letter rulings which
are binding on the IRS only with respect to the particular taxpayers who requested and received those rulings) and judicial decisions,
all as currently in effect and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax considerations
described below. No advance ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS regarding any matter discussed in this summary. This summary
does not discuss the impact that U.S. state and local taxes and taxes imposed by non-U.S. jurisdictions could have on the matters discussed
in this summary. This summary does not purport to discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to a particular
shareholder in light of its investment or tax circumstances or to shareholders subject to special tax rules, such as:
· |
financial institutions
or financial services entities; |
· |
taxpayers that are subject
to the mark-to-market tax accounting rules; |
· |
governments or agencies
or instrumentalities thereof; |
· |
regulated investment companies; |
· |
real estate investment
trusts; |
· |
persons liable for alternative
minimum tax; |
· |
expatriates or former long-term
residents of the United States; |
· |
persons that actually or
constructively own five percent or more of our voting shares; |
· |
persons that acquired our
securities pursuant to an exercise of employee share options, in connection |
· |
with employee share incentive
plans or otherwise as compensation; |
· |
persons that hold our securities
as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedging, conversion or other |
· |
integrated or similar transaction; |
· |
U.S. Holders (as defined
below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; |
· |
controlled foreign corporations;
or |
· |
passive foreign investment
companies. |
If any partnership (including for this purpose any entity treated
as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares, the tax treatment of a partner generally will depend on the status
of the partner and the activities of the partner and the partnership. This summary does not address any tax consequences to any partnership
that holds our securities (or to any direct or indirect partner of such partnership). If you are a partner of a partnership holding the
Company’s securities, you should consult your tax advisor.
This summary assumes that
shareholders hold the Company’s securities as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, which generally
means as property held for investment and not as a dealer or for sale to customers in the ordinary course of the shareholder’s
trade or business.
WE URGE HOLDERS OF ORDINARY
SHARES CONTEMPLATING EXERCISE OF THEIR REDEMPTION RIGHTS TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND FOREIGN
INCOME AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES THEREOF.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to
U.S. Shareholders
This section is addressed
to Redeeming U.S. Holders (as defined below) of the Company’s shares that elect to have their shares redeemed for cash as described
in the section entitled “Proposal 1: The Extension Amendment Proposal.” For purposes of this discussion, a “Redeeming
U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner that so redeems its shares and is:
· |
an individual who is a
United States citizen or resident of the United States as determined for United States federal income tax purposes; |
· |
a corporation (including
an entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the
United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
· |
an estate the income of
which is includible in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or |
· |
a trust (A) the administration
of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons (within the
meaning of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has in effect a valid
election under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
Tax Treatment of the Redemption — In
General
The balance of the discussion
under this heading is subject in its entirety to the discussion below under the heading “— Passive Foreign Investment Company
Rules.” If we are considered a “passive foreign investment company” for these purposes (which we will be, unless a
“start up” exception applies), then the tax consequences of the redemption will be as outlined in that discussion, below.
A Redeeming U.S. Holder
will generally recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the redemption and such shareholder’s
adjusted basis in the shares exchanged therefor if the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s ownership of shares is completely terminated or
if the redemption meets certain other tests described below. Special constructive ownership rules apply in determining whether a
Redeeming U.S. Holder’s ownership of shares is treated as completely terminated (and in general, such Redeeming U.S. Holder may
not be considered to have completely terminated its interest if it continues to hold our warrants). If gain or loss treatment applies,
such gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the holding period of such shares is more than one year at the time of the
exchange. It is possible that because of the redemption rights associated with our shares, the holding period of such shares may not
be considered to begin until the date of such redemption (and thus it is possible that long-term capital gain or loss treatment may not
apply to shares redeemed in the redemption). Shareholders who hold different blocks of shares (generally, shares purchased or acquired
on different dates or at different prices) should consult their tax advisors to determine how the above rules apply to them.
Cash received upon redemption
that does not completely terminate the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s interest will still give rise to capital gain or loss, if the redemption
is either (i) “substantially disproportionate” or (ii) “not essentially equivalent to a dividend.”
In determining whether the redemption is substantially disproportionate or not essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to a
Redeeming U.S. Holder, that Redeeming U.S. Holder is deemed to own not just shares actually owned but also shares underlying rights to
acquire our shares (including for these purposes our warrants) and, in some cases, shares owned by certain family members, certain estates
and trusts of which the Redeeming U.S. Holder is a beneficiary, and certain affiliated entities.
Generally, the redemption
will be “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the Redeeming U.S. Holder if (i) the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s
percentage ownership of the issued and outstanding voting shares (including all classes which carry voting rights) of the Company is
reduced immediately after the redemption to less than 80% of the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s percentage interest in such shares immediately
before the redemption; (ii) the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s percentage ownership of the issued and outstanding shares (both voting
and nonvoting) immediately after the redemption is reduced to less than 80% of such percentage ownership immediately before the redemption;
and (iii) the Redeeming U.S. Holder owns, immediately after the redemption, less than 50% of the total combined voting power of
all classes of shares of the Company entitled to vote. Whether the redemption will be considered “not essentially equivalent to
a dividend” with respect to a Redeeming U.S. Holder will depend upon the particular circumstances of that U.S. holder. At a minimum,
however, the redemption must result in a meaningful reduction in the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s actual or constructive percentage
ownership of the Company. The IRS has ruled that any reduction in a shareholder’s proportionate interest is a “meaningful
reduction” if the shareholder’s relative interest in the corporation is minimal and the shareholder does not have meaningful
control over the corporation.
If none of the redemption
tests described above give rise to capital gain or loss, the consideration paid to the Redeeming U.S. Holder will be treated as dividend
income for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. However, for the purposes
of the dividends-received deduction and of “qualified dividend” treatment, due to the redemption right, a Redeeming U.S.
Holder may be unable to include the time period prior to the redemption in the shareholder’s “holding period.” Any
distribution in excess of our earnings and profits will reduce the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s basis in the shares (but not below zero),
and any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the shares.
As these rules are
complex, U.S. holders of shares considering exercising their redemption rights should consult their own tax advisors as to whether the
redemption will be treated as a sale or as a distribution under the Code.
Certain Redeeming U.S. Holders
who are individuals, estates or trusts pay a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income” or “undistributed
net investment income” (as applicable), which may include all or a portion of their capital gain or dividend income from their
redemption of shares. Redeeming U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of the net investment income
tax.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A foreign (i.e., non-U.S.)
corporation will be a passive foreign investment company (or “PFIC”) for U.S. tax purposes if at least 75% of its
gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own
at least 25% of the shares by value, 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,
including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are
held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other
than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
Because we are a blank check
company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we have met the PFIC asset or income test beginning with
our initial taxable year. However, pursuant to a start-up exception, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the
corporation has gross income, if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that
it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact
a PFIC for either of those years. The actual PFIC status of the Company for its current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year will
not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. If we do not satisfy the start-up exception, we will likely be considered
a PFIC since our date of formation, and will continue to be treated as a PFIC until we no longer satisfy the PFIC tests (although, as
stated below, in general the PFIC rules would continue to apply to any U.S. holder who held our securities at any time we were considered
a PFIC).
If we are determined to
be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a Redeeming U.S. Holder of our shares or
warrants and, in the case of our shares, the Redeeming U.S. Holder did not make either a timely QEF election for our first taxable year
as a PFIC in which the Redeeming U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) shares or a timely “mark to market” election, in
each case as described below, such holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to:
· |
any gain recognized by
the Redeeming U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its shares or warrants (which would include the redemption, if such
redemption is treated as a sale under the rules discussed under the heading “— Tax Treatment of the Redemption — In
General,” above); and |
· |
any “excess distribution”
made to the Redeeming U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such Redeeming U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the Redeeming
U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such Redeeming U.S. Holder in respect of the
shares during the three preceding taxable years of such Redeeming U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such Redeeming U.S. Holder’s
holding period for the shares), which may include the redemption to the extent such redemption is treated as a distribution under
the rules discussed under the heading “— Tax Treatment of the Redemption — In General,”
above. |
Under these special rules,
· |
the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s
gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s holding period for the shares or warrants; |
· |
the amount allocated to
the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the Redeeming U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution,
or to the period in the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of our first taxable year in which we are
a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income; |
· |
the amount allocated to
other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the Redeeming U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest
tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the Redeeming U.S. Holder; and |
· |
the interest charge generally
applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed in respect of the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the Redeeming
U.S. Holder. |
In general, if we are determined
to be a PFIC, a Redeeming U.S. Holder may avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to our shares (but not our warrants)
by making a timely QEF election (if eligible to do so) to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term
capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the
taxable year of the Redeeming U.S. Holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. In general, a QEF election must be made on or
before the due date (including extensions) for filing such Redeeming U.S. Holder’s tax return for the taxable year for which the
election relates. A Redeeming U.S. Holder may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions
under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.
A Redeeming U.S. Holder
may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our shares. As a result, if a Redeeming U.S. Holder sells or otherwise
disposes of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants), any gain recognized generally will be subject to the special tax
and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above, if we were a PFIC at any time during
the period the Redeeming U.S. Holder held the warrants. If a Redeeming U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes a QEF
election with respect to the newly acquired shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our shares), the QEF election
will apply to the newly acquired shares, but the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the
current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired shares (which generally
will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the Redeeming U.S. Holder held the
warrants), unless the Redeeming U.S. Holder makes a purging election. The purging election creates a deemed sale of such shares at their
fair market value. The gain recognized by the purging election will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating
the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the Redeeming U.S. Holder will have a new
basis and holding period in the shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules.
The QEF election is made
on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A QEF election may not be made
with respect to our warrants. A Redeeming U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Return
by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual
information statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF
elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with
the consent of the IRS. Redeeming U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences
of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with
the requirements of a QEF election, a Redeeming U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine
we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a Redeeming U.S. Holder such information as the IRS may require, including
a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the Redeeming U.S. Holder to make and maintain a QEF election. However, there
is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.
If a Redeeming U.S. Holder
has made a QEF election with respect to our shares, and the special tax and interest charge rules do not apply to such shares (because
of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the Redeeming U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares
or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our shares generally
will be taxable as capital gain and no interest charge will be imposed. As discussed above, Redeeming U.S. Holders of a QEF are currently
taxed on their pro rata shares of its earnings and profits, whether or not distributed. In such case, a subsequent distribution of such
earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable as a dividend to such Redeeming U.S. Holders.
The tax basis of a Redeeming U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased
by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. Similar basis adjustments apply to property if by reason of
holding such property the Redeeming U.S. Holder is treated under the applicable attribution rules as owning shares in a QEF.
Although a determination
as to our PFIC status will be made annually, a determination that we are a PFIC for any particular year will generally apply for subsequent
years to a Redeeming U.S. Holder who held shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in
those subsequent years. A Redeeming U.S. Holder who makes the QEF election discussed above for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which
the Redeeming U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our shares and receives the requisite PFIC annual information statement, however,
will not be subject to the PFIC tax and interest charge rules discussed above in respect to such shares. In addition, such Redeeming
U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to such shares for any taxable year of us that ends within or
with a taxable year of the Redeeming U.S. Holder and in which we are not a PFIC. On the other hand, if the QEF election is not effective
for each of our taxable years in which we are a PFIC and the Redeeming U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our shares, the PFIC
rules discussed above will continue to apply to such shares unless the holder makes a purging election, as described above, and
pays the tax and interest charge with respect to the gain inherent in such shares attributable to the pre-QEF election period.
Alternatively, if a Redeeming U.S. Holder, at the close of its taxable
year, owns shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable stock, the Redeeming U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect
to such shares for such taxable year. If the Redeeming U.S. Holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of
the Redeeming U.S. Holder in which the Redeeming U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) shares and for which we are determined to be
a PFIC, such holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect to its shares. Instead, in general,
the Redeeming U.S. Holder will include as ordinary income each year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its shares at the
end of its taxable year over the adjusted basis in its shares. The Redeeming U.S. Holder also will be allowed to take an ordinary loss
in respect of the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of its shares over the fair market value of its shares at the end of its taxable
year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The Redeeming
U.S. Holder’s basis in its shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized
on a sale or other taxable disposition of the shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not
be made with respect to our warrants.
The mark-to-market election
is available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the New York Stock Exchange, or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient
to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. Redeeming U.S. Holders should consult their own
tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our shares under their particular
circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at
any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, Redeeming U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of
the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we
receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the Redeeming U.S. Holders otherwise
were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. We will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a Redeeming
U.S. Holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. However, there
is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling
interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide the required
information. Redeeming U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
A Redeeming U.S. Holder
that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the Redeeming U.S. Holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621(whether
or not a QEF or market-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The application of the
PFIC rules is extremely complex. Shareholders who are considering participating in the redemption and/or selling, transferring or
otherwise disposing of their shares should consult with their tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules in their
particular circumstances.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to
Non-U.S. Shareholders
This section is addressed
to Redeeming Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of the Company’s shares that elect to have their shares redeemed for cash as described
in the section entitled “Proposal 1: The Extension Amendment Proposal.” For purposes of this discussion, a “Redeeming
Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner (other than a partnership or entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax
purposes) that so redeems its shares and is not a Redeeming U.S. Holder.
The characterization for
U.S. federal income tax purposes of a redemption of a Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder’s shares generally will correspond to the U.S.
federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a Redeeming U.S. Holder’s shares. See the discussion above under “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations to U.S. Shareholders.”
Any Redeeming
Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any capital gain recognized as a result of the redemption unless:
· |
such Redeeming
Non-U.S. Holder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States and any gain recognized in the redemption is treated as
effectively connected with such trade or business (and, if an income tax treaty applies, the gain is attributable to a permanent
establishment maintained by such holder in the United States), in which case the Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject
to the same treatment as a Redeeming U.S. Holder with respect to such gain, and a corporate Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder may be subject
to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty); or |
· |
the Redeeming
Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year in which the redemption
takes place and certain other conditions are met. |
A Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder will not be
subject to U.S. federal income tax on any dividend income recognized as a result of the redemption unless such Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder
is engaged in a trade or business within the United States and any dividend income recognized in the redemption is treated as effectively
connected with such trade or business (and, if an income tax treaty applies, such dividend income is attributable to a permanent
establishment maintained by the Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), in which case the Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder will generally
be subject to the same treatment as a Redeeming U.S. Holder with respect to such dividend income. In addition, dividends received by
a corporate Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with the holder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business may
also be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a rate of 30% or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax
treaty.
Non-U.S. holders of shares
considering exercising their redemption rights should consult their own tax advisors as to whether the redemption of their shares will
be treated as a sale or as a distribution under the Code.
Under the Foreign Account
Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) and U.S. Treasury regulations and administrative guidance thereunder, a 30% United States
federal withholding tax may apply to certain income paid to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined
in FATCA), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution
agrees to verify, report and disclose its United States “account” holders (as specifically defined in FATCA) and meets certain
other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such non-financial foreign entity is the beneficial
owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial
United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and
certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity
may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. Redeeming Non-U.S. Holders should consult their
own tax advisors regarding this legislation and whether it may be relevant to their disposition of their shares or warrants.
Backup Withholding
In general, proceeds received
from the exercise of redemption rights will be subject to backup withholding for a non-corporate Redeeming 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. |
A Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder
generally may eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status,
under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Any amount withheld under
these rules will be creditable against the Redeeming U.S. Holder’s or Redeeming Non-U.S. Holder’s U.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 shareholder. We once again urge you to consult with
your own 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 connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets
forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Ordinary Shares as of November 12, 2024 based on information obtained
from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of Ordinary Shares, by:
· |
each person known by us
to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares; |
· |
each of our executive officers
and directors that beneficially owns our Ordinary Shares; and |
· |
all our executive officers
and directors as a group. |
In the table below, percentage
ownership is based on 7,130,117 ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of November 12, 2024, consisting of (i) 4,255,117
Class A ordinary shares and (ii) 2,875,000 Class B ordinary shares. On all matters to be voted upon, except for the election
of directors of the board, holders of the Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class.
Currently, all of the Class B ordinary shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all
persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by them. The
following table does not reflect any record or beneficial ownership of the Private Placement Warrants as these warrants are not exercisable
within 60 days of November 12, 2024.
| |
Class A Ordinary Shares | | |
Class B Ordinary Shares
(2) | | |
Approximate | |
| |
Number of | | |
| | |
Number of | | |
| | |
Percentage | |
| |
Shares | | |
Approximate | | |
Shares | | |
Approximate | | |
of Outstanding | |
| |
Beneficially | | |
Percentage | | |
Beneficially | | |
Percentage | | |
Ordinary | |
Name and Address
of Beneficial Owner (1) | |
Owned | | |
of Class | | |
Owned | | |
of Class | | |
Shares | |
Suntone Investment Pty Ltd (Sponsor)(3) | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 2,000,000 | | |
| 69.6 | % | |
| 28.1 | % |
Suren Ajjarapu | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 12,500 | | |
| * | | |
| * | |
Matthew Malriat | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
Binson Lau | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
John Zhong Chen | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
Yueh Eric Seto | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
Donald Fell | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
Michael Peterson | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
All directors and executive officers as a group (7 individuals) | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 2,012,500 | | |
| 70 | % | |
| 28.2 | % |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Other 5% Shareholders | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
IWH Sponsor LP (4) | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 862,500 | | |
| 30 | % | |
| 12.1 | % |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
First Trust Capital Management L.P. (5) | |
| 432,354 | | |
| 10.2 | % | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 6.1 | % |
Alberta Investment Management Corporation (6) | |
| 300,000 | | |
| 7.05 | % | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 4.2 | % |
Westchester Capital Management, LLC (7) | |
| 423,090 | | |
| 9.94 | % | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 5.9 | % |
Wolverine Asset Management, LLC (8) | |
| 399,685 | | |
| 9.39 | % | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 5.6 | % |
Shaolin Capital Management LLC (9) | |
| 232,200 | | |
| 5.46 | % | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 3.3 | % |
Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.(10) | |
| 250,000 | | |
| 5.88 | % | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| 3.51 | % |
Fir Tree Capital Management LP (11) | |
| 337,750 | | |
| 7.94 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 4.74 | % |
Meteora Capital, LLC (12) | |
| 218,289 | | |
| 5.13 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 3.06 | % |
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (13) | |
| 325,821 | | |
| 7.66 | % | |
| | | |
| | | |
| 4.57 | % |
(1) | Unless otherwise noted, the business address of
each of the following entities or individuals is c/o Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp,
1441 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY 10018. |
(2) | Class B Ordinary Shares are convertible into Class A Ordinary
Shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment. Class B Ordinary Shares otherwise have the same rights as Class A Ordinary
Shares, except that prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares have the right to vote
on the appointment and removal of directors. |
(3) | The
shares reported in this row are held of record by our Sponsor, Suntone Investment Pty Ltd,
an Australian proprietary limited company. Jiang Hui Bao, the Chief Executive Officer of
our Sponsor, may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the securities held of record
by our Sponsor but disclaims any such beneficial ownership except to the extent of her pecuniary
interest therein. |
(4) | The
shares reported in this row are held of record by the prior sponsor, which is the record
holder of 862,500 Class B Ordinary Shares. IWH Sponsor GP LLC is the general partner
of the prior sponsor. Hadrien Forterre, Antonio Varano Della Vergiliana and Arcturus Holdings,
LLC are the managing members of IWH Sponsor GP LLC. James MacPherson is the managing member
of Arcturus Holdings, LLC. By virtue of these relationships, each of these entities and individuals
may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities held of record by the prior
sponsor. Each of them disclaims any such beneficial ownership except to the extent of their
pecuniary interest therein. |
(5) | According
to a Schedule 13G/A jointly filed on January 10, 2024 by First Trust Capital Management
L.P. (“FTCM”), First Trust Capital Solutions L.P. (“FTCS”) and FTCS
Sub GP LLC (“Sub GP”), FTCM is an investment adviser registered with the SEC
that provides investment advisory services to, among others, (i) series of Investment
Managers Services Trust II, specifically First Trust Multi-Strategy Fund and First Trust
Merger Arbitrage Fund, (ii) Highland Capital Management Institutional Fund II, LLC and
(iii) First Trust Alternative Opportunities Fund (collectively, the “Client Accounts”).
As investment adviser to the Client Accounts, FTCM has the authority to invest the funds
of the Client Accounts in securities (including the reported Class A ordinary shares)
as well as the authority to purchase, vote and dispose of securities, and may thus be deemed
the beneficial owner of the Class A ordinary shares held in the Client Accounts. As
of December 31, 2023, FTCM, FTCS and Sub GP collectively owned the Class A ordinary
shares. FTCS and Sub GP may be deemed to control FTCM and therefore may also be deemed to
be beneficial owners of the reported Class A Ordinary Shares. The business address of
FTCM, FTCS and Sub GP is 225 W. Wacker Drive, 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60606. |
(6) | According
to a Schedule 13G filed on February 12, 2024 by Alberta Investment Management Corporation
(“Alberta”). The business address of the holder is 1600 - 10250 101 Street NW,
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3P4, Canada. |
(7) | According
to a Schedule 13G jointly filed on February 14, 2024 by the following Westchester Capital
Management, LLC (“Westchester”), Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. (“Virtus”),
and The Merger Fund (“MF”). Virtus, a registered investment adviser, serves as
the investment adviser to MF. Westchester, a registered investment adviser, serves as sub-advisor
to MF. MF directly holds Company’s Class A ordinary shares for the benefit of
certain investors. Roy Behren and Michael T. Shannon each serve as Co-Presidents of Westchester.
The business address of Westchester is 100 Summit Drive, Valhalla, NY 10595, the business
address of Virtus is One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103 and the business address of
MF is 101 Munson Street, Greenfield, MA 01301-9683. |
(8) | According
to a Schedule 13G/A jointly filed on October 16, 2024 by Wolverine Asset Management,
LLC (“WAM”), Wolverine Holdings, L.P. (“Wolverine Holdings”), Wolverine
Trading Partners, Inc. (“WTP”), Robert R. Bellick and Christopher L. Gust.
Wolverine Asset Management, LLC (“WAM”) is an investment adviser, the sole member
and manager of WAM is Wolverine Holdings, L.P. (“Wolverine Holdings”), and Robert
R. Bellick and Christopher L. Gust may be deemed to control Wolverine Trading Partners, Inc.
(“WTP”) which is the general partner of Wolverine Holdings, and as such, each
of them has voting and disposition power over the Class A ordinary shares. The business
address of each of WAM, Wolverine Holdings, WTP, Robert R. Bellick and Christopher L. Gust
is c/o Wolverine Asset Management, LLC, 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 340, Chicago, IL
60604. |
(9) | According to a Schedule 13G filed on February 22,
2024 by Shaolin Capital Management LLC. Shaolin Capital Management LLC, which serves as the
investment advisor to Shaolin Capital Partners Master Fund, Ltd., MAP 214 Segregated
Portfolio, a segregated portfolio of LMA SPC, DS Liquid DIV RVA SCM LLC and Shaolin Capital
Partners SP, a segregated portfolio of PC MAP SPC being managed accounts advised by the Shaolin
Capital Management LLC. The business address of Shaolin Capital Management LLC is 230 NW
24th Street, Suite 603, Miami, FL 33127. |
(10) |
According to a Schedule 13G filed on November 14, 2024 by Polar
Asset Management Partners Inc., which serves as the investment advisor to Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund (“PMSMF”)
with respect to the Class A ordinary shares directly held by PMSMF. The business address of Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.
is 16 York Street, Suite 2900, Toronto, ON, Canada M5J 0E6. |
|
|
(11) |
According to a Schedule 13G filed on November 14, 2024 by Fir Tree
Capital Management LP. The business address of Fir Tree Capital Management LP is 500 5th Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10110. |
|
|
(12) |
According to a Schedule 13G filed on November 14, 2024 by (i) Meteora
Capital, LLC (“Meteora Capital”) with respect to the Class A ordinary shares held by certain funds and managed accounts
to which Meteora Capital serves as investment manager; and (ii) Vik Mittal, who serves as the Managing Member of Meteora Capital.
The business address of Meteora Capital is 1200 N Federal Hwy, #200, Boca Raton FL 33432. |
|
|
(13) |
According to a Schedule 13G filed on November 14, 2024 by Mizuho
Finncial Group, Inc. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., Mizuho Bank, Ltd. and Mizuho Americas LLC may be deemed to be indirect beneficial
owners of the securities directly held by Mizuho Securities USA LLC which is their wholly-owned subsidiary. The business address
of Mizuho Finncial Group, Inc. is 1–5–5, Otemachi, Chiyoda–ku, Tokyo 100–8176, Japan. |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE
INFORMATION
The Company files annual,
quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet web site that contains
reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including us, that file electronically with the SEC.
The public can obtain any documents that we file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
This proxy statement describes
the material elements of relevant contracts, exhibits and other information attached as annexes to this proxy statement. Information
and statements contained in this proxy statement are qualified in all respects by reference to the copy of the relevant contract or other
document included as an annex to this document.
Our corporate website address
is https://www.integratedwellnessholdings.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through,
the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this proxy statement.
You may obtain additional
copies of this proxy statement, at no cost, and you may ask any questions you may have about the M&A Amendment Proposals, the Auditor
Ratification Proposal or the Adjournment Proposal, by contacting the Company’s Solicitor at:
Issuer Direct Corporation
1 Glenwood Avenue, STE 1001
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 481-4000
Email: proxy@issuerdirect.com
You may also contact us at the following address
or telephone number:
1441 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10018
(917) 397-7625
In order to receive timely
delivery of the documents in advance of the Meeting, you must make your request for information no later than December 4, 2024.
ANNEX A
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
That Article 2.2 of the Company’s
Amended and Restated Articles of Association as amended and currently in effect be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following
new article 2.2:
“2.2
Without limitation to the preceding Article, the directors may so deal with the unissued Shares of the Company:
(a) |
either at a premium or
at par; |
(b) |
with or without preferred,
deferred or other special rights or restrictions whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise. |
Notwithstanding the above, following
an IPO and prior to a Business Combination, the Company may not issue additional Shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (a) receive
funds from the Trust Account or (b) vote as a class with the Public Shares (i) on any Business Combination or on any other
proposal presented to holders of Shares prior to or in connection with the completion of any Business Combination or (ii) to approve
an amendment to these Articles to (x) extend the time to consummate a Business Combination beyond December 15, 2025 (or such
earlier date as determined by the board of directors, in its sole discretion) or (y) amend the foregoing provisions of this Article.”
That Article 36.2 of the Company’s
Amended and Restated Articles of Association as amended and currently in effect be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following
new article 36.2:
“36.2 The Company has until
December 15, 2025 (or such earlier date as determined by the board of directors, in its sole discretion) (such date being referred
to as the Termination Date)) to consummate a Business Combination. In the event that the Company does not consummate a Business
Combination on or before the Termination Date, such failure shall trigger an automatic redemption of the Public Shares (an Automatic
Redemption Event) and the directors of the Company shall take all such action necessary to (i) cease all operations except for
the purpose of winding up (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten (10) Business Days thereafter, redeem
the Public Shares to the holders of Public Shares, on a pro rata basis, in cash at a per-share amount equal to the applicable Per-Share
Redemption Price; and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such Automatic Redemption Event, subject to the approval
of the remaining Members and directors of the Company, liquidate and dissolve the Company, subject to the Company’s obligations
under the Act to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other Applicable Law. In the event of an Automatic Redemption
Event, only the holders of Public Shares shall be entitled to receive pro rata redeeming distributions from the Trust Account with respect
to their Public Shares.”
| INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING IN LIEU OF AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF
SHAREHOLDERS – DECEMBER 11, 2024 AT 10:00 AM EASTERN TIME
CONTROL ID:
REQUEST ID:
The undersigned hereby appoints,______________ , of __________, or if no person
is otherwise specified, Binson Lau and Matthew Malriat (each, a “Proxy”;
collectively, the “Proxies”) as proxies, each with full power to act without the other
and the power to appoint a substitute to vote the shares that the undersigned is entitled
to vote (the “Shares”) at the extraordinary general meeting in lieu of an annual
general meeting of Integrated Wellness Acquisition Corp (“the Company”) to be held
on December 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at the offices of Ellenoff
Grossman & Schole LLP at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York
10105 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 each Proxy’s discretion on such other matters as may properly come before the
Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
(CONTINUED AND TO BE SIGNED ON REVERSE SIDE.)
VOTING INSTRUCTIONS
If you vote by internet, please DO NOT mail your proxy card.
MAIL: Please mark, sign, date, and return this Proxy Card
promptly using the enclosed envelope.
FAX: Complete the reverse portion of this Proxy Card and
Fax to 202-521-3464.
INTERNET: h t t p s : / / w w w . i p r o x y d i r e c t . c o m / w e l
PHONE: 1 - 866 - 752 -V O T E ( 8 6 8 3 ) |
| EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING IN LIEU OF AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE
SHAREHOLDERS OF
INTEGRATED WELLNESS ACQUISITION CORP
PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE: PROXY SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Proposal 1 → FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
A proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s
amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended prior to the date
hereof (the “M&A”) in the form set forth in Annex A to the accompanying proxy statement to
extend the date by which the Company would be required to consummate a business
combination (the “Extension”) from December 13, 2024 (the “Termination Date”) to
December 15, 2025 (or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors in
its sole discretion) (the “Extended Date”) (such period, the “Extension Period” and such
proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”).
CONTROL ID:
REQUEST ID:
Proposal 2 → FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
A proposal to amend by special resolution (the “Liquidation Amendment”, and together with
the Extension Amendment, the “M&A Amendments”) the M&A in the form set forth in
Annex A to the accompanying proxy statement to permit our Board, in its sole discretion, to
elect to wind up our operations on, or on an earlier date than December 15, 2025 (including
prior to December 13, 2024) (the “Liquidation Amendment Proposal”).
Proposal 3 → FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
A proposal to ratify, by way of ordinary resolution, the selection by the audit committee of the
Board of BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024 (the “Auditor Ratification Proposal”).
Proposal 4 → FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
A proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the Meeting a) to a later date
or dates, if necessary, 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 b) sine die in the event that the holders of public shares (defined below) have
elected to redeem an amount of shares in connection with the M&A Amendment Proposals
(defined below) such that if such redemptions were consummated the Company would not
adhere to the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, and the Board
therefore determines that approval of the M&A Amendment Proposals is no longer in the best
interests of the Company, and in such event the Company will ask its shareholders to vote
only upon the Adjournment Proposal and not on the Extension Amendment Proposal, the
Liquidation Amendment Proposal or the Auditor Ratification Proposal
MARK “X” HERE IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING:
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS VOTING ‘FOR’ PROPOSALS 1,2,3 AND 4.
MARK HERE FOR ADDRESS CHANGE New Address (if applicable):
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
IMPORTANT: Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this Proxy. When shares are held
jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian, please
give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer,
giving full title as such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person.
Dated: ________________________, 2024
(Print Name of Stockholder and/or Joint Tenant)
(Signature of Stockholder)
(Second Signature if held jointly) |
Integrated Wellness Acqu... (NYSE:WEL)
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