Copies of this document are being sent to shareholders of ACG. If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in ACG Acquisition Company Limited please forward this document and the accompanying Form of Proxy at once to the purchaser or transferee or to the stockbroker or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for delivery to the purchaser or transferee. If you have sold or transferred part only of your holding of shares in ACG Acquisition Company Limited you should retain this document and consult the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected.
The distribution of this document in jurisdictions other than the UK may be restricted by law and therefore persons into whose possession this document comes should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This document does not constitute any offer to issue or sell or a solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or buy shares in ACG Acquisition Company Limited.
ACG ACQUISITION COMPANY LIMITED
(Incorporated and registered in the British Virgin Islands with registered number 2067083)
Extension of Acquisition Deadline
Amendment of Memorandum and Articles of Association
Shareholders Circular and Notice of
Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders
Notice of the Extension EGM to be held at 10 a.m. (London time) at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP at 2 London Wall Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5AU, England on 25 October 2023 is set out at the end of this document.
A Form of Proxy for use at the Extension EGM by holders of Class B Shares accompanies this document and, to be valid, must be completed and returned to Link Group at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England. The Form of Proxy must be returned as soon as possible but in any event to be received not later than 10 a.m. London time on 23 October 2023 or 48 hours before any adjourned meeting. A Form of Direction for use at the Extension EGM by holders of depositary interests accompanies this document and, to be valid, must be completed and returned to Link Group at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England as soon as possible but in any event to be received not later than 10 a.m. London time on 20 October 2023 or 72 hours before any adjourned meeting. The return of one or more completed Forms of Proxy or Forms of Direction will not prevent you from attending the Extension EGM and voting in person if you wish to do so (and are so entitled).
A summary of the action to be taken by the shareholders of ACG is included in "Action to be taken by shareholders" in the Letter from the Chairman on page 13 of this document and in the notes to the Notice of the Extension EGM on pages 17 to 20 of this document. This circular and all its accompanying materials are available on the Company's website (https://www.acgcorp.co/).
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS.................................................................. 3
DEFINITIONS............................................................................................................................ 4
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN............................................................................................. 5
NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS..................... 15
FORM OF PROXY.................................................................................................................... 16
FORM OF DIRECTION............................................................................................................ 19
EXHIBIT A: PROPOSED AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION................................................................................................................... 22
Event Expected time/date(London time)
Initial Acquisition Deadline 12 October 2023
Publication of this document 17 October 2023
Commencement of redemption period 18 October 2023
Record date for the Extension EGM 5 p.m. on 19 October 2023
Deadline for submitting form of directions 10 a.m. on 20 October 2023
Deadline for submitting form of proxies 10 a.m. on 23 October 2023
Redemption deadline for existing ACG shareholders 1 p.m. on 23 October 2023
Extension EGM 10 a.m. on 25 October 2023
Redemption payment date As soon as possible on or after 26 October 2023
Extended Acquisition Deadline, if approved 25 January 2024
The dates and times above (all of which are London time) are based on the Company's current expectations and may be subject to change. Any revised dates and/or times will be notified to the shareholders, by way of a press release published on the Company's website (https://www.acgcorp.co/).
Defined terms used in this document shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Prospectus or as follows, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Amended and Restated the revised Memorandum and Articles of Association of the
Memorandum and Articles of Company appended to this document as Exhibit A
Association"
"Act" the BVI Business Companies Act 2004, as amended from time to time, and includes the BVI Business Companies Regulations 2012 and any other regulations made under the Act
"Acquisition" has the meaning ascribed to it in the Memorandum and Articles of Association
"Company"or "ACG" ACG Acquisition Company Limited
"Directors"or the "Board" the directors of ACG at the date of this document
"Extended Acquisition Deadline" 25 January 2024
"Extension" the extension of the deadline by which the Company must complete an Acquisition in accordance with Regulation 26 of its Memorandum and Articles of Association from the Initial Acquisition Deadline to the Extended Acquisition Deadline
"Extension EGM" the extraordinary general meeting of Shareholders of ACG at the
offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP at 2 London Wall Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5AU, England, to be convened on the date hereof, notice of which is set out at page 15 of this document, and any adjournment of that meeting
"Form of Proxy" the form of proxy for use by holders of Class B Shares in
connection with the Extension EGM
"Form of Direction" the form of direction for use by holders of depositary interests in
Class A Ordinary Shares in connection with the Extension EGM
"Initial Acquisition Deadline" 12 October 2023
"IPO Prospectus" the initial public offering prospectus published by the Company
on 7 October 2022.
"Notice" the notice of the Extension EGM set out at page 15 of this document
"Prospectus" the prospectus prepared by the Company in connection with the Acquisition and Re-Admission, as approved by the FCA on 30 June 2023 and available on the Company's website (https://www.acgcorp.co/)
"Public Shareholders" means Class A Ordinary Shareholders who are not the Co- Sponsors, the Directors or the Advisor and the Founding Shareholders (each as defined in the Chapter 5.6.18 of the Listing Rules of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority). Public Shareholders includes each of the Cornerstone Investor or the Anchor Investors (together, the "Institutional Investors" as defined in the IPO Prospectus).
"Resolutions" the resolutions set out in the Notice to be proposed at the Extension EGM
"Shares" means the Class A Ordinary Shares and the Class B Shares together
ACG ACQUISITION COMPANY LIMITED
(Incorporated and registered in the British Virgin Islands with registered number 2067083)
Directors: Registered Office:
Peter Whelan (Chairman) Craigmuir Chambers
Artem Volynets (CEO and Executive Director) P.O. Box 71
Warren Gilman (Independent Non-Executive Director) Road Town Hendrik Johannes Faul (Independent Non-Executive Director) Tortola, VG 1110 Mark Cutis (Independent Non-Executive Director) British Virgin Islands
17 October 2023
Dear Shareholders,
ACG Acquisition Company Limited is a special purpose acquisition company ("SPAC") looking to benefit from favourable price conditions for new economy metals and other mining materials. The Company aims to optimise its expertise in global mining by combining with a mining company that produces materials characterised by supply constraints and rising long-term demand. The combined entity will capitalise on the need for resource security and geographic supply diversification, as well as the global energy transition. ACG's team has extensive M&A experience built through decades spent at blue-chip multinationals in the sector. The team brings a significant network, including access to many mining companies as well as a commitment to ESG principles and strong corporate governance.
Today, the Company announced that it is seeking shareholder approval to extend the deadline by which an Acquisition must be completed from 12 October 2023 (the "Initial Acquisition Deadline") to 25 January 2024 (the "Extended Acquisition Deadline" and, such proposed extension, the "Extension") or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension (as defined below).
The Extension will require an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company which, absent an extension, require the Company to complete an Acquisition by no later than the Initial Acquisition Deadline. The Company considers that the extension beyond the deadline specified in the Memorandum and Articles of Association is appropriate in the circumstances, giving Shareholders the option of participating in a potential future Acquisition through the Company.
For this reason, and as further described in this letter, on behalf of the Company, we are pleased to invite you to the Extension EGM which is to be held on 25 October 2023 at 10 a.m. (London time) at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP at 2 London Wall Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5AU, England and to provide you with this circular.
Set out on page 15 of this document you will find a Notice convening the Extension EGM and all the Resolutions to be submitted for shareholder consideration therein. This letter sets out the background to and the reasons for these Resolutions. These should be considered together with the Prospectus and the other documents circulated with the Notice. Shareholders are advised to read all documents carefully. Shareholders should note in particular that the Prospectus contains information which is relevant to the resolutions being considered at the Extension EGM and that this circular has not attempted to restate such information.
After careful consideration, the Board considers the Extension and the corresponding Resolutions submitted for shareholder consideration to be in the best interests of the Company and its stakeholders, including its shareholders, for the reasons set out below.
Background
Concurrent with its initial public offering, the Company adopted an acquisition strategy to evaluate opportunities in the metals and mining sector globally (excluding Russia), with a particular focus on emerging markets.
However, as previously announced, the Company was not able to complete an Acquisition by the Initial Acquisition Deadline, which is the date by which, absent an extension, its Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that the Company should cease all operations, except for the purpose of winding up. In accordance with Regulation 26 of its Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Company announced on 12 October 2023 that it intended to cease all operations, and is in the process of taking steps to organize its voluntary liquidation in the event that the Extension is not approved.
Reasons for the Extension
In order to allow the Company sufficient time to complete an Acquisition, it is seeking an extension of its Initial Acquisition Deadline to the Extended Acquisition Deadline (i.e., 25 January 2024).
While the overall market backdrop for SPACs and public equity offerings more generally has been challenging, the Board however remains positive on the prospect of successfully executing an Acquisition. As discussed below, the Company has also secured additional equity financing in the form of subscriptions by the Co-Sponsors of 1,333,333 Class B Shares at a subscription price of $1.50 per Class B Share (with total proceeds of $2 million), all subject to the Extension being approved. As part of the foregoing, loans from the Co-Sponsors of $975,000 have been capitalised. The Company will use this financing to pay for certain accrued costs and operational expenses during the period of the Extension and continue to work on identifying a suitable target for an Acquisition. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board can however not guarantee that, if the Extension is approved, an Acquisition will take place prior to the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension.
Accordingly, the Company is convening an extraordinary general meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m. on 25 October 2023 to consider, and if thought fit, approve the Extension by way of an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Shareholders are not being asked to approve any Acquisition.
No Automatic Redemption if Extension is Approved and Right to Redeem Class A Ordinary Shares for Public Shareholders
The Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that, absent an extension, in the event the Company fails to consummate an Acquisition by the Initial Acquisition Deadline (i.e., 12 October 2023), Public Shareholders shall have their Class A Ordinary Shares automatically redeemed and payment in respect of such Class A Ordinary Shares will be made through CREST by the Depositary, Link Market Services Trustees Limited, as promptly as reasonably possible, but by no later than 26 October 2023.
However, the Company is now convening an extraordinary general meeting for Shareholders to consider and, if thought fit, approve, the Extension by way of an amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Accordingly, to allow Public Shareholders that so wish to keep their Class A Ordinary Shares for the duration of the Extension (see Section 5 below for a description of the consequences of the approval of the Extension), the Company shall not automatically redeem public Class A Ordinary Shares, but provide instead to Public Shareholders the right to redeem their Class A Ordinary Shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Escrow Account calculated as of two business days prior to Initial Extension Deadline (including any Overfunding), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares. The gross redemption price of a Class A Ordinary Share is expected to be $10.325 per Class A Ordinary Share, plus pro rata entitlement to any interest accrued on the Escrow Account as reduced by any taxes paid or payable. As noted in the IPO Prospectus, the amount held in the Escrow Account earns interest at a rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate less 5 basis points.
In the event that the Extension is not approved at the Extension EGM, the automatic redemption process described in the first paragraph above will complete, in accordance with Regulation 26 of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Submitting Class A Ordinary Shares for Redemption
Redemption elections can be made through the UK's Certificateless Registry for Electronic Share Transfer ("CREST") from 18 October 2023 for holders of depositary interests representing Class A Ordinary Shares. Class A Ordinary Shareholders wishing to participate in the redemption should contact their broker, bank or other institution through which they hold their depositary interests in Class A Ordinary Shares to access CREST. Redemptions cannot be submitted through means other than CREST. Full election instruction details will be provided directly within the CREST GUI Corporate Action event details under ISIN VGG0056A1030.
If a Class A Ordinary Shareholder wishes to redeem all or a portion of their depositary interests in Class A Ordinary Shares (a "Redeeming Shareholder"), they are required to submit their redemption election electronically through CREST by 1:00 pm BST at the latest on 23 October 2023 (the "Election Cut-off Time"). Redeeming Shareholders should instruct their broker, bank or other institution through which they hold their depositary interests in Class A Ordinary Shares in time for these to be tendered through CREST before the Election Cut-off Time. Please note that brokers, banks or other institutions through which depositary interests in Class A Ordinary Shares are held will establish their own cut-off dates and times for the tender of such securities, which may be earlier than the Election Cut-off Time. Redeeming Shareholders should check with their broker, bank or other institution to determine the appropriate procedures. Class A Ordinary Shareholders who validly elect to redeem all or a portion of their depositary interests in the Class A Ordinary Shares on or before the Election Cut-off Time shall have such depositary interests in the Class A Ordinary Shares redeemed and payment in respect of such will be made by Link Market Services Trustees Limited, acting as Depositary as soon as possible on or after 26 October 2023. The final redemption price per Class A Ordinary Shareholders will be confirmed prior to payment within CREST.
If a holder of Class A Ordinary Shares does not wish to redeem any of their Class A Ordinary Shares, they do not need to submit a redemption election through CREST or take any other action. The redemption of the Class A Ordinary Shares held by a Public Shareholder does not trigger the repurchase or redemption of any Warrants held by such Public Shareholder. Accordingly, Public Shareholders whose Class A Ordinary Shares are redeemed by the Company will retain all rights to any public Warrants that they may hold at the time of such redemption.
Withdrawal of elections to redeem
Any Redeeming Shareholder that has validly submitted their depositary interests in Class A Ordinary Shares for redemption through CREST may, prior to the Election Cut-off Time, notify the Depositary by email at the following address - shareholderenquiries@linkgroup.co.uk - that it wishes to withdraw
such submission.
4. No Additional Co-Sponsor Overfunding
Pursuant to the Memorandum and Articles of Association and as described in the IPO Prospectus, if the Initial Acquisition Deadline were extended through extensions for one or two periods of three months which are at the discretion of the Company (such type of extension, a "Discretionary Extension"), the Co-Sponsors agreed that they would commit further additional funds to the Company through the subscription of further Sponsor Warrants, in the proportions in which the Co-Sponsors have subscribed for Class B Shares and Sponsor Warrants prior to the date of the IPO Prospectus, the proceeds of which would be held in the Escrow Account as Additional Co-Sponsor Overfunding.
However, the Extension does not constitute a Discretionary Extension. As such, there will be no Additional Co-Sponsor Overfunding should the Extension be approved.
5. Consequences of Approving the Extension
Extension of Acquisition Deadline and Process in Case of Acquisition
If the Extension is approved, the Memorandum and Articles of Association will require the Company to complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline (i.e., 25 January 2024). The Company cannot estimate how long it will take to identify suitable Acquisition opportunities and there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to identify any suitable target company and agree relevant terms of an Acquisition before the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension.
Should the Company identify a target and agree on suitable terms for its Acquisition, the Company shall, prior to the completion of an Acquisition, and in accordance with the revised Memorandum and Articles of Association appended to this document as Exhibit A (the "Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association"):
· obtain the approval of the Public Shareholders for such Acquisition; and
· provide any remaining holders of Class A Ordinary Shares with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A Ordinary Shares upon the completion of an Acquisition at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Escrow Account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of an Acquisition, divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares.
The Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association also provide that, in the event the Company does not complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline, it may request Shareholders to approve a further extension of the deadline by which the Company must complete an Acquisition (a "Further Extension"). To pass such a resolution to approve a Further Extension would require the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes of the Shares entitled to vote thereon which are present at a general meeting where such resolution is voted on. In the event the Company does not complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline and no Further Extension is approved, the Company will cease all operations, except for the purpose of winding-up, following a procedure equivalent to the description included in Section 6 below and in accordance with the Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Subscription of New Class B Shares by the Co-Sponsors
The Co-Sponsors have agreed to subscribe for an aggregate amount of 1,333,333 Class B Shares at a price of $1.50 per Class B Share as follows, subject to the approval of the Extension by Shareholders at the Extension EGM (the "Additional Sponsor Class B Shares"):
Co-Sponsor |
Subscription Amount |
Class B Shares Subscribed |
|
ACG Mining Limited |
US$750,000.00 |
500,000 |
|
De Heerd Investments Limited |
US$625,000.50 |
416,667 |
|
Argentem Creek Partners Limited |
US$624,999.00 |
416,666 |
|
Total |
US$2,000,000* |
1,333,333 |
|
*Adjusted for rounding |
The Co-Sponsors have further agreed to (a) vote in favour of the Resolutions at the Extension EGM, including to approve the Extension, and (b) convert any or all of their Class B Shares, including the Additional Sponsor Class B Shares, into Class A Ordinary Shares at the Company's request. As part of the foregoing, loans from the Co-Sponsors of $975,000 have been capitalised.
Upon issuance of the Additional Sponsor Class B Shares, holders of Class B Shares other than the Co-Sponsors will be diluted accordingly. However, the number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon automatic conversion of all Class B Shares at the time of an Acquisition will not change and remains equal to, in the aggregate, 20% of the total number of Class A Ordinary Shares that were in issue upon the completion of the IPO. The Additional Sponsor Class B Shares (and any Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of such Additional Sponsor Class B Shares) are not subject to any lock-up arrangements.
At the date of this document, the Company has obtained irrevocable undertakings from existing Shareholders (including the Co-Sponsors) to vote their Shares in favour of the Extension holding 20.8% of the total outstanding Shares entitled to vote at the Extension EGM. The Company is seeking further irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the Extension from other significant Shareholders.
Possible dilutive effect on Public Shareholders in the event of exercise of redemption rights
If the Extension is approved and some Public Shareholders exercise their rights of redemption in respect of their Class A Ordinary Shares, the Company shall be required to return a proportion of the funds standing to their credit of the Escrow Account and to redeem the relevant Class A Ordinary Shares. This will result in the overall number of Class A Ordinary Shares outstanding being reduced while the number of Warrants will remain unchanged. The remaining Public Shareholders may therefore face increased dilution of their interests, mainly as a result of the increased proportion of outstanding Warrants relative to the number of outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares remaining following the exercise of redemptions by Public Shareholders.
Availability of funds to complete an Acquisition
In the event that there is a significant exercise of redemption rights, the Company shall also have less funds available in the Escrow Account to fund any Acquisition and will likely need to raise additional third party finance at the time of any Acquisition to meet its financing requirements, to pay any cash consideration if required, and to satisfy any minimum cash balance condition imposed as part of any Acquisition.
If the Company has insufficient funds available, the Company may be required to seek additional financing by issuing new equity or debt securities or securing debt financing. The Company may not receive sufficient support from its existing Shareholders to raise additional equity, and lenders may be unwilling to extend debt financing to the Company on attractive terms, or at all.
In addition, raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances (which the Company is able to do without requiring the prior approval of holders of its Shares) or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels, potentially up to, in each case, an amount sufficient to affect any larger than expected number of Class A Ordinary Shares submitted for redemption.
Possible dilutive effect on Public Shareholders in the event of issue of additional Class A Ordinary Shares
It is likely that the Company will decide that there is a need to raise additional third party finance at the time of any Acquisition. In that event, the Company may issue a substantial number of additional Class A Ordinary Shares to complete its Acquisition, including via a private investment in a public entity.
Such issuance of additional Class A Ordinary Shares:
· may significantly dilute the equity interest of existing Public Shareholders;
· could cause a change in control if a substantial number of Class A Ordinary Shares are issued, which could, among other things, result in the resignation or removal of the Company's present directors; and
· may adversely affect prevailing market prices for the Class A Ordinary Shares and/or Warrants.
Ability to Complete an Acquisition Before the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension
While the Company would have until the Extended Acquisition Deadline to implement an Acquisition, the Company cannot estimate how long it will take to identify suitable Acquisition opportunities and there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to identify any suitable target company and agree relevant terms of an Acquisition before the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension.
Failure to identify a suitable Acquisition or to reach an agreement on acceptable terms could result from factors including (but not limited to) a lack of suitable target companies, absence of available funding on acceptable terms or at all, inability to raise capital, and increased competition for such target companies. Such competition may for example come from strategic buyers, sovereign wealth funds, other SPACs, and public and private investment funds, many of which are well established and have extensive experience in identifying and completing acquisitions and business combinations. A number of these competitors may possess greater technical, financial, human and other resources than the Company and may be able to facilitate a more expedited acquisition process. Furthermore, some potential target companies have already entered into business combinations, and the Company believes that there are many SPACs seeking target companies for, and that may in the future undertake initial public offers in order to seek target companies for, business combinations. As a result, fewer attractive target companies may be available at any point prior to the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns, geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close business combinations or operate target companies post-business combination, thereby increasing competition. This could increase the cost of, or otherwise complicate or frustrate the Company's ability to find and consummate an Acquisition.
Any of these or other factors may place the Company at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating or completing an attractive Acquisition. There cannot be any assurance that the Company will be successful against such competition and will be able to complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline. This competition may result in a potential target company seeking a different buyer even after having spent considerable time negotiating with the Company, or may require a competitive bidding process in which the Company may ultimately not succeed.
Furthermore, even if an agreement is reached in respect of a target company, the Company may fail to complete such Acquisition, because shareholders of that target company do not approve the transaction, a required regulatory condition is not obtained, the Company does not have funding available or it is not able to raise capital on favorable terms or at all, other conditions precedent for completion for an Acquisition are not fulfilled, or for reasons beyond its control, such as material adverse changes in economic and market conditions.
In such circumstances, the Company will not be able to complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline and, absent a Further Extension, will need to cease operations and return any remaining funds in the Escrow Account to Public Shareholders in the manner described in the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension.
The Company's negotiating position in light of the requirement to complete an Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its shareholders in case of a Further Extension
Any potential target company with which the Company enters into negotiations concerning an Acquisition will most likely be aware that the Company must complete its Acquisition by the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension. Consequently, such target company may obtain leverage over the Company in negotiating its Acquisition, knowing that if the Company does not complete its Acquisition with that particular target company, it may be unable to complete an Acquisition with any target company.
As a result, the Company might at such time enter into an Acquisition on terms that are not as favourable to the Company and the Shareholders as they could be under different circumstances. This risk will increase as the Company gets closer to the Extended Acquisition Deadline or such later date approved by its Shareholders in case of a Further Extension. In addition, the Company may have limited time to conduct due diligence and, as a consequence, such due diligence may not reveal all relevant considerations or liabilities of a target business and the Company may enter into its Acquisition on terms that it would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
Following any redemption by Public Shareholders of their Class A Ordinary Shares, the Company may no longer have sufficient shares held in public hands for purposes of complying with the Listing Rules and, as a result, any remaining Class A Ordinary Shares may be suspended or cancelled from listing; the Company will also no longer comply with the guidance in the Listing Rules regarding the circumstances in which suspension of listing is not required upon the announcement of an Acquisition, which may result in the suspension of its Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants. Any such suspension or cancellation will significantly reduce liquidity in the Class A Ordinary Shares and/or the Warrants, potentially for a significant period of time or definitively, and may adversely affect the price at which a holder can sell them.
Pursuant to Listing Rule 5.2.1R, the FCA may cancel the listing of securities if it is satisfied that there are special circumstances that preclude normal regular dealings in them. Examples of circumstances where the FCA may cancel the listing of securities where it appears to the FCA that the issuer no longer satisfies its continuing obligations for listing include, under Listing Rule 5.2.2G(2), where the percentage of shares in public hands falls below 10% (the FCA may however allow a reasonable time to restore the percentage, unless this is precluded by the need to maintain the smooth operation of the market or to protect investors). For these purposes, shares are not held in public hands if they are, inter alia, held directly or indirectly by a director or persons connected with a director or persons in the same group or persons acting in concert who have an interest in 5% or more of the shares of the relevant class or are subject to restrictions on transfer of more than 180 days.
Any redemptions by Public Shareholders of their Class A Ordinary Shares will result in the overall number of Class A Ordinary Shares outstanding being reduced. As noted above, the Co-Sponsors have agreed to convert any or all of their Class B Shares, including the Additional Sponsor Class B Shares, into Class A Ordinary Shares at the Company's request. Nevertheless, it cannot be excluded that the number of Class A Ordinary Shares in issue and held in public hands will be reduced following settlement of redemptions such that either: (i) the percentage of Ordinary Shares in public hands falls below 10% (meaning the Company would no longer comply with Listing Rule 14.2.2R); or (ii) the number of Ordinary Shares will not facilitate the smooth operation of the market. In each case, although the FCA may permit the Company a reasonable time to restore the percentage of shares held in public hands, the FCA may cancel the listing of the Class A Ordinary Shares.
In addition, as a result of the proposed amendments to the Memorandum and Articles of Association the Company will no longer comply with the guidance set forth in the Listing Rules pursuant to which suspension from listing for a SPAC is not required upon the announcement of a reverse takeover. As such, there will be a presumption that suspension of listing of the Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants is required upon an Acquisition announcement, unless the Company can provide evidence to the FCA that it meets the requirements under Listing Rule 5.6.8G(1) that there is sufficient publicly available information about the proposed transaction. In such circumstances, if information regarding an Acquisition were to leak to the market, or the Board considered that there were good reasons for announcing the transaction at a time when it was unable to provide the market with sufficient information regarding the impact of an Acquisition on its financial position, the Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants may be suspended from listing. Any such suspension would be likely to continue until sufficient financial information on an Acquisition was made public. Depending on the nature of the transaction (or proposed transaction) and the stage at which it is leaked or announced, it may take a substantial period of time to compile the relevant information, particularly where the target business does not have financial or other information readily available which is comparable with the information a listed company would be expected to provide under the UK Market Abuse Regulation, the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and the Listing Rules (for example, where the target business is not itself already subject to a public disclosure regime), and the period during which the Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants would be suspended may therefore be significant.
Any such suspension or cancellation will significantly reduce liquidity in any remaining Class A Ordinary Shares and/or the Warrants, potentially for a significant period of time or definitely, and may adversely affect the price at which a holder can sell them.
Expected Financial Position of the Company in Case the Extension is Approved
In the event the Extension is approved and upon receipt of the proceeds from the Additional Sponsor Class B Shares net of associated costs, the Company estimates that it will have US$1.7 million of cash on hand for purposes of pursuing an acquisition. As at 25 October 2023, the Company estimates trade and other payables which relate to ongoing operations will amount to US$0.3 million. Amounts corresponding to Class A Ordinary Shares currently held by Public Shareholders that are not redeemed will be held as restricted cash and public share liabilities. The outstanding Warrants, which had a value as at 30 June 2023 of US$4.3 million will remain as a derivative liability. The Company estimates that, as at 25 October 2023, outstanding sponsor loans in the amount of $15.4 million will continue to be accounted for within the share/warrant subscription reserve.
The Board will only effect the Extension and amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of the Company if the Company receives the proceeds of the subscription of the Additional Sponsor Class B Shares from the Co-Sponsors by, at the latest, 30 October 2023. While the Company expects cash on hand will be sufficient to cover its working capital needs until the Extended Acquisition Deadline, in order to complete an Acquisition, the Company will require further funding from its Co-Sponsors or other investors to cover its ongoing costs prior to completion of an Acquisition.
6. Consequences of Not Approving the Extension
In the event that the Extension is not approved by Shareholders, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and, in turn, the date by which the Company must complete an Acquisition (i.e., 12 October 2023) will remain unchanged. Accordingly, in such situation, the Company will:
· continue ceasing all operations and intends to complete its winding up;
· on 26 October 2023, automatically redeem the Class A Ordinary Shares held by Public Shareholders, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Escrow Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Escrow Account (less taxes payable and up to $US100,000 to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares held by Public Shareholders (which is expected to be approximately $10.325 per Public Share), which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders' rights as Shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions (if any)); and
· as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company's remaining Shareholders, liquidate and dissolve the Company's assets and liabilities, subject in each case to the Company's obligations under BVI law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, the Warrants will expire worthless and any holder thereof will no longer have any rights thereunder.
In such circumstances, there can be no assurance as to the particular amount or value of the remaining assets at any such future time either as a result of costs from the unsuccessful Acquisition or from other factors, including disputes or legal claims which the Company is required to pay out, the cost of the liquidation and dissolution process, applicable tax liabilities or amounts due to third-party creditors.
In order to effect an Acquisition, the Company is tabling Resolutions relating to the following matters for consideration by its Shareholders:
(i) the proposed Extension of the Initial Acquisition Deadline (i.e., 12 October 2023) to the Extended Acquisition Deadline (i.e., 25 January 2024). To pass such resolution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the Shares entitled to vote thereon which are present at the Extension EGM and vote;
(ii) a revised Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, in the form appended to this document as Exhibit A, to be approved. To pass such resolution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the Shares entitled to vote thereon which are present at the Extension EGM and vote; and
(iii) a change in the Company's financial year, such that it shall end on December 31 of each calendar year. To pass such resolution requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes of the Shares of the Shareholders entitled to vote thereon which are present at the Extension EGM and vote.
Form of Proxy
A Form of Proxy for use at the Extension EGM by holders of Class B Shares is enclosed with this document for use. The Form of Proxy must be returned to Link Group at 10thFloor, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England as soon as possible but, in any event, so as to arrive no later than 10 a.m. (London time) on 23 October 2023 or 48 hours before any adjourned meeting.
The completion and return of a Form of Proxy will not preclude you from attending the Extension EGM and voting in person should you wish to do so, and should be done in accordance with the instructions contained in the notes to the Notice of the Extension EGM, as set out on page 14 of this document, and in the notes to the Form of Proxy.
Unless otherwise indicated on the Form of Proxy, CREST or any other electronic voting instruction, the proxy will vote as they think fit or, at their discretion withhold from voting.
CREST voting and Form of Direction
In the case of holders of depository interests representing Class A Ordinary Shares in dematerialised form, an electronic instruction may be submitted through the CREST system in order to instruct Link Market Services Trustees Limited, the Depository, to vote on the holder's behalf at the Extension EGM by proxy or, if the meeting is adjourned, at the adjourned meeting. If you are a CREST Personal Member, or other CREST Sponsored Member, you should consult your CREST sponsor, who will be able to take appropriate action on your behalf. Instructions can be submitted via the CREST system to be received by the issuer's agent, Link Group (ID:RA10) by 10 a.m. (London time) on 20 October 2023.
Alternatively, holders of depositary interests should complete the enclosed Form of Direction in accordance with the instructions printed thereon to direct Link Market Services Trustees Limited as the custodian of their shares how to exercise their votes. Any holder of depository interest who wishes to attend the Extension EGM must contact the Depositary at Link Market Services Trustees Limited, Link Group, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, United Kingdom or by email by using nominee.enquiries@linkgroup.co.uk in order to request a Letter of Representation no later than 10 a.m. on 20 October 2023. If any holder of depositary interests attends the Extension EGM without a letter of representation they will only be allowed to enter the Extension EGM as a guest and will not be allowed to vote. To be valid, the Form of Direction must be completed in accordance with the instructions set out in the form and returned as soon as possible to the offices of the Custodian at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England so as to be received no later than 10 a.m. (London time) on 20 October 2023 or 72 hours before any adjourned meeting.
In signing and returning the Form of Direction or otherwise submitting an electronic voting instruction through the CREST system, you will be representing that you are either: (a) outside the United States, or (b) a qualified institutional buyer (within the meaning given by Rule 144A under the US Securities Act of 1933). By continuing to hold their depositary interests following the date of the Notice, holders of depositary interests acknowledge and agree to be bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in the section headed "Part XVI-Notices to Investors" in the Prospectus (mutatis mutandiswith respect to such depositary interests).
The Board unanimously considers the approval of all Resolutions to be in the best interests of the Company. Accordingly, the Board recommends that Shareholders vote in favour of all the Resolutions set out in the Notice of the Extension EGM. The Board will only effect the Extension and amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of the Company if the Company receives the proceeds of the subscription of the Additional Sponsor Class B Shares from the Co-Sponsors by, at the latest, 30 October 2023.
Your sincerely, Peter Whelan,
Chairman of the Board
ACG ACQUISITION COMPANY LIMITED
(Incorporated and registered in the British Virgin Islands with registered number 2067083)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT a meeting of the shareholders of the Company will be held at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP at 2 London Wall Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5AU, England on 25 October 2023 at 10 a .m. (London time) for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, approving the following resolutions:
Resolution 1
THAT the deadline by which the Company must complete an Acquisition in accordance with Regulation 26 of its Memorandum and Articles of Association be extended from 12 October 2023 to 25 January 2024
Resolution 2
THAT the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended in the form recommended by the Board of Directors of the Company and appended to the shareholders circular in Exhibit A, with effect upon the satisfaction of the formalities required to effect such an amendment under the laws of the BVI
Resolution 3
THAT the Company's financial year be and is hereby altered to end on December 31 of each calendar year, with immediate effect, and that the Directors be and are hereby authorised to take all such steps as any of them may consider necessary or desirable to implement and give full effect to such change.
Da ted 17 October 2023
Registered Office
Cra igmuir Chambers
P.O. Box 71
Road Town, Tortola British Virgin Isla nds
Peter Whelan, by order of the Board
17 October 2023
(1) To be entitled to attend and vote at the meeting (and for the purpose of the determination by the Company of the number of votes they may cast), shareholders must be registered in the register of members of the Company at 5 p.m. (London time) on 19 October 2023. Changes to the register of members after the relevant deadline shall be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend and vote at the meeting.
(2) Shareholders, or their proxies, intending to attend the meeting in person are requested, if possible, to arrive at the meeting venue at least 20 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting at 10 a.m. (London time) on 25 October 2023 so that their shareholding may be checked against the Company's register of members and attendances recorded.
(3) Depositary interest holders who are CREST members may appoint a proxy or proxies through the CREST electronic proxy appointment service may do so for the Meeting (and any adjournment of the Meeting) by using the procedures described in the CREST Manual (available from www.euroclear.com). CREST Personal Members or other CREST sponsored members, and those CREST members who have appointed a service provider(s), should refer to their CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s), who will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf.
(4) In order for a proxy appointment or instruction made by means of CREST to be valid, the appropriate CREST message (a "CREST Proxy Instruction") must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear UK & International Limited's specifications and must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message must be transmitted so as to be received by the issuer's agent (ID RA10) by 10 a.m. on 20 October 2023. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to mean the time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST application host) from which the issuer's agent is able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner prescribed by CREST. After this time, any change of instructions to proxies appointed through CREST should be communicated to the appointee through other means.
(5) CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers should note that Euroclear UK & International Limited does not make available special procedures in CREST for any particular message. Normal system timings and limitations will, therefore, apply in relation to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member concerned to take (or, if the CREST member is a CREST personal member, or sponsored member, or has appointed a voting service provider(s), to procure that his CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall be necessary to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. In this connection, CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting system providers are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations of the CREST system and timings.
ACG ACQUISITION COMPANY LIMITED
Registered number 2067083
Form of Proxy - Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 25 October 2023
Kindly note: This form is issued only to the addressee(s). The Company accepts no liability for any instruction that does not comply with this form.
1. Please indicate, by placing "X" in the appropriate space overleaf, how you wish your votes to be cast in respect of each of the resolutions. If this form is duly signed and returned, but without specific direction as to how you wish your votes to be cast the form will be rejected.
2. The "Withheld" option overleaf is provided to enable you to abstain on any particular resolution. However, it should be noted that that a 'Vote Withheld is not a vote in law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes 'For' or 'Against' a resolution.
3. Any alterations made to this form should be initialled.
4.
The completion and return of this form will not preclude a member from attending the meeting and voting in person.
5. Every holder has the right to appoint some other person of their choice, who need not be a Shareholder, to attend and act on their behalf at the meeting. If you wish to appoint a person other than the Chairman, please insert the name of your chosen proxy holder in the space provided (see reverse).
6. Please ensure the completed voting instrument is returned to Link Group at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England.
To be effective, this form must be lodged at Link Group at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England no later than 48 hours before the commencement of the Meeting.
Form of Proxy
Please leave this box blank if you have selected the Chairman. Do not insert your own name(s).
As my/our proxy to attend and vote on my/our behalf at the meeting of shareholders of ACG Acquisition Company Limited to be held at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP at 2 London Wall Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5AU, England on 25 October 2023 at 10 a.m. (London time) and any adjournment of that meeting.
Resolutions
1. THAT the deadline by which the Company must complete an Acquisition in accordance with Regulation 26 of its Memorandum and Articles of Association be extended from 12 October 2023 to 25 January 2024. |
For |
Against |
Withheld |
2. THAT the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended in the form recommended by the Board of Directors of the Company and appended to the shareholders circular in Exhibit A, with effect upon the satisfaction of the formalities required to effect such an amendment under the laws of the BVI. |
For |
Against |
Withheld |
3. THAT the Company's financial year be and is hereby altered to end on December 31 of each calendar year, with immediate effect, and that the Directors be and are hereby authorised to take all such steps as any of them may consider necessary or desirable to implement and give full effect to such change. |
For |
Against |
Withheld |
I/We would like my/our proxy to vote on the resolutions proposed at the meeting as indicated on this form. Unless otherwise instructed the proxy may vote as he or she sees fit or abstain in relation to any business of the meeting.
DD / MM/ YY In the case of joint holders, only one holder need sign. In the case of a
corporation, the Form of Proxy should be signed by a duly authorised official whose capacity should be stated, or by an attorney.
ACG ACQUISITION COMPANY LIMITED
Registered number 2067083
Form of Direction - Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 25 October 2023
Kindly note: This form is issued only to the addressee(s). The Custodian accepts no liability for any instruction that does not comply with this form.
1. Please indicate, by placing "X" in the appropriate space overleaf, how you wish your votes to be cast in respect of each of the resolutions. If this form is duly signed and returned, but without specific direction as to how you wish your votes to be cast the form will be rejected.
2. The 'Withheld' option overleaf is provided to enable you to abstain on any particular resolution. However, it should be noted that that a 'Vote Withheld' is not a vote in law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes 'For' or 'Against' a resolution.
3. Any alterations to this form should be initialled.
4. The completion and return of this form will not preclude a member from attending the meeting and voting in person.
5.
A member of CREST may use the CREST electronic voting appointment service via the CREST system, CREST messages must be received by the issuer's agent (ID number (ID: RA10) not later than 72 hours before the time appointed for the holding of the meeting.
6. Should the holder, or a representative of that holder, wish to attend the meeting and/o r vote at the meeting please ensure the relevant box is completed on the reverse. Upon receipt of this instruction, the registered holder, shown above, will receive a Letter of Representation from Link Group authorising the person detailed overleaf to attend on behalf of the holder.
7. Please ensure the completed voting instrument is returned to: Link Group at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, England.
To be effective, all votes must be lodged at the office of the Custodian no later than 72 hours before the commencement of the meeting.
Form of Direction
Please use a black pen. Mark an "X" inside the box to indicate your directions; as shown in this example.
I/We hereby:
1) represent that I/we am/are either (a) outside the United States, or (b) a qualified institutional buyer (within the meaning given by Rule 144A under the US Securities Act of 1933); 2) represent that I/we am/are the holder of the depositary interests in Class A Ordinary Shares that are the subject of this Direction; 3) direct the Custodian "Link Market Services Trustees Limited" to vote on my/our behalf at the meeting of shareholders to be held at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP at 2 London Wall Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5AU, England on 25 October 2023 at 10 a.m.(London time) and any adjournment of that meeting; and 4) by continuing to hold depositary interests following the date of execution of this form, acknowledge and agree to be bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in the section headed "Part XVI-Notices to Investors" in the Prospectus (mutatis mutandis with respect to such depositary interests).
Resolutions
1. THAT the deadline by which the Company must complete an Acquisition in accordance with Regulation 26 of its Memorandum and Articles of Association be extended from 12 October 2023 to 25 January 2024. |
For |
Against |
Withheld |
2. THAT the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company be amended in the form recommended by the Board of Directors of the Company and appended to the shareholders circular in Exhibit A, with effect upon the satisfaction of the formalities required to effect such an amendment under the laws of the BVI. |
For |
Against |
Withheld |
3. THAT the Company's financial year be and is hereby altered to end on December 31 of each calendar year, with immediate effect, and that the Directors be and are hereby authorised to take all such steps as any of them may consider necessary or desirable to implement and give full effect to such change. |
For |
Against |
Withheld |
Intention to attend
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corporation, the Form of Direction should be signed by a duly authorised official whose capacity should be stated, or by an attorney.
EXHIBIT A
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TERRITORY OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSBVI BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT 2004ACG ACQUISITION COMPANY LIMITEDA Company Limited by Shares |
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AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION |
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