PRE 14A 1 pre14a0323_progressacq.htm PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT

 

 

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
Filed by a party other than the Registrant

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement

 

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

 

Definitive Proxy Statement

 

Definitive Additional Materials

 

Soliciting Material Under Section 240.14a-12

 

PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

 

 

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

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

 

No fee required.

 

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

 

Fee computed on table exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.
10 Winthrop Square Penthouse
Boston, MA 02110

LETTER TO STOCKHOLDERS

 

TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.:

 

You are cordially invited to attend the special meeting of stockholders, which we refer as the “Special Meeting,” of Progress Acquisition Corp., which we refer to as “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company”, to be held at [●] [a.m.]/[p.m.] Eastern Time on April 17, 2023.

 

The Special Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting of stockholders, which will be conducted via live webcast. You will be able to attend the Special Meeting online, vote and submit your questions during the Special Meeting by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/[2023].

 

Even if you are planning on attending the Special Meeting online, please promptly submit your proxy vote by telephone, or, if you received a printed form of proxy in the mail, by completing, dating, signing and returning the enclosed proxy, so your shares will be represented at the Special Meeting. Instructions on voting your shares are on the proxy materials you received for the Special Meeting. Even if you plan to attend the Special Meeting online, it is strongly recommended you complete and return your proxy card before the Special Meeting date, to ensure that your shares will be represented at the Special Meeting if you are unable to attend.

 

The accompanying proxy statement, which we refer to as the “Proxy Statement”, is dated [●], 2023, and is first being mailed to stockholders of the Company on or about [●], 2023. The sole purpose of the Special Meeting is to consider and vote upon the following proposals:

 

a proposal to amend (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “charter”) to extend the date (the “Termination Date”) by which the Company must consummate a Business Combination (defined below) (the “Extension”) from May 8, 2023 to November 8, 2023 or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors (the “Extended Date”) (such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”);

 

a proposal to amend (the “Founder Share Amendment”) our charter to provide holders of shares of Class B common stock of the Company (“Founder Shares” or “Class B common stock”) the right to convert any and all of their shares of Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock of the Company (“Class A common stock”) on a one-for-one basis prior to the closing of a Business Combination at the election of the holder (the “Founder Share Amendment Proposal”); and

 

a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting 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 and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”). The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented at the Special Meeting if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal.

 

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

 

The purpose of the Extension Amendment Proposal is to allow us additional time to complete a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (a “Business Combination”). The purpose of the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is to allow the holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to a Business Combination and give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following any stockholder redemptions. On October 27, 2022, we held a special meeting in lieu of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders and obtained stockholder approval of the extension (the “First Extension”) of the Termination Date from November 8, 2022 to May 8, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by the our board of directors (the “Board”). While we are currently in discussions regarding various Business Combination opportunities, the Board currently believes that there will not be sufficient time before May 8, 2023 to complete the Business Combination. Accordingly, the Board believes that in order to be able to consummate the Business Combination, we will need to obtain the Extension. Therefore, the Board has determined that it is in the best interests of our stockholders to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate a Business Combination to the Extended Date in order for our stockholders to have the opportunity to participate in our future investment.

 

 

 

 

In connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, public stockholders may elect to redeem their shares of Class A common stock issued in our IPO, which we refer to as “public shares”, for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (the “Trust Account”), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which election we refer to as the “Election,” regardless of whether such public stockholders vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved by the requisite vote of stockholders, the remaining holders of public shares will retain their right to redeem their public shares when the Business Combination is submitted to the stockholders, subject to any limitations set forth in our charter as amended by the Extension Amendment. In addition, public stockholders who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their public shares redeemed for cash if the Company has not completed a Business Combination by the Extended Date. Our sponsor, Progress Capital I LLC (the “Sponsor”), owns 4,312,500 shares of our Class B common stock, which we refer to as the “Founder Shares,” that were issued to the Sponsor prior to our IPO and 4,650,000 private placement warrants, which we refer to as the “Private Placement Warrants,” that were purchased by the Sponsor in a private placement which occurred simultaneously with the completion of the IPO. Additionally, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EarlyBirdCapital”), the representative of the underwriters in our IPO, owns 150,000 shares of our Class A common stock (the “Representative Shares”).

 

To exercise your redemption rights, you must demand that the Company redeem your public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account, and tender your shares to the Company’s transfer agent at least two business days prior to the Special Meeting (or April 13, 2023). You may tender your shares by either delivering your share certificate to the transfer agent or 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.

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved and the Board decides to implement the Extension, the Sponsor or its designees have agreed to contribute to us loans (the “Extension Loans”) in an amount equal to the lesser of (a) an aggregate of $32,327.52 or (b) $0.04 per public share that remains outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting for each calendar month (commencing on May 8, 2023 and on the 8th day of each subsequent month) until the Extended Date (each, an “Extension Period”), or portion thereof, that is needed to complete an initial Business Combination, for up to an aggregate of $193,965.12. Each Extension Loan will be deposited in the trust account within five (5) business days from the beginning of such calendar month (or portion thereof). Accordingly, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation will depend the length of the extension period that will be needed to complete the Business Combination. If no public shares are redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting and we need the full amount of time, until November 8, 2023, to complete our Business Combination, then the Sponsor or its designees would make aggregate contributions of $193,965.12. In such case, the amount deposited per share for such six-month period will be approximately $0.24 per share, resulting in a total redemption amount of approximately $10.53 per share in comparison to the current redemption amount of $10.29 per share (plus any applicable interest accrued).

 

Any Extension Loan is conditioned upon the implementation of the Extension. No Extension Loan will occur if either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved or if the Extension is not implemented. The amount of each Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor or its designees upon consummation of the Business Combination. We will have the sole discretion whether to continue extending for additional calendar months until the Extended Date. If we opt not to utilize any remaining portion of the Extension, then we will liquidate and dissolve promptly in accordance with our charter, and the Sponsor’s obligation to make additional contributions will terminate.

 

 

 

 

Based upon the current amount in the Trust Account, the Company anticipates that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately [$10.29] (plus any applicable interest accrued) at the time of the Special Meeting. The closing price of the Company’s Class A common stock on [●], 2023 was $10.[●]. The Company cannot assure stockholders that they will be able to sell their shares of the Company’s Class A common stock in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in its securities when such stockholders wish to sell their shares.

 

The Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow our Board to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates to permit further solicitation of proxies. The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented to our stockholders in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal.

 

If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate the Business Combination by May 8, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our charter, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up our affairs and liquidating, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the “DGCL”, to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our Business Combination by May 8, 2023 or in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the Sponsor, our officers and directors and EarlyBirdCapital will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the Founder Shares, the Private Placement Warrants or Representative Shares.

 

Subject to the foregoing, the affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock, including the Founder Shares, will be required to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal. Such stockholder approval is required for the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our Business Combination. Notwithstanding stockholder approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not implement the Extension at any time without any further action by our stockholders.

 

Approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast by stockholders represented in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting.

 

Our Board has fixed the close of business on March 27, 2023 as the date for determining the stockholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Special Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of the Company’s common stock on that date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Special Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

 

You are not being asked to vote on the Business Combination at this time. If the Extension is implemented and you do not elect to redeem your public shares, provided that you are a stockholder on the record date for a meeting to consider the Business Combination, you will retain the right to vote on the Business Combination when it is submitted to stockholders and the right to redeem your public shares for cash in the event the Business Combination is approved and completed or we have not consummated a Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Under Delaware law and the Company’s bylaws, no other business may be transacted at the Special Meeting.

 

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

 

[●], 2023 By Order of the Board of Directors
   
   
  Michelle Wilson
  Co-Chief Executive Officer

  

Your vote is important. If you are a stockholder of record, please sign, date and return your proxy card as soon as possible to make sure that your shares are represented at the Special Meeting. If you are a stockholder of record, you may also cast your vote online at the Special Meeting. If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, you must instruct your broker or bank how to vote your shares, or you may cast your vote online at the Special Meeting by obtaining a proxy from your brokerage firm or bank. With respect to each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal, your failure to vote or instruct your broker or bank how to vote or voting “ABSTAIN” will have the same effect as voting “AGAINST” such proposal. With respect to the Adjournment Proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast for such proposal and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on such proposal. Failure to vote by proxy or to vote in person at the Special Meeting will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on the Adjournment Proposal.

 

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Special Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 17, 2023: This notice of meeting and the accompanying Proxy Statement are available at https://www.cstproxy.com/progressacquisition/[2023].

 

 

 

 

PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.
10 Winthrop Square Penthouse
Boston, MA 02110

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 
TO BE HELD ON APRIL 17, 2023

PROXY STATEMENT

 

The special meeting of stockholders, which we refer to as the “Special Meeting,” of Progress Acquisition Corp., which we refer to as the “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company”, will be held at [●]:00 [a.m./p.m.] Eastern Time on April 17, 2023 as a virtual meeting. You will be able to attend, vote your shares, and submit questions during the Special Meeting via a live webcast available at https://www.cstproxy.com/progressacquisition/[2023]. The Special Meeting will be held for the sole purpose of considering and voting upon the following proposals:

 

a proposal to amend (the “Extension Amendment”) the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “charter”) to extend the date (the “Termination Date”) by which the Company must consummate a Business Combination (defined below) (the “Extension”) from May 8, 2023 to November 8, 2023 or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors (the “Extended Date”) (such proposal, the “Extension Amendment Proposal”);

 

a proposal to amend (the “Founder Share Amendment”) our charter to provide holders of shares of Class B common stock of the Company (“Founder Shares” or “Class B common stock”) the right to convert any and all of their shares of Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock of the Company (“Class A common stock”) on a one-for-one basis prior to the closing of a Business Combination at the election of the holder (the “Founder Share Amendment Proposal”); and

 

a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting 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, (the “Adjournment Proposal”). The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented at the Special Meeting if there are not sufficient votes to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

The purpose of the Extension Amendment Proposal is to allow us additional time to complete a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (a “Business Combination”). The purpose of the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is to allow the holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to a Business Combination and give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following any stockholder redemptions.

 

In connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal, public stockholders may elect to redeem their public shares for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (the “Trust Account”), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which election we refer to as the “Election”, regardless of whether such public stockholders vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved by the requisite vote of stockholders, the remaining holders of public shares will retain their right to redeem their public shares when the Business Combination is submitted to the stockholders, subject to any limitations set forth in our charter as amended by the Extension Amendment. In addition, public stockholders who do not make the Election would be entitled to have their public shares redeemed for cash if the Company has not completed a Business Combination by the Extended Date. The Sponsor owns 4,312,500 shares of our Class B common stock, which we refer to as the “Founder Shares”, that were issued to the Sponsor prior to our IPO and 4,650,000 private placement warrants, which we refer to as the “Private Placement Warrants”, that were purchased by the Sponsor in a private placement which occurred simultaneously with the completion of the IPO. Additionally, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. (“EarlyBirdCapital”), the representative of the underwriters in our IPO, owns 150,000 shares of our Class A common stock (the “Representative Shares”).

 

 

 

 

To exercise your redemption rights, you must demand that the Company redeem your public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the Trust Account, and tender your shares to the Company’s transfer agent at least two business days prior to the Special Meeting (or April 13, 2023). You may tender your shares by either delivering your share certificate to the transfer agent or 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.

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved and our board of directors (the “Board”) decides to implement the Extension, the Sponsor or its designees have agreed to contribute to us loans (the “Extension Loans”) in an amount equal to the lesser of (a) an aggregate of $32,327.52 or (b) $0.04 per public share that remains outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting for each calendar month (commencing on May 8, 2023 and on the 8th day of each subsequent month) until the Extended Date (each, an “Extension Period”), or portion thereof, that is needed to complete an initial Business Combination, for up to an aggregate of $193,965.12. Each Extension Loan will be deposited in the trust account within five (5) business days from the beginning of such calendar month (or portion thereof). Accordingly, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation will depend the length of the extension period that will be needed to complete the Business Combination. If no public shares are redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting and we need the full amount of time, until November 8, 2023, to complete our Business Combination, then the Sponsor or its designees would make aggregate contributions of $193,965.12. In such case, the amount deposited per share for such six-month period will be approximately $0.24 per share, resulting in a total redemption amount of approximately $10.53 per share in comparison to the current redemption amount of $10.29 per share (plus any applicable interest accrued).

 

Any Extension Loan is conditioned upon the implementation of the Extension. No Extension Loan will occur if either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved or if the Extension is not implemented. The amount of each Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor or its designees upon consummation of the Business Combination. We will have the sole discretion whether to continue extending for additional calendar months until the Extended Date. If we opt not to utilize any remaining portion of the Extension, then we will liquidate and dissolve promptly in accordance with our charter, and the Sponsor’s obligation to make additional contributions will terminate.

 

The withdrawal of funds from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election. In such event, the Company may need to obtain additional funds to complete the Business Combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on terms acceptable to the parties or at all.

 

If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we do not consummate the Business Combination by May 8, 2023, as contemplated by our IPO prospectus and in accordance with our charter, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account (which interest shall net of taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the “DGCL”, to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.

 

There will be no distribution from the Trust Account with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the Sponsor and our officers or directors will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of 4,312,500 Founder Shares, which were issued to the Sponsor prior to our IPO, and 4,650,000 Private Placement Warrants, which were purchased by the Sponsor in a private placement which occurred simultaneously with the completion of the IPO. In addition, EarlyBirdCapital will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of 150,000 Representative Shares. As a consequence, a liquidating distribution will be made only with respect to the public shares.

 

 

 

 

If the Company liquidates, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify us to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or any claims by a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into an acquisition agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to our Trust Account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of our IPO against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the “Securities Act”. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We cannot assure you, however, that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. Based upon the current amount in the Trust Account, we anticipate that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.29 (plus any applicable interest accrued). Nevertheless, the Company cannot assure you that the per share distribution from the Trust Account, if the Company liquidates, will not be less than such amount due to unforeseen claims of creditors.

 

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.

 

Because the Company will not be complying with Section 280 of the DGCL as described in our IPO prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations have been limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers or investment bankers) or prospective target businesses.

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, the Company, pursuant to the terms of the investment management trust agreement, dated February 8, 2021, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trust Agreement”), will (i) remove from the Trust Account an amount, which we refer to as the “Withdrawal Amount”, equal to the number of public shares properly redeemed multiplied by the per-share price, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, and (ii) deliver to the holders of such redeemed public shares their portion of the Withdrawal Amount. The remainder of such funds shall remain in the Trust Account and be available for use by the Company to complete a Business Combination on or before the Extended Date. Holders of public shares who do not redeem their public shares at this time will retain their redemption rights and their ability to vote on a Business Combination through the Extended Date if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved.

 

Our Board has fixed the close of business on March 27, 2023 as the date for determining the stockholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Special Meeting and any adjournment thereof. Only holders of record of the Company’s common stock on that date are entitled to have their votes counted at the Special Meeting or any adjournment thereof. On the record date of the Special Meeting, there were 958,188 shares of Class A common stock outstanding and 4,312,500 shares of Class B common stock outstanding. The Company’s warrants do not have voting rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Adjournment Proposal.

 

 

 

 

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

 

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies from our working capital. We have engaged Morrow Sodali, LLC, who we refer to as Morrow Sodali, to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Special Meeting. We have agreed to pay Morrow Sodali its customary fee in connection with such services in connection with the Special Meeting. We will also reimburse Morrow Sodali for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify Morrow Sodali and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials, our directors and officers may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other means of communication. These parties will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners. While the payment of these expenses will reduce the cash available to us to consummate a Business Combination if the Extension is implemented, we do not expect such payments to have a material effect on our ability to consummate a Business Combination.

 

This Proxy Statement is dated [●], 2023 and is first being mailed to stockholders on or about [●], 2023.

 

[●], 2023 By Order of the Board of Directors
   
   
  Michelle Wilson
  Co-Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING 1
   
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 12
   
RISK FACTORS 13
   
BACKGROUND 16
   
THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL AND THE FOUNDER SHARE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL 17
   
UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS 20
   
THE SPECIAL MEETING 24
   
THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL 28
   
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES 29
   
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS 30
   
HOUSEHOLDING INFORMATION 30
   
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION 30
   
ANNEX A — PROPOSED FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP. A-1

 

 

i

 

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING

 

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

 

Why am I receiving this Proxy Statement?   We are a blank check company formed in Delaware on September 23, 2020, for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. In February 2021, we consummated our IPO from which we derived gross proceeds of approximately $172,500,000 in the aggregate. The amount in the Trust Account was initially $10.00 per public share. Like most blank check companies, our charter provides for the return of our IPO proceeds held in trust to the holders of shares of Class A common stock sold in our IPO if there is no qualifying business combination(s) consummated on or before a certain date (in our case, after giving effect to the First Extension, May 8, 2023). Our Board believes that it is in the best interests of the stockholders to continue our existence until the Extended Date in order to allow us more time to complete the Business Combination.
     
    The purpose of the Extension Amendment Proposal is to allow us additional time to complete the Business Combination.
     
    The purpose of the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is to allow the holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to the Business Combination and give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following any stockholder redemptions.
     
What is being voted on?   You are being asked to vote on:
     
    ·     a proposal to amend our charter to extend the date by which we have to consummate a Business Combination from May 8, 2023 to November 8, 2023 or such earlier date as determined by the Board;
     
    ·     a proposal to amend our charter to provide holders of Class B common stock the right to convert any and all of their shares of Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis prior to the closing of a Business Combination at the election of the holder; and
     
    ·     a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting 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.

 

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    The Extension Amendment Proposal is required for the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date that we have to complete our Business Combination. The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow the Company more time to complete the Business Combination. Approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal is a condition to the implementation of the Extension.
     
    If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, we will, pursuant to the Trust Agreement, remove the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account, deliver to the holders of redeemed public shares their portion of the Withdrawal Amount and retain the remainder of the funds in the Trust Account for our use in connection with consummating a Business Combination on or before the Extended Date.
     
    If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved and the Extension is implemented, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account following the Election. We cannot predict the amount that will remain in the Trust Account if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved. In such event, we may need to obtain additional funds to complete the Business Combination, and there can be no assurance that such funds will be available on terms acceptable to the parties or at all.
     
    If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated the Business Combination by May 8, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.
     
    There will be no distribution from the Trust Account with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up. In the event of a liquidation, the Sponsor, our officers and directors and EarlyBirdCapital will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the Founder Shares and Representative Shares, respectively.

 

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Why is the Company proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal?   Initially, our charter provided for the return of our IPO proceeds held in trust to the holders of shares of Class A common stock sold in our IPO if there is no qualifying Business Combination consummated on or before November 8, 2022. On October 27, 2022, we held a special meeting in lieu of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders and obtained stockholder approval of the extension of the date by which we must consummate a Business Combination from November 8, 2022 to May 8, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by the Board (the “First Extension”). As explained below, we will not be able to complete the Business Combination by that date and therefore, we are asking for an extension of this timeframe.
     
    The purpose of the Extension Amendment Proposal is to allow us additional time to complete the Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate the Business Combination, given all the actions that must occur prior to May 8, 2023.
     
    The purpose of the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is to allow the holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to the Business Combination and give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following any stockholder redemptions, which our Board believes is in the best interest of our stockholders.
     
    The Company believes that given its expenditure of time, effort and money on finding a Business Combination, circumstances warrant providing public stockholders an opportunity to consider the Business Combination. Accordingly, the Board is proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal to extend our corporate existence until the Extended Date.
     
    You are not being asked to vote on the Business Combination at this time. If the Extension is implemented and you do not elect to redeem your public shares, provided that you are a stockholder on the record date for a meeting to consider the Business Combination, you will retain the right to vote on the Business Combination when it is submitted to stockholders and the right to redeem your public shares for cash in the event the Business Combination is approved and completed or we have not consummated a Business Combination by the Extended Date.
     
Why should I vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal?   Our Board believes stockholders should have an opportunity to evaluate the Business Combination. Accordingly, the Board is proposing the Extension Amendment Proposal to extend our corporate existence until the Extended Date. The Extension would give the Company the opportunity to complete the Business Combination.
     
    Our charter provides that if our stockholders approve an amendment to our charter that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our Business Combination before the Termination Date, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. We believe that this charter provision was included to protect our stockholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable Business Combination in the timeframe contemplated by our charter.
     
    Our Board recommends that you vote in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

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Why should I vote “FOR” the Founder Share Amendment Proposal?   Our Board believes stockholders will benefit from the Founder Share Amendment, which will allow the holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to the Business Combination and give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following any stockholder redemptions.
     
Why should I vote “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal?   If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by our stockholders, our Board may not be able to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal.
     
What amount will holders receive upon consummation of a subsequent Business Combination or liquidation if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved?  

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved and the Board decides to implement the Extension, the Sponsor or its designees have agreed to contribute to us loans (the “Extension Loans”) in an amount equal to the lesser of (a) an aggregate of $32,327.52 or (b) $0.04 per public share that remains outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting for each calendar month (commencing on May 8, 2023 and on the 8th day of each subsequent month) until the Extended Date (each, an “Extension Period”), or portion thereof, that is needed to complete an initial Business Combination, for up to an aggregate of $193,965.12. Each Extension Loan will be deposited in the trust account within five (5) business days from the beginning of such calendar month (or portion thereof). Accordingly, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation will depend the length of the extension period that will be needed to complete the Business Combination. If no public shares are redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting and we need the full amount of time, until November 8, 2023, to complete our Business Combination, then the Sponsor or its designees would make aggregate contributions of $193,965.12. In such case, the amount deposited per share for such six-month period will be approximately $0.24 per share, resulting in a total redemption amount of approximately $10.53 per share in comparison to the current redemption amount of $10.29 per share (plus any applicable interest accrued).

     
    Any Extension Loan is conditioned upon the implementation of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal. No Extension Loan will occur if either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved or if the Extension is not implemented. The amount of each Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor or its designees upon consummation of the Business Combination. We will have the sole discretion whether to continue extending for additional calendar months until the Extended Date. If we opt not to utilize any remaining portion of the Extension, then we will liquidate and dissolve promptly in accordance with our charter, and the Sponsor’s obligation to make additional contributions will terminate.
     
When would the Board abandon the Extension?   Our Board will abandon the Extension if our stockholders do not approve the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal. In addition, notwithstanding stockholder approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not implement the Extension at any time without any further action by our stockholders.

 

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How do the Company insiders intend to vote their shares?   All of our directors, executive officers and their respective affiliates are expected to vote any common stock over which they have voting control (including any public shares owned by them) in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal. Currently, the Sponsor and our officers and directors own approximately 81.8% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock, including 4,312,500 Founder Shares. The Sponsor and our directors, executive officers and their affiliates do not intend to purchase shares of common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions in connection with the stockholder vote on the Extension Amendment.
     
What vote is required to adopt the proposals?   The approval of each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal will require the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock on the record date, including the Founder Shares.
     
    The approval of the Adjournment Proposal will require the affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast by stockholders represented in person or by proxy.
     
What if I don’t want to vote “FOR” the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal?   If you do not want the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal to be approved, you must abstain, not vote, or vote “AGAINST” each proposal. You will be entitled to redeem your public shares for cash in connection with this vote whether or not you vote on any of the proposals so long as you elect to redeem your public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds available in the Trust Account in connection with the vote. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, and the Extension is implemented, then the Withdrawal Amount will be withdrawn from the Trust Account and paid to the redeeming holders.
     
Is the Company subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940?   The Company completed its IPO in February 2021. As a blank check company, the efforts of the Company’s board of directors and management have been focused on searching for a target business with which to consummate a Business Combination since the completion of its IPO (for approximately the past 25 months).
     
    On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”) relating, among other matters, to the circumstances in which special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) such as us could potentially be subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and the regulations thereunder. The SPAC Rule Proposals would provide a safe harbor for such companies from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that a SPAC satisfies certain criteria. To comply with the duration limitation of the proposed safe harbor, a SPAC would have a limited time period to announce and complete a de-SPAC transaction. Specifically, to comply with the safe harbor, the SPAC Rule Proposals would require a company to file a report on Form 8-K announcing that it has entered into an agreement with a target company for an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of its registration statement for its initial public offering (“IPO Registration Statement”). The company would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement.

 

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    There is currently uncertainty concerning the applicability of the Investment Company Act to a SPAC, including a company like ours, that has not entered into a definitive agreement within 18 months after the effective date of its IPO Registration Statement or that does not complete its initial business combination within 24 months after such date. We did not enter into a definitive business combination agreement within 18 months after the effective date of our IPO Registration Statement, and we did not complete our Business Combination within 24 months of such date. As a result, it is possible that a claim could be made that we have been operating as an unregistered investment company. If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we might be forced to abandon our efforts to complete a Business Combination and instead be required to liquidate the Company. If we are required to liquidate the Company, our investors would not be able to realize the benefits of owning stock in a successor operating business, including the potential appreciation in the value of our stock and warrants following such a transaction, and our warrants would expire worthless.
     
    The funds in the Trust Account had, since our IPO until recently, been held only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. However, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), we instructed, on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of our IPO Registration Statement (or February 8, 2023), Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account until the earlier of consummation of our Business Combination or liquidation.
     
What happens if either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved?  

Our Board will abandon the Extension if our stockholders do not approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal.

 

If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated a Business Combination by May 8, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of 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.
     
    In the event of a liquidation, the Sponsor, our officers and directors and EarlyBirdCapital will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the Founder Shares and Representative Shares, respectively.

 

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If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, what happens next?   We are seeking the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal to provide us additional time to complete a Business Combination. Our seeking to complete the Business Combination will involve:
     
    ·     negotiating and executing a definitive agreement and related agreements;
     
    ·     completing proxy materials;
     
    ·   establishing a meeting date and record date for considering the Business Combination, and distributing proxy materials to stockholders; and
     
    ·     holding a special meeting of stockholders to vote on the Business Combination.
     
    We are seeking approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal because we will not be able to complete all of the tasks listed above prior to May 8, 2023. If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, we expect to seek stockholder approval of the Business Combination as soon as practicable. If stockholders approve the Business Combination, we expect to consummate the Business Combination as soon as possible following such stockholder approval.
     
    Upon approval of both proposals by holders of a majority of the shares of the common stock outstanding as of the record date, we will file an amendment to our charter with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in the form set forth in Annex A hereto. We will remain a reporting company under the Exchange Act and our units, Class A common stock and public warrants will remain publicly traded.
     
    If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account will reduce the amount remaining in the Trust Account and increase the percentage interest of our Class B common stock held by the Sponsor and our directors and our officers as a result of their ownership of the Founder Shares.
     
    Notwithstanding stockholder approval of both proposals, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not implement the Extension at any time without any further action by our stockholders.
     
What happens to the Company warrants if the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved?   If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated the Business Combination by May 8, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. There will be no distribution from the Trust Account with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless in the event of our winding up.
     
What happens to the Company’s warrants if the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved?   If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, we will retain the blank check company restrictions previously applicable to us and continue to attempt to consummate a Business Combination until the Extended Date. The public warrants will remain outstanding and only become exercisable 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, provided that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or we permit holders to exercise warrants on a cashless basis).

 

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Would I still be able to exercise my redemption rights if I vote “AGAINST” the Business Combination?   Unless you elect to redeem your public shares at this time, you will be able to vote on the Business Combination when it is submitted to stockholders if you are a stockholder on the record date for a meeting to seek stockholder approval of the Business Combination. If you disagree with the Business Combination, you will retain your right to redeem your public shares upon consummation of the Business Combination in connection with the stockholder vote to approve the Business Combination, subject to any limitations set forth in our charter.
     
How do I attend the meeting?   You will need your control number for access. If you do not have your control number, contact Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company at the phone number or e-mail address below. Beneficial owners who hold shares through a bank, broker or other intermediary, will need to contact them and obtain a legal proxy. Once you have your legal proxy, contact Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company to have a control number generated. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company contact information is as follows: 917-262-2373, or email proxy@continentalstock.com.
     
How do I change or revoke my vote?   If you have submitted a proxy to vote your shares and wish to change your vote or revoke your proxy, you may do so by delivering a later-dated, signed proxy card prior to the Special Meeting to Morrow Sodali LLC, our proxy solicitor, at 333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower, Stamford, CT 06902, Toll-Free (800) 662-5200 or (203) 658-9400, Email: PGRW.info@investor.morrowsodali.com. You may also do so by attending the Special Meeting online and voting.
     
    Please note, however, that if on the record date, your shares were held not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, custodian bank, or other nominee, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by that organization. If your shares are held in street name, and you wish to attend the Special Meeting and vote at the Special Meeting online, you must follow the instructions included with the enclosed proxy card.
     
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. Each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal must be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares as of the record date of our common stock, including the Founder Shares. Accordingly, a stockholder’s failure to vote by proxy or to vote online at the Special Meeting or an abstention with respect to either proposal will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” such proposal.
     
    The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast by stockholders represented in person or by proxy. Accordingly, a stockholder’s failure to vote by proxy or to vote online at the Special Meeting will not be counted towards the number of shares of common stock required to validly establish a quorum, and if a valid quorum is otherwise established, it will have no effect on the outcome of any vote on the Adjournment Proposal.
     
    Abstentions will be counted in connection with the determination of whether a valid quorum is established but will have no effect on the outcome of the Adjournment Proposal.

 

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If my shares are held in “street name,” will my broker automatically vote them for me?   No. Under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, your broker, bank, or nominee cannot vote your shares with respect to non-discretionary matters unless you provide instructions on how to vote in accordance with the information and procedures provided to you by your broker, bank, or nominee. We believe all the proposals presented to the stockholders will be considered non-discretionary and therefore your broker, bank, or nominee cannot vote your shares without your instruction. Your bank, broker, or other nominee can vote your shares only if you provide instructions on how to vote. You should instruct your broker to vote your shares in accordance with directions you provide. If your shares are held by your broker as your nominee, which we refer to as being held in “street name”, you may need to obtain a proxy form from the institution that holds your shares and follow the instructions included on that form regarding how to instruct your broker to vote your shares.
     
What is a quorum requirement?   A quorum of stockholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. Holders of a majority in voting power of our common stock on the record date issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, constitute a quorum.
     
    Your shares will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy (or one is submitted on your behalf by your broker, bank or other nominee) or if you vote online at the Special Meeting. Abstentions will be counted towards the quorum requirement. In the absence of a quorum, the chairman of the meeting has power to adjourn the Special Meeting. As of the record date for the Special Meeting, 2,635,345 shares of our common stock would be required to achieve a quorum.
     
Who can vote at the Special Meeting?   Only holders of record of our common stock at the close of business on March 27, 2023 are entitled to have their vote counted at the Special Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. On the record date, 958,188 shares of Class A common stock and 4,312,500 shares of Class B common stock were outstanding and entitled to vote.
     
    Stockholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name.   If on the record date your shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, then you are a stockholder of record. As a stockholder of record, you may vote online at the Special Meeting or vote by proxy. Whether or not you plan to attend the Special Meeting online, we urge you to fill out and return the enclosed proxy card to ensure your vote is counted.
     
    Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of a Broker or Bank.   If on the record date your shares were held, not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by that organization. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent on how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Special Meeting. However, since you are not the stockholder of record, you may not vote your shares online at the Special Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.

 

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Does the Board recommend voting for the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Founder Share Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal?   Yes. After careful consideration of the terms and conditions of these proposals, our Board has determined that the Extension Amendment, the Founder Share Amendment Proposal and, if presented, the Adjournment Proposal are in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Board recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” each of the proposals.
     
What interests do the Company’s Sponsor, directors and officers have in the approval of the proposals?   The Sponsor, directors and officers have interests in the proposals that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a stockholder. These interests include ownership of (i) 4,312,500 shares of our Class B common stock (purchased for $25,000) and 4,650,000 Private Placement Warrants (purchased for $4,650,000), which would expire worthless if a Business Combination is not consummated, (ii) promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $495,000 issued by the Sponsor in connection with our ongoing working capital needs, the entire amount of which is drawn down, and (iii) a promissory note in the principal amount of $850,000, $201,000 of which was drawn down as of December 31, 2022. See the section entitled “The Extension Amendment Proposal — Interests of the Sponsor and our Directors and Officers”.
     
Do I have appraisal rights if I object to the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal?   Our stockholders do not have appraisal rights in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal under the DGCL.
     
What do I need to do now?   We urge you to read carefully and consider the information contained in this Proxy Statement, including the annex, and to consider how the proposals will affect you as our stockholder. You should then vote as soon as possible in accordance with the instructions provided in this Proxy Statement and on the enclosed proxy card.
     
How do I vote?   If you are a holder of record of our common stock, you may vote online at the Special Meeting or by submitting a proxy for the Special Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the Special Meeting online, we urge you to vote by proxy to ensure your vote is counted. You may submit your proxy by completing, signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card in the accompanying pre-addressed postage paid envelope. You may still attend the Special Meeting and vote online if you have already voted by proxy.
     
    If your shares of our common stock are held in “street name” by a broker or other agent, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent on how to vote the shares in your account. You are also invited to attend the Special Meeting. However, since you are not the stockholder of record, you may not vote your shares online at the Special Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.
     
How do I redeem my shares of Class A common stock?   If the Extension is implemented, each of our public stockholders may seek to redeem all or a portion of its public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. You will also be able to redeem your public shares in connection with any stockholder vote to approve a proposed Business Combination, or if we have not consummated a Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

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    In order to exercise your redemption rights, you must, prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on April 13, 2023 (two business days before the Special Meeting) tender your shares physically or electronically and submit a request in writing that we redeem your public shares for cash to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, our transfer agent, at the following address:
     
    Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street Plaza, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Mark Zimkind
E-mail: mzimkind@continentalstock.com
     
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 shares.
     
Who is paying for this proxy solicitation?   We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies from our working capital. We have engaged Morrow Sodali to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Special Meeting. We have agreed to pay Morrow Sodali its customary fee in connection with such services in connection with the Special Meeting. We will also reimburse Morrow Sodali for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify Morrow Sodali and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses. In addition to these mailed proxy materials, our directors and officers may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other means of communication. These parties will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks and other agents for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners. While the payment of these expenses will reduce the cash available to us to consummate a Business Combination if the Extension is implemented, we do not expect such payments to have a material effect on our ability to consummate a Business Combination.
     
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 our proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali, at (800) 662-5200 (toll free) or by email at PGRW.info@investor.morrowsodali.com.
     
    You may also contact us at:
Progress Acquisition Corp.
10 Winthrop Square Penthouse
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
E-mail: contact@progressacquisition.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”.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Some of the statements contained in this proxy statement constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, any Business Combination, our capital resources and results of operations. Likewise, our financial statements and all of our statements regarding market conditions and results of operations are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of terminology such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words or phrases.

 

The forward-looking statements contained in this proxy statement reflect our current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause its actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. We do not guarantee that the transactions and events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements:

 

our ability to enter into a definitive agreement and related agreements in connection with a Business Combination;

 

our ability to complete the Business Combination;

 

the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination;

 

the volatility of the market price and liquidity of our securities;

 

the use of funds not held in the trust account;

 

the competitive environment in which our successor will operate following the Business Combination; and

 

proposed changes in SEC rules related to special purpose acquisition companies.

 

While forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this proxy statement, except as required by applicable law. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause our future results, performance or transactions to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, please see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our final prospectus dated February 8, 2021, as filed with the SEC on February 10, 2021, our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on [●], 2023, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 22, 2022 and in other reports we file with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to us (or to third parties making the forward-looking statements).

 

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RISK FACTORS

 

You should consider carefully all of the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on [●], 2023, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 22, 2022 and in the other reports we file with the SEC before making a decision to invest in our securities. Furthermore, if any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected or we could face liquidation. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described in the aforementioned filings and below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results or result in our liquidation.

 

There are no assurances that the Extension will enable us to complete a Business Combination.

 

Implementing the Extension involves a number of risks. Even if the Extension is 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 implemented, the Company expects to seek stockholder approval of the Business Combination. We are required to offer stockholders the opportunity to redeem shares in connection with the Extension Amendment, and we will be required to offer stockholders redemption rights again in connection with any stockholder vote to approve the Business Combination. Even if the Extension or the Business Combination are approved by our stockholders, it is possible that redemptions will leave us with insufficient cash to consummate a 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 stockholders 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 stockholders will be able to dispose of our shares at favorable prices, or at all.

 

The SEC has recently issued proposed rules to regulate special purpose acquisition companies. Certain of the procedures that we, a potential Business Combination target, or others may determine to undertake in connection with such proposals may increase our costs and the time needed to complete our Business Combination and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete a Business Combination.

 

On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”) relating, among other items, to disclosures in SEC filings in connection with business combination transactions between special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) such as us and private operating companies; the financial statement requirements applicable to transactions involving shell companies; the use of projections in SEC filings in connection with proposed business combination transactions; the potential liability of certain participants in proposed business combination transactions; and the extent to which SPACs could become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), including a proposed rule that would provide SPACs a safe harbor from treatment as an investment company if they satisfy certain conditions that limit a SPAC’s duration, asset composition, business purpose and activities. The SPAC Rule Proposals have not yet been adopted and may be adopted in the proposed form or in a different form that could impose additional regulatory requirements on SPACs. Certain of the procedures that we, a potential Business Combination target, or others may determine to undertake in connection with the SPAC Rule Proposals, or pursuant to the SEC’s views expressed in the SPAC Rule Proposals, may increase the costs of negotiating and completing a Business Combination and the time required to consummate a transaction, and may constrain the circumstances under which we could complete a Business Combination.

 

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If we were deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may be forced to abandon our efforts to complete a Business Combination and instead be required to liquidate the Company. To avoid that result, on or shortly prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement (or February 8, 2023), we liquidated the securities held in the Trust Account and instead held funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account.

 

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

  

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

 

The funds in the Trust Account had, since our IPO until recently, been held only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. However, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement (or February 8, 2023), we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account until the earlier of consummation of our Business Combination or liquidation.

 

We may not be able to complete a Business Combination with certain potential target companies if a proposed transaction with the target company may be subject to review or approval by regulatory authorities pursuant to certain U.S. or foreign laws or regulations.

 

Certain acquisitions or business combinations 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 a Business Combination to be consummated with us, we may not be able to consummate a business combination with such target.

 

Among other things, the U.S. Federal Communications Act prohibits foreign individuals, governments, and corporations from owning more 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.

 

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Outside the United States, laws or regulations may affect our ability to consummate a Business Combination with potential target companies incorporated or having business operations in jurisdiction where national security considerations, involvement in regulated industries (including telecommunications), or in businesses relating to 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.

 

As a result of these various restrictions, the pool of potential targets with which we could complete a Business Combination may be limited and we may be adversely affected in terms of competing with other SPACs which do not have similar ownership issues. Moreover, the process of government review, could be lengthy. Because we have only a limited time to complete our Business Combination, our failure to obtain any required approvals within the requisite time period may require us to liquidate. If we liquidate, holders of our public shares may only receive proceeds in the Trust Account available to them, 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.

 

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

 

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly-traded domestic (i.e., U.S.) corporations and certain domestic subsidiaries of publicly-traded foreign corporations occurring on or after January 1, 2023. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out, and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax. On December 27, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued a notice of its intention to issue proposed regulations providing additional guidance with respect to the excise tax. The notice states that the excise tax does not apply to repurchases that occur in the taxable year in which the publicly traded corporation liquidates and dissolves.

 

As described under “The Extension Amendment Proposal — Redemption Rights,” if the deadline for us to complete a Business Combination (currently May 8, 2023) is extended, our public shareholders will have the right to require us to redeem their public shares. Any redemption or other repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022, in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent we would be subject to the excise tax in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with a Business Combination, extension or otherwise, (ii) the structure of the Business Combination, (iii) any redemptions or repurchases within the same taxable year as the Business Combination, (iv) if we do consummate a Business Combination, whether it is consummated in the current year or a later year, (v) if we do not consummate the Business Combination, whether we liquidate and dissolve in the current year, and (vi) the content of regulations and other guidance from Treasury. The Company will not utilize any funds from the Trust Account to pay any such Excise Tax.

 

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BACKGROUND

 

We are a blank check company formed in Delaware on September 23, 2020, for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.

 

There are currently 958,188 shares of Class A common stock and 4,312,500 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding. In addition, we issued warrants to purchase 8,625,000 shares of Class A common stock as part of our IPO and warrants to purchase 4,650,000 shares of Class A common stock as part of the private placement that we consummated simultaneously with the consummation of our IPO. Each whole warrant entitles its holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of our Business Combination and expire five years after the completion of our Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants at a price of $0.01 per warrant, if the last sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $21.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period commencing at any time after the warrants become exercisable and ending three business days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. The private placement warrants, however, are non-redeemable so long as they are held by their initial purchasers or their permitted transferees.

  

Approximately $172.5 million from our IPO and the simultaneous sale of the Private Placement Warrants had been held in our Trust Account in the United States maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee, invested in U.S. “government securities”, within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, which we refer to as the “1940 Act”, with a maturity of 185 days or less or in any open ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by us meeting the conditions of Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act, until February 2023, at which time the trustee, at our instruction, liquidated such assets in the Trust Account. The trustee will hold all funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the proceeds in the Trust Account as described below.

 

On October 27, 2022, we held a special meeting in lieu of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders and obtained stockholder approval of the extension of the date by which we must consummate an initial Business Combination from November 8, 2022 to May 8, 2023, or such earlier date as determined by the Board (the “First Extension”). In connection with the First Extension, 16,441,812 public shares were redeemed.

 

You are not being asked to vote on the Business Combination at this time. If the Extension is implemented and you do not elect to redeem your public shares, provided that you are a stockholder on the record date for a meeting to consider the Business Combination, you will retain the right to vote on the Business Combination when it is submitted to stockholders and the right to redeem your public shares for cash in the event the Business Combination is approved and completed or we have not consummated a Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

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THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL AND THE FOUNDER SHARE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL

 

The Company is proposing to amend its charter to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate a Business Combination to the Extended Date. The Company is also proposing to amend its charter to provide holders of Class B common stock the right to convert any and all of their shares of Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis prior to the closing of a Business Combination at the election of the holder.

 

If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated the Business Combination by May 8, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.

 

A copy of the proposed amendment to our charter is attached to this Proxy Statement in Annex A.

 

Reasons for the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal

 

The Company’s charter provides that the Company has until May 8, 2023 to complete a Business Combination. The purpose of the Extension Amendment is to allow the Company more time to complete its Business Combination. The Company’s IPO prospectus and charter provide that the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of all outstanding shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class B common stock, is required to extend our corporate existence in connection with consummation of a Business Combination. Additionally, our IPO prospectus and charter provide for all public stockholders to have an opportunity to redeem their public shares in the case our corporate existence is extended as described above. Because we continue to believe that a Business Combination would be in the best interests of our stockholders, and because we will not be able to conclude a Business Combination within the permitted time period, the Board has determined to seek stockholder approval to extend the date by which we have to complete a Business Combination beyond May 8, 2023 to the Extended Date. We intend to hold another stockholder meeting prior to the Extended Date in order to seek stockholder approval of the Business Combination. We believe that the foregoing charter provision was included to protect stockholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if we failed to find a suitable Business Combination in the timeframe contemplated by our charter.

 

The purpose of the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is to allow the holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to the Business Combination. This proposal, if approved, will give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following the Extension.

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is Not Approved

 

Stockholder approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is required for the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our Business Combination. Therefore, our Board will abandon and not implement the Extension unless our stockholders approve both proposals.

 

If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved and we have not consummated the Business Combination by May 8, 2023, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.

 

There will be no distribution from the Trust Account with respect to the Company’s warrants which will expire worthless in the event we wind up. In the event of a liquidation, the Sponsor, our officers and directors and EarlyBirdCapital will not receive any monies held in the Trust Account as a result of their ownership of the Founder Shares and Representative Shares, respectively.

 

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If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal Are Approved

 

If both proposals are approved, the Company will file an amendment to our charter with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in the form set forth in Annex A hereto to extend the time it has to complete a Business Combination until the Extended Date. The Company will remain a reporting company under the Exchange Act and its units, Class A common stock and public warrants will remain publicly traded. The Company will then continue to work to consummate the Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

Notwithstanding stockholder approval of both proposals, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not implement the Extension at any time without any further action by our stockholders.

 

You are not being asked to vote on the Business Combination at this time. If the Extension is implemented and you do not elect to redeem your public shares, provided that you are a stockholder on the record date for a meeting to consider the Business Combination, you will retain the right to vote on the Business Combination when it is submitted to stockholders and the right to redeem your public shares for cash in the event the Business Combination is approved and completed or we have not consummated a Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, and the Extension is implemented, the removal of the Withdrawal Amount from the Trust Account in connection with the Election will reduce the amount held in the Trust Account. The Company cannot predict the amount that will remain in the Trust Account if both proposals are approved.

 

Redemption Rights

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved, and the Extension is implemented, each public stockholder may seek to redeem its public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Holders of public shares who do not elect to redeem their public shares in connection with the Extension will retain the right to redeem their public shares in connection with any stockholder vote to approve a proposed Business Combination, or if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

If the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved and the Board decides to implement the Extension, the Sponsor or its designees have agreed to contribute to us loans (the “Extension Loans”) in an amount equal to the lesser of (a) an aggregate of $32,327.52 or (b) $0.04 per public share that remains outstanding and is not redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting for each calendar month (commencing on May 8, 2023 and on the 8th day of each subsequent month) until the Extended Date (each, an “Extension Period”), or portion thereof, that is needed to complete an initial Business Combination, for up to an aggregate of $193,965.12. Each Extension Loan will be deposited in the trust account within five (5) business days from the beginning of such calendar month (or portion thereof). Accordingly, the redemption amount per share at the meeting for the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation will depend the length of the extension period that will be needed to complete the Business Combination. If no public shares are redeemed in connection with the Special Meeting and we need the full amount of time, until November 8, 2023, to complete our Business Combination, then the Sponsor or its designees would make aggregate contributions of $193,965.12. In such case, the amount deposited per share for such six-month period will be approximately $0.24 per share, resulting in a total redemption amount of approximately $10.53 per share in comparison to the current redemption amount of $10.29 per share (plus any applicable interest accrued).

 

Any Extension Loan is conditioned upon the implementation of the Extension. No Extension Loan will occur if either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved or if the Extension is not implemented. The amount of each Extension Loan will not bear interest and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor or its designees upon consummation of the Business Combination. We will have the sole discretion whether to continue extending for additional calendar months until the Extended Date. If we opt not to utilize any remaining portion of the Extension, then we will liquidate and dissolve promptly in accordance with our charter, and the Sponsor’s obligation to make additional contributions will terminate.

 

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TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS, YOU MUST SUBMIT A REQUEST IN WRITING THAT WE REDEEM YOUR PUBLIC SHARES FOR CASH TO CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY AT THE ADDRESS BELOW, AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ENSURE YOUR BANK OR BROKER COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED ELSEWHERE HEREIN, INCLUDING DELIVERING YOUR SHARES TO THE TRANSFER AGENT PRIOR TO THE VOTE ON THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL.

 

In connection with tendering your shares for redemption, prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on April 13, 2023 (two business days before the Special Meeting), you must elect either to physically tender your stock certificates to the transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 1 State Street Plaza, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attn: Mark Zimkind, mzimkind@continentalstock.com, or to deliver your shares to the transfer agent electronically using DTC’s DWAC system, which election would likely be determined based on the manner in which you hold your shares. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on April 13, 2023 (two business days before the Special Meeting) ensures that a redeeming holder’s election is irrevocable once the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal are approved. In furtherance of such irrevocable election, stockholders making the election will not be able to tender their shares after the vote at the Special Meeting.

 

Through the DWAC system, this electronic delivery process can be accomplished by the stockholder, 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 stockholder’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 stockholders 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 stockholders will have less time to make their investment decision than those stockholders that deliver their shares through the DWAC system. Stockholders 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 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on April 13, 2023 (two business days before the Special Meeting) will not be redeemed for cash held in the Trust Account on the redemption date. In the event that a public stockholder tenders its shares and decides prior to the vote at the Special Meeting that it does not want to redeem its shares, the stockholder may withdraw the tender. If you delivered your shares for redemption to the transfer agent and decide prior to the vote at the Special Meeting not to redeem your public shares, you may request that the transfer agent return the shares (physically or electronically). You may make such request by contacting the transfer agent at the address listed above. In the event that a public stockholder tenders shares and either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved, these shares will not be redeemed and the physical certificates representing these shares will be returned to the stockholder promptly following the determination that the Extension Amendment Proposal will not be approved. The Company anticipates that a public stockholder who tenders shares for redemption in connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal would receive payment of the redemption price for such shares soon after the completion of the Extension Amendment. The transfer agent will hold the certificates of public stockholders that make the election until such shares are redeemed for cash or returned to such stockholders.

 

If properly demanded, the Company will redeem each public share for a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Based upon the current amount in the Trust Account, the Company anticipates that the per-share price at which public shares will be redeemed from cash held in the Trust Account will be approximately $10.29 (plus any applicable interest accrued) at the time of the Special Meeting. The closing price of the Company’s Class A common stock on [●], 2023 was $[●].

 

If you exercise your redemption rights, you will be exchanging your shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for cash and will no longer own the shares. You will be entitled to receive cash for these shares only if you properly demand redemption and tender your stock certificate(s) to the Company’s transfer agent prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on April 13, 2023 (two business days before the Special Meeting). The Company anticipates that a public stockholder who tenders shares for redemption in connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal would receive payment of the redemption price for such shares soon after the completion of the Extension.

 

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UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS OF THE REDEMPTIONS

 

The following discussion is a summary of certain United States federal income tax considerations for holders of our Class A common stock with respect to the exercise of redemption rights in connection with the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal. This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which we refer to as the “Code”, the regulations promulgated by Treasury, current administrative interpretations and practices of the IRS, 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. This summary does not discuss all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their individual circumstances, such as investors subject to special tax rules (e.g., financial institutions or financial services entities, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension plans, S corporations, broker-dealers, dealers or traders in securities that elect mark-to-market treatment, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, trusts and estates, partnerships and their partners, and tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations)) and investors that will hold Class A common stock as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion,” “synthetic security,” “constructive ownership transaction,” “constructive sale,” or other integrated transaction for United States federal income tax purposes, investors subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Code, investors that are subject to the applicable financial statement accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code, persons who received their shares of our Class A common stock as compensation, governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof, “specified foreign corporations” (including “controlled foreign corporations”), “passive foreign investment companies,” corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, U.S. Holders (as defined below) that have a functional currency other than the United States dollar, U.S. expatriates or former long-term residents of the U.S., investors that actually or constructively own 5 percent or more of the Class A common stock of the Company (except as otherwise discussed below), and Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below, and except as otherwise discussed below), all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ materially from those summarized below. In addition, this summary does not discuss any state, local, or non-United States tax considerations, any non-income tax (such as gift or estate tax) considerations, alternative minimum tax or the Medicare tax. In addition, this summary is limited to investors that hold our Class A common stock as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the Code.

 

If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) holds our Class A common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our Class A common stock, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of a redemption.

 

WE URGE HOLDERS OF OUR CLASS A COMMON STOCK CONTEMPLATING EXERCISE OF THEIR REDEMPTION RIGHTS TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS CONCERNING THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND FOREIGN INCOME AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES THEREOF.

 

U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to U.S. Holders

 

This section is addressed to U.S. Holders of our Class A common stock that elect to have their Class A common stock of the Company redeemed for cash. For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner that so redeems its Class A common stock of the Company and is:

 

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

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.

 

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Redemption of Class A Common Stock

 

In the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock of the Company is redeemed, the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the Class A common stock under Section 302 of the Code. Whether the redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of Class A common stock generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A common stock (rather than as a distribution) if the redemption (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

 

In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also shares of our stock that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to stock owned directly, stock owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any stock the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of Class A common stock must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of the shares of our stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the shares of our stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed and the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of stock owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other stock. The redemption of the Class A common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if a U.S. Holder’s conversion results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.”

 

If none of the foregoing tests are satisfied, then the redemption will be treated as a distribution and the tax effects will be as described below under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to U.S. Holders — Taxation of Distributions.”

 

U.S. Holders of our Class A common stock considering exercising their redemption rights should consult their own tax advisors as to whether the redemption of their Class A common stock of the Company will be treated as a sale or as a distribution under the Code. Gain or Loss on a Redemption of Class A Common Stock Treated as a Sale

 

If the redemption qualifies as a sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of Class A common stock, a U.S. Holder must treat any gain or loss recognized as capital gain or loss. Any such capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights described herein with respect to our Class A common stock may have suspended the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. Generally, a U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount of cash received in such redemption (or, if the Class A common stock is held as part of a unit at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A common stock based upon the then fair market values of the Class A common stock and warrant included in the unit) and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A common stock so redeemed. Long-term capital gain realized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder generally will be taxable at a reduced rate. The deduction of capital losses is subject to limitations. U.S. Holders who hold different blocks of our Class A common stock (shares of our Class A common stock purchased or acquired on different dates or at different prices) should consult their tax advisors to determine how the above rules apply to them.

 

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Taxation of Distributions

 

If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A common stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution. In general, any distributions to U.S. Holders generally will constitute dividends for United States federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under United States federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the Class A common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on a Redemption of Class A Common Stock Treated as a Sale”. Dividends we pay to a U.S. Holder that is a taxable corporation generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. With certain exceptions (including, but not limited to, dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, dividends we pay to a non-corporate U.S. Holder generally will constitute “qualified dividends” that will be taxable at a reduced rate. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our Class A common stock described herein may prevent a U.S. Holder from satisfying the applicable holding period requirements with respect to the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income, as the case may be.

 

U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to Non-U.S. Holders

 

This section is addressed to Non-U.S. Holders of our Class A common stock that elect to have their Class A common stock of the Company redeemed for cash. For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner (other than a partnership) that so redeems its Class A common stock of the Company and is not a U.S. Holder.

 

Redemption of Class A Common Stock

 

The characterization for United States federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock generally will correspond to the United States federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock, as described under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to U.S. Holders”.

 

Non-U.S. Holders of our Class A common stock considering exercising their redemption rights should consult their own tax advisors as to whether the redemption of their Class A common stock of the Company will be treated as a sale or as a distribution under the Code.

 

Gain or Loss on a Redemption of Class A Common Stock Treated as a Sale

 

If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A common stock, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax in respect of gain recognized on a sale of its Class A common stock of the Company, unless:

 

the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the Non-U.S. Holder within the United States (and, under certain income tax treaties, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder), in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject to the same treatment as a U.S. Holder with respect to the redemption, and a corporate Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty);

 

the 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, in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to a 30% tax on the individual’s net capital gain for the year (including any gain realized in connection with a redemption); or

 

we are or have been a “U.S. real property holding corporation” for United States federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the Non-U.S. Holder held our Class A common stock, and, in the case where shares of our Class A common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market, the Non-U.S. Holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our Class A common stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period for the shares of our Class A common stock. We do not believe we are or have been a U.S. real property holding corporation.

 

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Taxation of Distributions

 

If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A common stock, the Non-U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a distribution. In general, any distributions we make to a Non-U.S. Holder of shares of our Class A common stock, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under United States federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such Non-U.S. Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate. Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Class A common stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of the Class A common stock, which will be treated as described under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations to Non-U.S. Holders — Gain or Loss on a Redemption of Class A Common Stock Treated as a Sale”. It is possible that because the applicable withholding agent may not be able to determine the proper characterization of a redemption of a Non-U.S. Holder’s our Class A common stock, the withholding agent might treat the redemption as a distribution subject to withholding tax. A Non-U.S. Holder may generally obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

 

Dividends we pay to a Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with such Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States generally will not be subject to United States withholding tax, provided such Non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements. Instead, such dividends generally will be subject to United States federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual or corporate rates applicable to U.S. Holders (subject to an exemption or reduction in such tax as may be provided by an applicable income tax treaty). If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, dividends that are effectively connected income may also be subject to a “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).

 

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

 

Dividend payments with respect to our Class A common stock and proceeds from the sale of our Class A common stock may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s United States federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.

 

Amounts treated as dividends that are paid to a Non-U.S. Holder are generally subject to reporting on IRS Form 1042-S even if the payments are exempt from withholding. A Non-U.S. Holder generally will eliminate any other 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.

 

FATCA Withholding Taxes

 

Provisions commonly referred to as “FATCA” impose withholding of 30% on payments of dividends (including amounts treated as dividends received pursuant to a redemption of stock) on our Class A common stock. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. Holder or an individual Non-U.S. Holder that timely provides the certifications required on a valid IRS Form W-9 or W-8, respectively. Holders potentially subject to withholding include “foreign financial institutions” (which is broadly defined for this purpose and in general includes investment vehicles) and certain other non-U.S. entities unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied, or an exemption applies (typically certified as to by the delivery of a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN-E). If FATCA withholding is imposed, a beneficial owner that is not a foreign financial institution generally will be entitled to a refund of any amounts withheld by filing a U.S. federal income tax return (which may entail significant administrative burden). Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the effects of FATCA on a redemption of our Class A common stock.

  

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 stockholder. 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.

 

23

 

 

THE SPECIAL MEETING

 

Overview

 

Date, Time and Place.    The Special Meeting of the Company’s stockholders will be held at [●] [a.m./p.m.] Eastern Time on April 17, 2023 as a virtual meeting. You will be able to attend, vote your shares and submit questions during the Special Meeting via a live webcast available at https://www.cstproxy.com/progressacquisition/[2023]. The Special Meeting will be held virtually over the internet by means of a live audio webcast. Only stockholders who own shares of our common stock as of the close of business on the record date will be entitled to attend the virtual meeting.

 

To register for the virtual meeting, please follow these instructions as applicable to the nature of your ownership of our common stock.

 

If your shares are registered in your name with our transfer agent and you wish to attend the online-only virtual meeting, go to https://www.cstproxy.com/progressacquisition/[2023], enter the control number you received on your proxy card and click on the “Click here” to preregister for the online meeting link at the top of the page. Just prior to the start of the meeting you will need to log back into the meeting site using your control number. Pre-registration is recommended but is not required in order to attend.

 

Beneficial stockholders who wish to attend the online-only virtual meeting must obtain a legal proxy by contacting their account representative at the bank, broker, or other nominee that holds their shares and e-mail a copy (a legible photograph is sufficient) of their legal proxy to proxy@continentalstock.com. Beneficial stockholders who e-mail a valid legal proxy will be issued a meeting control number that will allow them to register to attend and participate in the online-only meeting. After contacting our transfer agent, a beneficial holder will receive an e-mail prior to the meeting with a link and instructions for entering the virtual meeting. Beneficial stockholders should contact our transfer agent at least five business days prior to the meeting date.

 

Voting Power; Record Date. You will be entitled to vote or direct votes to be cast at the Special Meeting, if you owned the Company’s common stock at the close of business on March 27, 2023, the record date for the Special Meeting. You will have one vote per proposal for each share of the Company’s common stock you owned at that time. The Company’s warrants do not carry voting rights.

 

Votes Required. Approval of each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal will require the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the Company’s common stock outstanding on the record date, including the Founder Shares. If you do not vote or you abstain from voting on a proposal, your action will have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote. Broker non-votes will have the same effect as “AGAINST” votes.

 

At the close of business on the record date of the Special Meeting, there were 958,188 shares of Class A common stock and 4,312,500 shares of Class B common stock outstanding, each of which entitles its holder to cast one vote per proposal.

 

If you do not want the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal approved, you must abstain, not vote, or vote “AGAINST” each proposal. You will be entitled to redeem your public shares for cash in connection with this vote whether or not you vote on the Extension Amendment Proposal so long as you elect to redeem your public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds available in the Trust Account in connection with the Extension Amendment Proposal. The Company anticipates that a public stockholder who tenders shares for redemption in connection with the vote to approve the Extension Amendment Proposal would receive payment of the redemption price for such shares soon after the completion of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Proxies; Board Solicitation; Proxy Solicitor.    Your proxy is being solicited by the Board on the proposals being presented to stockholders at the Special Meeting. The Company has engaged Morrow Sodali to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Special Meeting. No recommendation is being made as to whether you should elect to redeem your public shares. Proxies may be solicited in person or by telephone. If you grant a proxy, you may still revoke your proxy and vote your shares online at the Special Meeting if you are a holder of record of the Company’s common stock. You may contact Morrow Sodali at (800) 662-5200 (toll free) or by email at PGRW.info@morrowsodali.com.

 

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Required Vote

 

The affirmative vote by holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock, including the Founder Shares, is required to approve each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal. If either the Extension Amendment Proposal or the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is not approved, the Extension Amendment will not be implemented and, if the Business Combination has not been consummated by May 8, 2023, the Company will be required by its charter to (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the outstanding public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including any interest not previously released to us (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholders and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. Stockholder approval of the Extension Amendment is required for the implementation of our Board’s plan to extend the date by which we must consummate our Business Combination. Therefore, our Board will abandon and not implement the Extension unless our stockholders approve the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal. Notwithstanding stockholder approval of both proposals, our Board will retain the right to abandon and not implement the Extension at any time without any further action by our stockholders.

 

The Sponsor and all of our directors, executive officers and their affiliates are expected to vote any Class B common stock owned by them in favor of the Extension Amendment Proposal. On the record date, the Sponsor and our directors and executive officers of the Company and their affiliates beneficially owned and were entitled to vote an aggregate of 4,312,500 Founder Shares, representing approximately 81.8% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock. The Sponsor and our directors, executive officers and their affiliates do not intend to purchase shares of common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions in connection with the stockholder vote on the Extension Amendment.

 

Interests of the Sponsor, Directors and Officers

 

When you consider the recommendation of our Board, you should keep in mind that the Sponsor, executive officers and members of our Board have interests that may be different from, or in addition to, your interests as a stockholder. These interests include, among other things:

 

the fact that the Sponsor holds 4,312,500 Founder Shares and 4,650,000 Private Placement Warrants, which would expire worthless if a Business Combination is not consummated;

 

the fact that the Sponsor holds promissory notes in the principal amount of $495,000 issued by the Company, the entire amount of which is drawn down;

 

the fact that Isos Sponsor III LLC, who is a member of the Sponsor and whose managing members are Michelle Wilson and George Barrios, our Co-Chief Executive Officers, holds a promissory note in the principal amount of $850,000 issued by the Company, $201,000 of which was drawn down as of December 31, 2022;

 

the fact that, unless the Company consummates the Business Combination, the Sponsor will not receive reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it on behalf of the Company to the extent that such expenses exceed the amount of available proceeds not deposited in the Trust Account;

 

the fact that, if the Trust Account is liquidated, including in the event we are unable to complete a Business Combination within the required time period, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify us to ensure that the proceeds in the Trust Account are not reduced below $10.00 per public share, or such lesser per public share amount as is in the Trust Account on the liquidation date, by the claims of prospective target businesses with which we have entered into an acquisition agreement or claims of any third party for services rendered or products sold to us, but only if such a third party or target business has not executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account; and

 

the fact that none of our officers or directors has received any cash compensation for services rendered to the Company.

 

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Potential Application of Investment Company Act

 

As previously indicated, the Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) in February 2021. As a blank check company, the efforts of the Company’s board of directors and management have been focused on searching for a target business with which to consummate a Business Combination since the completion of its IPO (for approximately the past 25 months).

 

On March 30, 2022, the SEC issued proposed rules (the “SPAC Rule Proposals”) relating, among other matters, to the circumstances in which special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) such as us could potentially be subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and the regulations thereunder. The SPAC Rule Proposals would provide a safe harbor for such companies from the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, provided that a SPAC satisfies certain criteria. To comply with the duration limitation of the proposed safe harbor, a SPAC would have a limited time period to announce and complete a de-SPAC transaction. Specifically, to comply with the safe harbor, the SPAC Rule Proposals would require a company to file a report on Form 8-K announcing that it has entered into an agreement with a target company for an initial business combination no later than 18 months after the effective date of its registration statement for its initial public offering (“IPO Registration Statement”). The company would then be required to complete its initial business combination no later than 24 months after the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement.

 

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

 

The funds in the Trust Account had, since our IPO until recently, been held only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. government treasury obligations and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. However, to mitigate the risk of us being deemed to have been operating as an unregistered investment company (including under the subjective test of Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement (or February 8, 2023), we instructed Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the trustee with respect to the Trust Account, to liquidate the U.S. government treasury obligations or money market funds held in the Trust Account and thereafter to hold all funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account until the earlier of consummation of our Business Combination or liquidation.

 

26

 

 

Recommendation

 

As discussed below, after careful consideration of all relevant factors, our Board has determined that each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Our Board has approved and declared advisable adoption of both proposals and recommends that you vote “FOR” each proposal.

 

Our charter provides that the Company has until May 8, 2023 to complete the purposes of the Company including, but not limited to, effecting a Business Combination under its terms.

 

Our charter states that if the Company’s stockholders approve an amendment to the Company’s charter that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to redeem 100% of the Company’s public shares if it does not complete a Business Combination before May 8, 2023, the Company will provide its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon such approval at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. We believe that this charter provision was included to protect the stockholders from having to sustain their investments for an unreasonably long period if the Company failed to find a suitable Business Combination in the timeframe contemplated by our charter.

 

In addition, the Company’s IPO prospectus and charter provide that the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of all outstanding shares of common stock, including the Founder Shares, is required to extend our corporate existence in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination. Because we continue to believe that a Business Combination would be in the best interests of our stockholders and because we will not be able to conclude a Business Combination within the permitted time period, the Board has determined to seek stockholder approval to extend the date by which we have to complete a Business Combination beyond May 8, 2023 to the Extended Date.

 

The purpose of the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is to allow holders of the Founder Shares to convert such shares at any point in time prior to the Business Combination. This proposal, if approved, will give the Company further flexibility to retain stockholders and meet Nasdaq continued listing requirements following the Extension.

 

The Company is not asking you to vote on the Business Combination at this time. If the Extension is implemented and you do not elect to redeem your public shares, you will retain the right to vote on the Business Combination in the future and the right to redeem your public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, in the event the Business Combination is approved and completed or the Company has not consummated another Business Combination by the Extended Date.

 

After careful consideration of all relevant factors, the Board determined that each of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

 

Recommendation of the Board

 

Our Board unanimously recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Founder Share Amendment Proposal.

 

27

 

 

THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL

 

Overview

 

The Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow our Board to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates to permit further solicitation of proxies. The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented to our stockholders in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal. In no event will our Board adjourn the Special Meeting beyond May 8, 2023.

 

Consequences if the Adjournment Proposal is Not Approved

 

If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by our stockholders, our Board may not be able to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal.

 

Vote Required for Approval

 

The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast by stockholders represented in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting. Accordingly, if a valid quorum is otherwise established, a stockholder’s failure to vote by proxy or online at the Special Meeting will have no effect on the outcome of any vote on the Adjournment Proposal. Abstentions will be counted in connection with the determination of whether a valid quorum is established but will have no effect on the outcome of the Adjournment Proposal.

 

Recommendation of the Board

 

Our Board unanimously recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Adjournment Proposal.

 

28

 

 

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

 

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of the Company’s common stock as of the record date based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of the Company’s common stock, by:

 

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;

 

each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns shares of common stock; and

 

all our officers and directors as a group.

 

As of the record date, there were 5,270,688 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, consisting of 958,188 shares of Class A common stock and 4,312,500 shares of Class B common stock. Unless otherwise indicated, all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them.

 

   Class A
Common Stock
   Class B
Common Stock
   Approximate 
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)  Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
   Approximate
Percentage of
Class
   Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(2)
   Approximate
Percentage of
Class
   Percentage of
Outstanding
Common
Stock
 
                     
Progress Capital I LLC(2)           4,312,500    100%   81.8%
Isos Sponsor III LLC(3)           2,156,250    50%   40.9%
David Arslanian(2)           4,312,500    100%   81.8%
Michelle Wilson(2)           4,312,500    100%   81.8%
George Barrios(2)           4,312,500    100%   81.8%
Winston Meade                    
Warren Schlichting(4)                    
Chris Kelly(4)                    
Rich Battista(4)                    
Luisa Ingargiola(4)                    
All directors and executive officers as a group (eight individuals)           4,312,500    100%   81.8%
                          
Other 5% Stockholders                         
Richard Gallagher(2)           4,312,500    100%   81.8%

 

 

(1)Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each of the individuals and Progress Capital I LLC is c/o Progress Acquisition Corp., 10 Winthrop Square Penthouse, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The business address of Isos Sponsor III LLC is 55 Post Road West, Suite 200, Westport, Connecticut 06880.
(2)Represents securities held by Progress Capital I LLC, the Sponsor, of which David Arslanian, Richard Gallagher, Michelle Wilson and George Barrios are managing members. Accordingly, all securities held by the Sponsor may ultimately be deemed to be beneficially held by David Arslanian, Richard Gallagher, Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.
(3)Represents securities indirectly held by Isos Sponsor III LLC, a member of the Sponsor, of which Michelle Wilson and George Barrios are managing members. Accordingly, all securities indirectly held by Isos Sponsor III LLC may ultimately be deemed to be beneficially held by Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.
(4)Does not include any securities held by Progress Capital I LLC, of which such person is a member or in which such person has an interest. Each such person disclaims beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of his or her ultimate pecuniary interest therein.

 

The table above does not include the shares of common stock underlying the Private Placement Warrants held or to be held by the Sponsor because these securities are not exercisable within 60 days of the record date for the Special Meeting.

 

29

 

 

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

 

For any proposal to be considered for inclusion in our Proxy Statement for submission to the stockholders at the Company’s next annual meeting of stockholders, it must be submitted in writing and comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act and our bylaws.

 

HOUSEHOLDING INFORMATION

 

Unless we have received contrary instructions, we may send a single copy of this Proxy Statement to any household at which two or more stockholders reside if we believe the stockholders 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 stockholders prefer to receive multiple sets of our disclosure documents at the same address this year or in future years, the stockholders should follow the instructions described below. Similarly, if an address is shared with another stockholder and together both of the stockholders would like to receive only a single set of our disclosure documents, the stockholders should follow these instructions:

 

If the shares are registered in the name of the stockholder, the stockholder should contact us at contact@progressacquisition.com to inform us of his or her request; or

 

If a bank, broker or other nominee holds the shares, the stockholder should contact the bank, broker or other nominee directly.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

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

 

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

 

Morrow Sodali LLC
333 Ludlow Street, 5th Floor, South Tower
Stamford, CT 06902
Toll Free: (800) 662-5200 or (203) 658-9400
Email: PGRW.info@investor.morrowsodali.com

 

You may also obtain these documents by requesting them via e-mail from the Company at contact@progressacquisition.com.

 

If you are a stockholder of the Company and would like to request documents, please do so by April 13, 2023, in order to receive them before the Special Meeting. If you request any documents from us, we will mail them to you by first class mail, or another equally prompt means.

 

30

 

 

ANNEX A

 

PROPOSED SECOND AMENDMENT
TO THE
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.

Pursuant to Section 242 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law

 

PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.    (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, does hereby certify as follows:

 

1.The name of the Corporation is Progress Acquisition Corp. The Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation was filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 23, 2020. An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February 8, 2021 (as amended, the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”). Certificates of correction to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation were filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on March 12, 2021 and October 7, 2022. A First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 27, 2022.

 

2.This Second Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation amends the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

 

3.This Second Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).

 

4.The text of paragraph (B) of Article Fourth is hereby amended and restated to read in full as follows:

 

B. Common Stock. Except as otherwise required by law or as otherwise provided in any Preferred Stock Designation, the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power and each share of Common Stock shall have one vote. The holders of shares of Common Stock shall not have cumulative voting rights. Shares of Class B Common Stock shall be convertible into shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis (i) at any time at the option of the holder thereof and (ii) automatically concurrently with or immediately following the consummation of a Business Combination (as defined below).

 

5.The text of paragraph (F) of Article Sixth is hereby amended and restated to read in full as follows:

 

F. In the event that the Corporation does not consummate a Business Combination by November 8, 2023 or such earlier date as determined by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (or, if the Office of the Delaware Division of Corporations shall not be open for business (including filing of corporate documents) for a full business day on such date, the next date upon which the Office of the Delaware Division of Corporations shall be open for business for a full business day) (or such later date pursuant to the extension set forth under this paragraph, the “Termination Date”), the Corporation shall (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the IPO Shares for cash for a redemption price per share equal to the amount then held in the Trust Account, less any interest for any income or other taxes payable, divided by the total number of IPO Shares then outstanding (which redemption will completely extinguish such holders’ rights as stockholders, including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to approval of the Corporation’s then stockholders and subject to the requirements of the DGCL, including the adoption of a resolution by the Board pursuant to Section 275(a) of the DGCL finding the dissolution of the Corporation advisable and the provision of such notices as are required by said Section 275(a) of the DGCL, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above) to the Corporation’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.

 

Annex A-1

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Progress Acquisition Corp. has caused this Second Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate to be duly executed in its name and on its behalf by an authorized officer as of this            day of             , 2023.

 

  PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.

 

  By:  
  Name:  Michelle Wilson
  Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer

 

Annex A-2

 

 

PROGRESS ACQUISITION CORP.

THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

The undersigned, revoking any previous proxies relating to these shares with respect to the Extension Amendment Proposal, the Founder Share Amendment Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal hereby acknowledges receipt of the notice and Proxy Statement, dated [●], 2023, in connection with the special meeting of stockholders (“Special Meeting”) to be held at [●] [a.m./p.m.] Eastern Time on April 17, 2023 as a virtual meeting for the sole purpose of considering and voting upon the following proposals, and hereby appoints George Barrios, Michelle Wilson and Winston Meade, and each of them (with full power to act alone), the attorneys and proxies of the undersigned, with power of substitution to each, to vote all shares of the common stock of the Company registered in the name provided, which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Special Meeting and at any adjournments thereof, with all the powers the undersigned would have if personally present. Without limiting the general authorization hereby given, said proxy is instructed to vote or act as follows on the proposals set forth in this Proxy Statement.

 

THIS PROXY, WHEN EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” EACH OF PROPOSAL 1, PROPOSAL 2 AND PROPOSAL 3 CONSTITUTING THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL, THE FOUNDER SHARE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL AND THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL.

 

PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD PROMPTLY.

 

(Continued and to be marked, dated and signed on reverse side)
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the
Special Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 17, 2023:

This notice of meeting and the accompanying Proxy Statement are available at
https://www.cstproxy.com/progressacquisition/[2023].

 

  THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” EACH OF PROPOSAL 1, PROPOSAL 2AND PROPOSAL 3.   Please mark ☒
votes as
indicated in
this example

 

  Proposal 1 — Extension Amendment Proposal FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN  
           
  Amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate a Business Combination from May 8, 2023 to November 8, 2023 or such earlier date as determined by the board of directors.  
           
  Proposal 2 — Founder Share Amendment Proposal FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN  
           
  Amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation to provide holders of shares of Class B common stock the right to convert any and all of their shares of Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis prior to the closing of a Business Combination at the election of the holder.  
           
  Proposal 3 — Adjournment Proposal FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN  
           
  Adjourn the Special Meeting 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 Proposal 1 or Proposal 2.  

 

Date: _________________, 2023

 

Signature

 

Signature (if held jointly)

 

Signature should agree with name printed hereon. If stock is held in the name of more than one person, EACH joint owner should sign. Executors, administrators, trustees, guardians and attorneys should indicate the capacity in which they sign. Attorneys should submit powers of attorney.

 

PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY IN THE ENVELOPE ENCLOSED TO CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY. THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE ABOVESIGNED STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” EACH OF PROPOSAL 1, PROPOSAL 2 AND PROPOSAL 3. THIS PROXY WILL REVOKE ALL PRIOR PROXIES SIGNED BY YOU.