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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023

 

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ______________ to ______________

 

Commission File Number 001-39983

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Cayman Islands   98-1567976
(State or other jurisdiction of   (IRS Employer
incorporation or organization)   Identification No.)

 

2 Rousseau Street

San Francisco, California

  

 

94112
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(415) 404-6356

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Not applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one-half of one redeemable warrant   KRNLU   The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC
         
Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units   KRNL   The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC
         
Redeemable warrants included as part of the units   KRNLW   The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

 

Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
  Emerging growth company ☒

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☒ No ☐

 

As of November 13, 2023, there were 6,315,949 of the registrant’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 7,618,750 of the registrant’s Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding.

 

 

 

 

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

    Page
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION  
Item 1. Financial Statements 2
  Condensed Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023 (unaudited) and December 31, 2022 2
  Unaudited Condensed Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 3
  Unaudited Condensed Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 4
  Unaudited Condensed Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 6
  Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements 7
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 28
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 39
Item 4. Controls and Procedures 39
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION  
Item 1. Legal Proceedings 40
Item 1A. Risk Factors 40
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities, Use of Proceeds, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 40
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities 41
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 41
Item 5. Other Information 41
Item 6. Exhibits 41
PART III  
SIGNATURE 42

 

1

 

PART 1 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

 

    September 30, 2023     December 31, 2022  
      (Unaudited)        
Assets                
Current assets                
Cash   $ 804     $ 93,095  
Prepaid expenses     44,754       42,022  
Total current assets     45,558       135,117  
Cash and investments held in Trust Account     66,631,804       309,234,766  
Total Assets   $ 66,677,362     $ 309,369,883  
                 
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Deficit:                
Current liabilities:                
Accounts payable   $ 3,418,880     $ 848,420  
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     15,260       1,949,715  
Accrued expenses - related party     260,000       170,000  
Promissory note - related party     1,667,311       —  
Convertible promissory note     1,450,000       —  
Derivative liability - forward purchase agreement     6,261,728       —  
Total current liabilities     13,073,179       2,968,135  
Deferred underwriting commissions     —       10,666,250  
Warrant liabilities     1,439,250       174,354  
Total Liabilities     14,512,429       13,808,739  
                 
Commitments and Contingencies     -       -  
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, $0.0001 par value; 6,315,949 and 30,475,000 shares issued and outstanding at approximately $10.53 and $10.14 per share redemption value as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively     66,531,804       309,134,766  
                 
Shareholders’ Deficit:                
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022     —       —  
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; no non-redeemable shares issued or outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022     —       —  
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 7,618,750 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022     762       762  
Additional paid-in capital     —       —  
Accumulated deficit     (14,367,633 )     (13,574,384 )
Total Shareholders’ Deficit     (14,366,871 )     (13,573,622 )
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Deficit   $ 66,677,362     $ 309,369,883  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed financial statements.

 

2

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(UNAUDITED)

 

    September 30,
2023		     September 30,
2022		     September 30,
2023		     September 30,
2022		  
    For the Three Months Ended     For the Nine Months Ended  
    September 30,
2023		     September 30,
2022		     September 30,
2023		     September 30,
2022		  
General and administrative   $ 578,578     $ 249,489     $ 1,737,996     $ 783,395  
Administrative fees - related party     30,000       30,000       90,000       90,000  
Loss from operations     (608,578 )     (279,489 )     (1,827,996 )     (873,395 )
Other income (expense):                                
Unrealized (loss) gain from change in fair value of warrant liabilities     1,439,250       1,199,375       (1,264,896 )     11,753,875  
Income from investments held in Trust Account     562,902       1,378,065       1,522,366       1,838,466  
Gain on waiver of deferred underwriting commissions by underwriter allocated to Public Warrants     —       —       755,346       —  
Unrealized loss on fair value of derivative liabilities – forward purchase agreement     (788,496 )     —       (6,261,728 )     —  
Interest expense - amortization of debt discount     (416,701 )     —       (1,322,101 )     —  
Interest expense     (1,220 )     —       (4,880 )     —  
Net income (loss)   $ 187,157     $ 2,297,951     $ (8,403,889 )   $ 12,718,946  
                                 
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class A ordinary shares     11,608,672       30,475,000       12,316,438       30,475,000  
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share, Class A ordinary shares   $ 0.01     $ 0.06     $ (0.42 )   $ 0.33  
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class B ordinary shares     7,618,750       7,618,750       7,618,750       7,618,750  
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share, Class B ordinary shares   $ 0.01     $ 0.06     $ (0.42 )   $ 0.33  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed financial statements.

 

3

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

(UNAUDITED)

 

    Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     Capital     Deficit     Deficit  
THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
 
    Ordinary Shares     Additional           Total  
    Class A     Class B     Paid-in     Accumulated     Shareholders’  
    Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     Capital     Deficit     Deficit  
Balance at January 1, 2023     —     $        —       7,618,750     $ 762     $ —     $ (13,574,384 )   $ (13,573,622 )
Proceeds allocated to Share Rights of convertible promissory note - related party     —       —       —             —       546,809       —       546,809  
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount     —       —       —       —       (546,809 )     (1,012,654 )     (1,559,463 )
Net loss     —       —       —       —       —       (2,728,281 )     (2,728,281 )
Balance at March 31, 2023 (unaudited)     —     $ —       7,618,750     $ 762     $ —     $ (17,315,319 )   $ (17,314,557 )
Proceeds allocated to Share Rights of convertible promissory note - related party     —       —       —       —       775,292       —       775,292  
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount     —       —       —       —       (775,292 )     9,786,196       9,010,904  
Net loss     —       —       —       —       —       (5,862,765 )     (5,862,765 )
Balance at June 30, 2023 (unaudited)     —     $ —       7,618,750     $ 762     $ —     $ (13,391,888 )   $ (13,391,126 )
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount     —       —       —       —       —       (1,162,902 )     (1,162,902 )
Net income     —       —       —       —       —       187,157       187,157  
Balance at September 30, 2023 (unaudited)     —     $ —       7,618,750    

$

 762    

$

 —       (14,367,633 )     (14,366,871 )

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed financial statements.

 

4

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

(UNAUDITED)

 

THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
 
    Ordinary Shares     Additional           Total  
    Class A     Class B     Paid-in     Accumulated     Shareholders’  
    Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     Capital     Deficit     Deficit  
Balance at January 1, 2022     —     $       —       7,618,750     $ 762     $         —     $ (24,845,647 )   $ (24,844,885 )
Net income     —       —       —       —       —       6,124,381       6,124,381  
Balance at March 31, 2022 (unaudited)     —     $ —       7,618,750     $ 762     $ —     $ (18,721,266 )   $ (18,720,504 )
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount     —       —       —       —       —       (375,465 )     (375,465 )
Net income     —       —       —       —       —       4,296,614       4,296,614  
Balance at June 30, 2022 (unaudited)     —     $ —       7,618,750     $ 762     $ —     $ (14,800,117 )   $ (14,799,355 )
Remeasurement of Class A ordinary shares to redemption amount     —       —       —       —       —       (1,378,065 )     (1,378,065 )
Net income     —       —       —       —       —       2,297,951       2,297,951  
Balance at September 30, 2022 (unaudited)      —     $ —       7,618,750     $ 762     $ —     $ (13,880,231 )   $ (13,879,469 )

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed financial statements.

 

5

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

 

    For the Nine
Months Ended
September 30, 2023		     For the Nine
Months Ended
September 30, 2022		  
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:                
Net (loss) income   $ (8,403,889 )   $ 12,718,946  
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash used in operating activities:                
Income from investments held in Trust Account     (1,522,366 )     (1,838,466 )
Interest expense - amortization of debt discount     1,322,101       —  
Unrealized loss (gain) on the change in fair value of warrant liabilities     1,264,896       (11,753,875 )
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities – forward purchase agreement     6,261,728      

—

  
Gain on waiver of deferred underwriting commissions by underwriter     (755,346 )     —  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
Prepaid expenses     (2,731 )     285,464  
Accounts payable     2,570,460       4,033  
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     (1,934,455 )     187,681  
Accrued expenses - related party     90,000       103,852  
Net cash used in operating activities     (1,109,602 )     (292,365 )
                 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:                
Cash deposited into Trust Account     (2,100,000 )     —  
Proceeds from Trust Account for payment to redeeming shareholders     246,225,328       —  
Net cash provided by investing activities     244,125,328       —  
                 
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:                
Proceeds from promissory note - related party     1,667,311       —  
Proceeds from convertible promissory note     1,450,000       —  
Payment to redeeming shareholders     (246,225,328 )     —  
Offering costs paid     —       (70,000 )
Net cash used in financing activities     (243,108,017 )     (70,000 )
                 
Net Change in Cash     (92,291 )     (362,365 )
Cash - Beginning of the period     93,095       474,945  
Cash - End of the period   $ 804     $ 112,580  
                 
Non-cash investing and financing activities:                
Waiver of deferred underwriting commissions by underwriter   $ 9,910,904     $ —  

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed financial statements.

 

6

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES AND GOING CONCERN

 

Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on November 10, 2020. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses that the Company has not yet identified (“Business Combination”).

 

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity from November 10, 2020 through September 30, 2023 relates to the Company’s formation and the preparation of its initial public offering (“Initial Public Offering”), as described below, and since the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the search for a target for the Business Combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of dividend income, interest income or gains on investments held in a trust account (“Trust Account”) from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering.

 

The Company’s sponsor was Kernel Capital Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Original Sponsor”). The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 2, 2021. On February 5, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of 30,475,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), including 3,975,000 additional Units to cover the underwriters’ over-allotment (the “Over-Allotment Units”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of approximately $304.8 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $17.4 million, of which approximately $10.7 million was for deferred underwriting commissions. On May 24, 2023, the underwriters agreed to waive their rights to the fee payable by the Company for deferred underwriting commissions, with respect to any potential Business Combination of the Company (see Note 6).

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated a private placement (the “Private Placement”) of 8,750,000 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”), at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant with the Original Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.8 million, which is discussed in Note 4.

 

On December 28, 2022, the Company entered into a purchase agreement with the Original Sponsor, and VKSS Capital, LLC, a Delaware corporation (the “New Sponsor” or “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the New Sponsor, or an entity designated by the New Sponsor, will purchase from the Original Sponsor 7,618,750 Class B ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share and 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, each of which is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $1.00 payable at the time the Company effects the initial Business Combination. Upon the closing of the initial Business Combination, New Sponsor shall also convey 2,000,000 Class B ordinary shares to the equityholders of the Original Sponsor, as of December 28, 2022, pro rata based on the equityholders’ underlying interest in the Company’s Class B ordinary shares as of December 28, 2022 (see Note 4).

 

Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, approximately $304.8 million ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds of the Private Placement were placed in the Trust Account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Continental”) acting as trustee and has been invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”), as amended, having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.

 

7

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time the Company signs a definitive agreement in connection with the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target business or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

The Company will provide its holders of the Public Shares (the “Public Shareholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations). The per-share amount to be distributed to Public Shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters (as discussed in Note 6). These Public Shares will be recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” In such case, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and a majority of the shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. If a shareholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, a shareholder approval of the transactions is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Additionally, each Public Shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or whether they were a Public Shareholder on the record date for the general meeting held to approve the proposed transaction. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the holders of the Founder Shares (as defined in Note 4) prior to this Initial Public Offering (the “Initial Shareholders”) agreed to vote their Founder Shares and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of a Business Combination. In addition, the Initial Shareholders agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and Public Shares in connection with the completion of a Business Combination. In addition, the Company agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial Business Combination without the prior consent of the New Sponsor.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% or more of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.

 

The Company’s New Sponsor, officers and directors agreed not to propose an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow the redemption of its Public Shares in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within 30 months (including six month extension) from the closing of the Initial Public Offering, or February 5, 2024, (the “Combination Period”) or (B) with respect to any other provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless the Company provides the Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.

 

8

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

 

In connection with the redemption of 100% of the Company’s outstanding Public Shares for a portion of the funds held in the Trust Account, each holder will receive a full pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay the Company’s taxes payable (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses).

 

The Initial Shareholders agreed to waive their liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Initial Shareholders should acquire Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commissions (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Company’s Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the residual assets remaining available for distribution in the Trust Account will be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the Trust Account. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor agreed that it will be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have vendors, service providers (except the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account. There can be no guarantee that the Company will be successful in obtaining such waivers from its targeted vendors and service providers.

 

9

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Charter Amendment and Share Redemptions

 

In an extraordinary general meeting held on February 3, 2023, shareholders approved a charter amendment (the “February Charter Amendment”), changing the structure and cost of the Company’s right to extend the date by which the Company must (i) consummate a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses (a “business combination”), (ii) cease its operations if it fails to complete such business combination, and (iii) redeem or repurchase 100% of the Company’s Public Shares (the “Termination Date”), which was previously February 5, 2023 (the “August Charter Amendment Proposal”). The February Charter Amendment allowed the Company to extend the Termination Date by up to six (6) one-month extensions to August 5, 2023 (each, an “Extension,” and such later date, the “Extended Deadline”) provided that if any Extended Deadline ends on a day that is not a business day, such Extended Deadline will be automatically extended to the next succeeding business day. To effect each 1-month Extension, the Company, its Sponsor or any of their affiliates or designees must deposit into the Company’s Trust Account with Continental by the applicable Extended Deadline (the “Extension Payment”), the lesser of (x) $300,000 or (y) $0.06 per share for each of the Company’s publicly held shares outstanding as of the deadline prior to the extension (after giving effect to redemptions in connection with the approval of the February Charter Amendment by the Company’s shareholders with respect to the first such extension). In connection with the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the shareholders also approved a proposal to amend the Company’s trust agreement with Continental (the “Trust Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company’s Trust Agreement with Continental was amended to conform the procedures in the Trust Agreement by which the Company may extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if the Company has not completed its initial Business Combination to the procedures in the February Charter Amendment (the “Trust Amendment Proposal”). In connection with the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal and the Trust Amendment Proposal at the shareholders meeting, holders of 22,848,122 of the Company’s Public Shares exercised their right to redeem those shares for cash at an approximate price of $10.15 per share, for an aggregate of approximately $231.9 million. Following the payment of the redemptions, the Trust Account had a balance of approximately $74.7 million before the first Extension Payment.

 

The shareholders of the Company approved the Amendment to the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company (the “August Charter Amendment”) at the August 3, 2023 shareholders meeting, changing the structure and cost of the Company’s right to extend the Termination Date by up to six (6) one-month Extensions to February 5, 2024, provided that if any Extended Deadline ends on a day that is not a business day, such Extended Deadline will be automatically extended to the next succeeding business day (the “Second Extension Amendment Proposal”). To effect each Extension, the Company, its sponsor or any of their affiliates or designees must deposit into the Company’s Trust Account with Continental an Extension Payment (after giving effect to redemptions in connection with the approval of the August Extension Charter Amendment) the lesser of (x) $150,000 or (y) $0.04 per share for each of the Company’s Public Shares outstanding as of the applicable Extended Deadline, unless the closing of the Company’s initial business combination shall have occurred, in exchange for a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note payable upon consummation of a business combination. In connection with the approval of the Second Extension Amendment Proposal, the shareholders also approved a proposal to amend the Trust Agreement, pursuant to which the Company’s Trust Agreement with Continental was amended to conform the procedures in the Trust Agreement by which the Company may extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if the Company has not completed its initial Business Combination to the procedures in the August Charter Amendment (the “Second Trust Amendment Proposal”).

 

In connection with the approval of the Second Extension Amendment Proposal and the Second Trust Amendment Proposal at the August 3, 2023 shareholders meeting, holders of 1,310,929 of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares exercised their rights to redeem those shares for cash at an approximate price of $10.42 per share, for an aggregate of approximately $13.6 million. Following the payment of the redemptions, the Trust Account has a balance of $66,631,804 inclusive of extension payments at September 30, 2023.

 

On each of February 9, 2023, March 7, 2023, April 4, 2023, May 9,2023, June 6,2023, and July 5, 2023 the Company deposited $300,000, and on each of August 3, 2023 and September 5, 2023 the Company deposited $150,000 into the Trust Account to extend the date to consummate a Business Combination through March 5, 2023, April 5, 2023, May 5, 2023, June 5, 2023, July 5, 2023, August 5, 2023, September 5, 2023, October 5, 2023, and November 5, 2023, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, cash deposited into the Trust Account in relation to the extensions amounted to $2,100,000.

 

10

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Proposed Business Combination

 

On March 3, 2023, the Company entered into a business combination agreement by and among the Company, AIRO Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“ParentCo”), Kernel Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (“Kernel Merger Sub”), AIRO Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (“AIRO Merger Sub”), the Company’s Sponsor, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, in the capacity as the representative for the Company’s shareholders (the “Seller Representative”), and AIRO Group Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“AIRO Group Holdings”), referred to collectively as the parties (the “Parties”) (as may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Company will change the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as a Cayman Islands exempted company and continuing and domesticating as a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Domestication”).

 

In connection with the Domestication, each Class B ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, shall convert into a share of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and each Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, shall convert into a share of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Further, each share of Class B common stock and each share of Class A common stock that is then issued and outstanding shall convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into one share of Kernel common stock (the “Kernel Common Stock”).

 

Following the Domestication, the parties will effect the merger of Kernel Merger Sub with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity as a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (the “First Merger”). Immediately following the First Merger, AIRO Merger Sub will merge with and into AIRO Group Holdings, with AIRO Group Holdings continuing as the surviving entity as a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (the “Second Merger” and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, together, the “Transaction”).

 

As consideration for the Second Merger, the holders of AIRO Group Holdings’ securities collectively shall be entitled to receive from ParentCo, in the aggregate, a number of shares of ParentCo common stock with an aggregate value equal to (the “AIRO Merger Consideration”) (a) $770,000,000 minus (b) the amount, if any, by which the net working capital is less than negative $500,000, plus (c) the amount, if any, by which the net working capital exceeds $500,000 (but not less than zero), minus (d) the amount, if any, by which the closing net debt exceeds the target net debt of $75,000,000, by more than $500,000 (but not less than zero), plus (e) the amount, if any, by which the target net debt of $75,000,000 exceeds closing net debt, minus (f) the amount, if any, by which the company transaction expenses exceed the target company transaction expenses of $14,000,000 (but not less than zero). In addition, holders of AIRO Group Holdings’ securities shall have the contingent right to receive from ParentCo, in the aggregate, up to 33,000,000 additional shares of ParentCo common stock, and the Sponsor shall have the contingent right to receive up to 3,300,000 shares of ParentCo Common Stock (the “Earnout Shares”). In the event that for any full 12-month period (each an “Earnout Period”) commencing on or after the Closing Date (the “Earnout Start Date”) and ending on or before the last day of the thirteenth full calendar quarter following the Closing Date (the “Earnout End Date,” and the period between the Earnout Start Date and the Earnout End Date, the “Earnout Eligibility Period”) ParentCo’s revenue is (i) greater than or equal to $42,600,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, (ii) greater than or equal to $141,400,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, and (iii) greater than or equal to $358,900,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, then upon the occurrence of each (i), (ii), and (iii), ParentCo shall issue to each of the stockholders of AIRO Group Holdings such stockholder’s pro rata share of 6,600,000 Earnout Shares and the Sponsor shall be issued 660,000 Earnout Shares. In the event that ParentCo’s EBITDA for any Earnout Period is (x) greater than or equal to $(19,300,000) for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, (y) greater than or equal to $4,000,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period and (z) greater than or equal to $98,600,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, then upon the occurrence of each (x), (y), and (z), ParentCo shall issue to each of the stockholders of AIRO Group Holding such stockholder’s pro rata share of 4,400,000 Earnout Shares and the Sponsor shall be issued 440,000 Earnout Shares.

 

11

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Business Combination Agreement contains customary conditions to Closing, including the following mutual conditions of the parties (unless waived): (i) approval of the shareholders of Kernel and AIRO Group Holdings of the Transaction and the other matters requiring shareholder approval; (ii) approvals of any required governmental authorities and completion of any antitrust expiration periods; (iii) receipt of specified third party consents; (iv) no law or order preventing the Transaction; (v) the Registration Statement having been declared effective by the SEC; (vi) no material uncured breach by the other party; (vii) no occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect with respect to the other party; (viii) the satisfaction of the $5,000,001 minimum net tangible asset test by Kernel; (ix) approval from Nasdaq for the listing of the shares of ParentCo’s common to be issued in connection with the Transaction; and (x) reconstitution of the Post-Closing Board as contemplated under the Business Combination Agreement.

 

In addition, unless waived by AIRO Group Holdings, the obligations of AIRO Group Holdings to consummate the Transaction are subject to the satisfaction of the following additional Closing conditions, in addition to the delivery by Kernel of the Related Agreements (as defined and described in greater detail below), customary certificates and other Closing deliverables: (i) the representations and warranties of Kernel being true and correct as of the date of the Business Combination Agreement and as of the Closing (subject to customary exceptions, including materiality qualifiers); (ii) Kernel having performed in all material respects its obligations and complied in all material respects with its covenants and agreements under the Business Combination Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the date of the Closing; (iii) absence of any Material Adverse Effect with respect to Kernel since the date of the Business Combination Agreement which is continuing and uncured; (iv) the replacement of the Replacement Warrants and Replacement Options; (v) at the Closing, Kernel having $50,000,000 in Unencumbered Cash, including funds remaining in the trust account (after giving effect to the completion and payment of any redemptions and any Transaction Expenses) and the proceeds of the PIPE/Convertible Note Investment, fifty percent (50%) of any net cash proceeds of any capital investment raise and/or convertible debt raise conducted by the Company during the period beginning on the effective date of the Business Combination and ending on the Closing Date, and any net cash proceeds of any executed agreements regarding a capital investment raise and/or convertible debt raise conducted by Kernel or ParentCo in which such cash proceeds are required to be paid to ParentCo during the thirty (30) day period beginning on the Closing Date.

 

Finally, unless waived by Kernel, the obligations of Kernel to consummate the Transaction are subject to the satisfaction of the following additional Closing conditions, in addition to the delivery by Kernel of the Related Agreements (as defined and described in greater detail below), customary certificates and other Closing deliverables: (i) the representations and warranties of AIRO Group Holdings being true and correct as of the date of the Business Combination Agreement and as of the Closing (subject to customary exceptions, including materiality qualifiers); (ii) AIRO Group Holdings having performed in all material respects their respective obligations and complied in all material respects with their respective covenants and agreements under the Business Combination Agreement required to be performed or complied with by them on or prior to the date of the Closing; (iii) absence of any Material Adverse Effect with respect to AIRO Group Holdings and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis since the date of the Business Combination Agreement which is continuing and uncured; (iv) delivery of AIRO’s 2022 Audited Financials within 60 days of the Business Combination Agreement’s signing; (v) the completion of Kernel’s legal due diligence of AIRO Group Holdings and its subsidiaries to Kernel’s reasonable satisfaction; (vi) the replacement of the Replacement Warrants and Replacement Options; and (vii) the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness of the Target Companies due earlier than 180 days after the Closing (less Company cash at Closing) is less than Fifty Million U.S. Dollars ($50,000,000).

 

On August 29, 2023, the Company, ParentCo, Kernel Merger Sub, AIRO Merger Sub, Seller Representative, AIRO Group Holdings, and the Sponsor entered into the First Amendment to the Business Combination Agreement (the “First Amendment”). The First Amendment amends the Business Combination Agreement to make certain changes to the earnout provisions to fix the number of Earnout Shares that can be granted in each Earnout Period based on a $10.00 per share price.

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these unaudited condensed financial statements. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. As a result of this action, various nations, including the United States, have instituted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus.

 

The escalation in October 2023 of the conflict between Israel and Hamas also could cause disruptions to global economic conditions and effect the stability of the Middle East region. It is unknown how long any of these disruptions will continue and whether such disruptions will become more severe.

 

The impact of these conflicts on the world economy is not determinable as of the date of these financial statements and the specific impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is also not determinable as of the date of these condensed financial statements.

 

12

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

As a result of political tensions in the Middle East and the military action commenced in February 2022 by the Russian Federation and Belarus in the country of Ukraine and related economic sanctions, the Company’s ability to consummate a Business Combination, or the operations of a target business with which the Company ultimately consummates a Business Combination, may be materially and adversely affected. Further, the Company’s ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by these events, including as a result of increased market volatility, or decreased market liquidity in third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to the Company or at all. The impact of this action and related sanctions on the world economy and the specific impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and/or ability to consummate a Business Combination are not yet determinable. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Going Concern

 

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $804 in its operating bank account and a working capital deficit of $13,027,621.

 

The Company’s liquidity needs to date have been satisfied through a contribution of $25,000 from Original Sponsor to cover for certain expenses in exchange for the issuance of the Founder Shares, the loan of $77,000 from the Original Sponsor under the Note, certain portion of the proceeds from the consummation of the Private Placement not held in the Trust Account, the Promissory Note of $2,100,000, and Convertible Promissory Note of $1,450,000. The Company repaid $77,000 of the loan from the Original Sponsor in February 2021. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide the Company Working Capital Loans. If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans.

 

Management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of a Business Combination or one year from this filing. Over this time period, the Company will be using these funds for paying certain existing accounts payable, identifying and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” the Company have determined that the liquidity condition, the date of the mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after December 5, 2023, with the option to extend an additional two months to February 5, 2024, as permitted by the Company’s governing documents. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustment that might be necessary if the Company are unable to continue as a going concern. The Company’s management plans to complete a business combination prior to the mandatory liquidation date.

 

NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, certain disclosures included in the annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted from these unaudited condensed financial statements as they are not required for interim financial statements under U.S. GAAP and the rules of the SEC. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the balances and results for the period presented. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected through December 31, 2023, or any future period.

 

13

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

 

Emerging Growth Company

 

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the unaudited condensed financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Making estimates requires the Company’s management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which the Company’s management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. One of the more significant accounting estimates included in these unaudited condensed financial statements is the determination of the fair value of the warrant liability and forward purchase agreement. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Concentration of Credit Risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage limit of $250,000 and investments held in Trust Account. The Company has significant cash balances at financial institutions which throughout the year regularly exceed the federally insured limit of $250,000. Any loss incurred or a lack of access to such funds could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of September 30, 2023 or December 31, 2022.

 

Investments Held in Trust Account

 

Until February 2023, the Company’s portfolio of investments held in the Trust Account was comprised of U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, or investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities and generally have a readily determinable fair value, or a combination thereof. In July 2023, the Company instructed Continental to instead hold the funds in the Trust Account in an interest-bearing demand deposit account. In February 2023, the Company transferred the funds in the Trust Account into cash, and in August 2023, the Company transferred the Trust Account funds back to an interest-bearing demand deposit account. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of U.S. government securities, the investments are classified as trading securities. When the Company’s investments held in the Trust Account are comprised of money market funds, the investments are recognized at fair value. Trading securities and investments in money market funds are presented on the condensed balance sheets at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of these securities are included in income from investments held in Trust Account in the accompanying unaudited condensed statements of operations. The estimated fair values of investments held in the Trust Account are determined using available market information. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, $246,225,328 was paid to redeeming shareholders. At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the investments held in the Trust Account totaled $66,631,804 and $309,234,766, respectively.

 

14

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements”, equals or approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheets, except for warrant liabilities (see Note 10).

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers consist of:

 

  ● Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets;
  ● Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and
  ● Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

 

In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to ASC 480 and ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.

 

The warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Warrants are recognized as derivative liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The liabilities are subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised. The fair value of warrants issued in connection with the Private Placement has been measured by using the market value of the public warrants. The fair value of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering was initially measured using a Monte-Carlo simulation and subsequently has been measured based on the market price at each measurement date when separately listed and traded. The determination of the fair value of the derivative liability may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and accordingly the actual results could differ significantly. Derivative liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.

 

The Forward Purchase Agreement (see Note 6) is classified as a derivative in the condensed balance sheets with changes in the fair value recognized in the unaudited condensed statements of operations.

 

15

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Convertible Promissory Notes

 

On March 23, 2023, Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund agreed to loan the Company an aggregate principal of $600,000 (the ‘First Polar Fund Convertible Note”) to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Company in exchange for the issuance of 600,000 Class A Common Stock at the closing of a business combination (“Share Rights”). At the option of Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund, upon the closing of a business combination, the outstanding principal of $600,000 at September 30, 2023 may be converted into a number of Class A Common Stock at a rate of one Class A Common Stock for each $10.00 of additional capital contribution (60,000 shares).

 

On April 4, 2023, Aesther Healthcare Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate principal of $50,000 (“the Aesther Healthcare Convertible Note”) to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Company in exchange for the issuance of 50,000 Class A Common Stock at the closing of a business combination (“Share Rights”). At the option of Aesther Healthcare Sponsor, upon the closing of a business combination, the outstanding principal of $50,000 at September 30, 2023 may be converted into a number of Class A Common Stock at a rate of one Class A Common Stock for each $10.00 of additional capital contribution (5,000 shares).

 

On April 25, 2023, Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund agreed to loan the Company an aggregate principal of $800,000 (the “Second Polar Fund Convertible Note”) to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Company in exchange for the issuance of 800,000 Class A Common Stock at the closing of a business combination (“Share Rights”). At the option of Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund, upon the closing of a business combination, the outstanding principal of $800,000 at September 30, 2023 may be converted into a number of Class A Common Stock at a rate of one Class A Common Stock for each $10 of additional capital contribution (80,000 shares).

 

Collectively, the First Polar Fund Convertible Note, the Aesther Healthcare Convertible Note and the Second Polar Fund Convertible Note are referred to as the Convertible Notes. The Company accounted for its Share Rights as equity-classified instruments based on an assessment of the Share Right’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in ASC 480 and ASC 815. The assessment considers whether the Share Rights are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the Share Rights meet all the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the Share Rights are indexed to the Company’s own common stock, among other conditions for the equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, was conducted at the time of Share Rights issuance. Both the Convertible Promissory Note and the Share Rights meet the scope exception of ASC 815-10-15-74(a). The Company applied the guidance in ASC 470-20-25-2, “Debt With Conversion and Other Options”, requiring that the loan proceeds be allocated to the two instruments based on their relative fair values. At March 23, 2023, the Company allocated $53,191 of the proceeds to the First Polar Fund Convertible Note and $546,809 for the Share Rights. At April 4, 2023, the Company allocated $4,409 of the proceeds to the Asther Healthcare Convertible Note and $45,591 for the Share Rights. At April 25, 2023, the Company allocated $70,299 of the proceeds to the Second Polar Fund Convertible Note and $729,701 for the Share Rights. The Share Rights are recognized as a debt discount to the Convertible Promissory Notes and accreted through interest expense to the face value of the Convertible Promissory Notes utilizing an effective interest method. At September 30, 2023, the carrying value of the Convertible Promissory Notes (see Note 5) was $1,450,000, reflecting the fully amortized discount.

 

Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering

 

Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, underwriting fees and other costs incurred through the Initial Public Offering that were directly related to the Initial Public Offering. Offering costs are allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds received. Offering costs associated with derivative warrant liabilities are expensed as incurred, and presented as other income (expenses) in the unaudited condensed statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the Class A ordinary shares issued were charged against the carrying value of Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering. The Company classified deferred underwriting commissions as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.

 

16

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption

 

The Company accounts for its Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity. Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, Class A ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. The Company’s Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had 6,315,949 and 30,475,000 Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, that are presented as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ deficit section of the Company’s condensed balance sheets, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, 24,159,051 Class A ordinary shares were redeemed by shareholders.

 

Under ASC 480-10 S99, the Company has elected to recognize changes in the redemption value immediately as they occur and adjust the carrying value of the security to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. This method would view the end of the reporting period as if it were also the redemption date for the security. Effective with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount, which resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital (to the extent available) and accumulated deficit.

 

Net Income (Loss) per Ordinary Share

 

The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” The Company has two classes of shares, which are referred to as Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Income and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. This presentation assumes a business combination as the most likely outcome. Net income (loss) per ordinary share is calculated by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding for the respective period.

 

The calculation of diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share does not consider the effect of the warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Warrants to purchase 23,987,500 Class A ordinary shares in calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, because their exercise is contingent upon future events and their inclusion would be anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method. As a result, diluted net income (loss) per share is the same as basic net income (loss) per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. Accretion associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary shares is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.

 

The Company has considered the effect of Class B ordinary shares that were excluded from weighted average number as they were contingent on the exercise of over-allotment option by the underwriters. Since the contingency was satisfied, the Company included these shares in the weighted average number as of the beginning of the interim period to determine the dilutive impact of these shares.

 

SCHEDULE OF BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME PER SHARE OF ORDINARY SHARE

    For the Three Months Ended
September 30, 2023		     For the Three Months Ended
September 30, 2022		  
    Class A     Class B     Class A     Class B  
                         
Numerator:                                
Allocation of net income - basic and diluted   $ 112,997     $ 74,160     $ 1,838,361     $ 459,590  
                                 
Denominator:                                
Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted     11,608,672       7,618,750       30,475,000       7,618,750  
                                 
Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share   $ 0.01   $ 0.01   $ 0.06     $ 0.06  

 

17

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

    For the Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2023		     For the Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2022		  
    Class A     Class B     Class A     Class B  
                         
Numerator:                                
Allocation of net (loss) income - basic and diluted   $ (5,192,125 )   $ (3,211,764 )   $ 10,175,157     $ 2,543,789  
                                 
Denominator:                                
Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted     12,316,438       7,618,750       30,475,000       7,618,750  
                                 
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per ordinary share   $ (0.42 )   $ (0.42 )   $ 0.33     $ 0.33  

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes.” ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s only major tax jurisdiction. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

 

There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the government of the Cayman Islands. In accordance with Cayman federal income tax regulations, income taxes are not levied on the Company. Consequently, income taxes are not reflected in the Company’s financial statement. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, ASC Subtopic 820, “Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions.” The ASU amends ASC 820 to clarify that a contractual sales restriction is not considered in measuring an equity security at fair value and to introduce new disclosure requirements for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions that are measured at fair value. The ASU applies to both holders and issuers of equity and equity-linked securities measured at fair value. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for both interim and annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company is still evaluating the impact of this pronouncement on the financial statements.

 

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

 

18

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 3. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

 

On February 5, 2021, the Company consummated its Initial Public Offering of 30,475,000 Units, including 3,975,000 Over-Allotment Units, at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of approximately $304.8 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $17.4 million, of which approximately $10.7 million was for deferred underwriting commissions. In the nine months ended September 30, 2023, 24,159,051 Class A ordinary shares were redeemed by shareholders.

 

Each Unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 9).

 

NOTE 4. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Founder Shares

 

On November 19, 2020, the Original Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for certain expenses on behalf of the Company in exchange for issuance of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”). On January 11, 2021, the Company effected a 1 for 1.25 forward stock split of the Founder Shares that increased the number of outstanding Founder Shares from 5,750,000 to 7,187,500 shares, and the Original Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 75,000 Founder Shares to the independent directors and an aggregate of 50,000 Founder Shares to the Former Advisors. On February 2, 2021, the Company effected a 1 for 1.06 forward stock split of the Founder Shares that increased the number of outstanding Founder Shares from 7,187,500 to 7,618,750 shares and resulted in the Original Sponsor holding 7,493,750 Founder Shares. The Original Sponsor agreed to forfeit up to an aggregate of 993,750 Founder Shares to the extent that the option to purchase additional Units was not exercised in full by the underwriters or was reduced, so that the Founder Shares would represent 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering. On February 5, 2021, the underwriter fully exercised its over-allotment option; thus, these 993,750 Founder Shares are no longer subject to forfeiture.

 

The Initial Shareholders agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of (A) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination and (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading-day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

On December 28, 2022, the Company entered into a purchase agreement with the Original Sponsor, and the New Sponsor, pursuant to which the New Sponsor, or an entity designated by the New Sponsor, will purchase from the Original Sponsor 7,618,750 Class B ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share and 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, each of which is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $1.00 payable at the time the Company effects the initial Business Combination. Upon the closing of the initial Business Combination, New Sponsor shall also convey 2,000,000 Class B ordinary shares to the equityholders of the Original Sponsor, as of the Effective Date, pro rata based on the equityholders’ underlying interest in the Company’s Class B ordinary shares as of the Effective Date.

 

Private Placement Warrants

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated a Private Placement of 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant with the Original Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.8 million.

 

19

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

On December 28, 2022, the Original Sponsor transferred all Private Placement Warrants to the New Sponsor.

 

Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to the Original Sponsor was added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

 

The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination.

 

Related Party Loans

 

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1.5 million of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post Business Combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company entered into loan agreements with eleven investors and the Sponsor (the “Loan Agreements”). Pursuant to the Loan Agreements, the investors loaned the Sponsor a total of $2,100,000, which will in turn be loaned by the Sponsor to the Company, to cover a portion of the extension fees with any remaining balance to be used for the Company’s working capital. The Loan Agreements accrue 8% interest per annum and shall be repaid upon closing the initial Business Combination. The Company intends to pay all principal under the Loan Agreements and shall not be responsible for the payment of any interest on the loans. As of September 30, 2023, the total amount drawn on the Loan Agreements was $1,667,311.

 

Administrative Support Agreement

 

Commencing on the date that the Company’s securities were first listed on Nasdaq through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination or its liquidation, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $30,000 and $30,000 for such services, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $90,000 and $90,000 for such services, respectively. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $260,000 and $170,000 were outstanding, respectively, and included in accrued expenses – related party as reflected in the accompanying condensed balance sheets.

 

In addition, the Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable Business Combinations. The audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by the Company to the Sponsor, officers or directors, or the Company’s or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial Business Combination will be made from funds held outside the Trust Account. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not incur or reimburse any Business Combination costs to the Sponsor or any related party.

 

20

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 5. DEBT

 

The Convertible Promissory Notes are non-interest bearing and are due within five business days from the date on which the Company consummates a Business Combination. If the Company does not consummate a Business Combination, the Company may use a portion of any funds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Convertible Promissory Notes; however, no proceeds from the Trust Account may be used for such repayment if the Company does not consummate the business combination. The Convertible Promissory Notes may be converted into Class A Common Stock at one share for each $10.00 of additional capital contribution at the option of the investor.

 

The Company complies with ASC Topic 835, “Interest” (“ASC 835”). In accordance with ASC 835-30, discounts to the principal amounts are included in the carrying value of the Notes and amortized to “Interest expense” over the remaining term of the underlying debt to the Convertible Promissory Note’s maturity date.

 

As described in Note 1, on March 23, 2023 the Company entered into the First Polar Fund Convertible Note pursuant to which Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund agreed to loan the Company an aggregate principal of $600,000. Additionally, the Company on April 25, 2023 entered into the Second Polar Fund Convertible Note, pursuant to which Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund agreed to loan the Company an aggregate principal of $800,000. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the outstanding balance under the First and Second Polar Fund Convertible Promissory Notes amounted to an aggregate of $1,400,000 and $0, respectively. The Company recorded $546,809 and $729,701 for debt discount upon issuance of the First Polar Fund Convertible Note, and Second Polar Fund Convertible Note, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the amortization of the discount resulted in total interest expense of $403,357 and $1,276,510 for these loans, respectively.

 

The Company also entered into the Aesther Healthcare Convertible Note on April 4, 2023, pursuant to which Aesther Healthcare Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate principal of $50,000. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the outstanding balance under the Aesther Healthcare Convertible Note amounted to an aggregate of $50,000 and $0, respectively. The Company recorded a $45,591 debt discount upon issuance of the Aesther Healthcare Convertible Promissory Note. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the amortization of the discount resulted in interest expense of $13,343 and $45,591 for this loan, respectively.

 

 

NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Registration and Shareholder Rights

 

The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Convertible Promissory Note (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans) were entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement signed upon the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of these securities were entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders will be entitled to certain demand and “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

21

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

The Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the final date of the prospectus relating to the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 3,975,000 additional Units at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On February 5, 2021, the underwriter fully exercised its over-allotment option.

 

The underwriter was entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit, approximately $6.1 million in the aggregate, paid upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per unit, or approximately $10.7 million in the aggregate will be payable to the underwriter for deferred underwriting commissions. On May 24, 2023, the underwriters agreed to waive its rights to its portion of the fee payable by the Company for deferred underwriting commissions, with respect to any potential Business Combination of the Company. Of the total $10,666,250 waived fee, $9,910,904 was recorded as a decrease to the common stock subject to redemption and $755,346 was recorded as a gain on the waiver of deferred underwriting commissions by underwriter in the condensed statements of operations, following a manner consistent with the original allocation of the deferred underwriting fees.

 

Forward Purchase Agreement

 

In February 2023, the Company entered into a forward purchase agreement (the “Forward Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which Meteora Special Opportunity Fund I, LP, Meteora Capital Partners, LP, Meteora Select Trading Opportunities Master, LP (collectively the “Seller”), intends, but is not obligated, to purchase from the Company up to a maximum of 7,700,000 Class A ordinary shares (the “Forward Purchase Shares”) from holders (other than the Company or its affiliates) who have elected to redeem such shares in connection with the Business Combination. Purchases by Seller will be made through brokers in the open market after the redemption deadline in connection with the Business Combination at a price no higher than the redemption price to be paid by the Company in connection with the Business Combination.

 

The Seller will determine in its sole discretion the specific number of Forward Purchase Shares (up to 7,700,000) that it will purchase, if any, and the obligation of the Company to sell the Forward Purchase Shares is subject to the approval of the Seller’s manager following notice to the Seller that the Company intends to enter into an agreement for a Business Combination.

 

The Forward Purchase Agreement also provides that the Seller is entitled to registration rights with respect to the Forward Purchase Shares. The proceeds from the sale of the Forward Purchase Shares may be used as part of the consideration to the Company in an initial Business Combination, expenses in connection with an initial Business Combination or for working capital in the post-Business Combination company. These purchases are required to be made regardless of whether any Class A ordinary shares are redeemed by the Public Shareholders and are intended to provide the Company with a minimum funding level for an initial Business Combination. The forward purchase shares will be issued only in connection with the closing of an initial Business Combination.

 

The Company accounts for the Forward Purchase Agreement in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 480-10. Such guidance provides that because the forward purchase agreement does not meet the criteria for equity treatment thereunder, the agreement must be recorded as a liability. Accordingly, the Company classifies the forward purchase agreement as an asset or liability at its fair value. This asset or liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date. With each such remeasurement, the asset or liability will be adjusted to fair value, with the change in fair value recognized in the Company’s condensed statements of operations.

 

The Company fair valued the Forward Purchase Agreement at September 30, 2023 with a value of $6,261,728.

 

Premium Finance Agreement - D&O Insurance

 

In order to obtain a public company directors and officers insurance policy (“D&O Insurance”), the Company entered into two agreements with premium financing lenders, where by the lenders paid the D&O Insurance premium for the company (“Premium Finance Agreements”). If the Company were to not pay the lenders monthly installment payments, the lenders would cancel the D&O Insurance and the remaining D&O Insurance premium would be returned to the lenders. In addition, if the Company were to cancel the D&O Insurance, the remaining D&O Insurance premium would be returned to the lenders.

 

22

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The first Premium Finance Agreement is for $350,000 and accrues interest at a fixed rate of 7.5% per annum for a total of $3,136 over the term of the Premium Finance Agreement. Monthly payments of $35,784, were paid in four monthly installments, which commenced on February 28, 2023 with a maturity date of May 28, 2023. Upon entering into the Premium Finance Agreement, an upfront payment of $210,000 was due and paid on March 27, 2023.

 

The second Premium Finance Agreement is for $194,569 and accrues interest at a fixed rate of 7.5% per annum for a total of $1,744 over the term of the Premium Finance Agreement. Monthly payments of $19,893, were paid in four monthly installments, which commenced on February 28, 2023 with a maturity date of May 28, 2023. Upon entering into the Premium Finance Agreement, an upfront payment of $116,741 was due and paid on March 27, 2023.

 

During the three months ended September 30, 2023, the total expenses incurred under the Premium Finance Agreements, covering upfront, monthly and interest payments was $136,578 and are included in general and administrative costs on the accompanying statements of operations. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the total expenses incurred under the Premium Finance Agreements, covering upfront, monthly and interest payments was $548,665 and are included in general and administrative costs on the accompanying statements of operations. The total cash disbursements made under the Finance Agreements totaled $545,302 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

 

NOTE 7. WARRANTS

 

As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had 15,237,500 Public Warrants and 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants outstanding.

 

Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination and (b) 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under certain circumstances). The Company agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) business days after the closing of the initial Business Combination, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares until the warrants expire or are redeemed, as specified in the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60th day after the closing of the initial Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, it will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement.

 

23

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The warrants have an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments, and will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of the initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the initial Business Combination on the date of the consummation of the initial Business Combination (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates its initial Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00” and “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 per share redemption trigger price described under “Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.

 

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except (i) that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions, (ii) except as described below, the Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the Sponsor or such its permitted transferees and (iii) the Sponsor or its permitted transferees will have the option to exercise the Private Placement Warrants on a cashless basis and have certain registration rights. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.

 

Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $18.00:

 

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may call the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):

 

  ● in whole and not in part;
  ● at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
  ● upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption; and
  ● if, and only if, the last reported sale price (the “closing price”) of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

 

The Company will not redeem the warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those Class A ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period.

Redemption of warrants when the price per Class A ordinary share equals or exceeds $10.00:

 

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:

 

  ● in whole and not in part;
  ● at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of Class A ordinary shares to be determined by reference to an agreed table based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of Class A ordinary shares;
  ● if, and only if, the closing price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading-day period ending three trading days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and
  ● if the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted), the Private Placement Warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding Public Warrants, as described above.

 

24

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The “fair market value” of Class A ordinary shares for the above purpose shall mean the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. In no event will the warrants be exercisable on a cashless basis in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 Class A ordinary shares per warrant (subject to adjustment).

 

In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with the respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.

 

NOTE 8. CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE REDEMPTION

 

The Company’s Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of future events. The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were 6,315,949 and 30,475,000, respectively, of Class A ordinary shares outstanding, which were all subject to possible redemption and are classified outside of permanent equity in the balance sheets.

 

The Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption reflected on the balance sheets are reconciled on the following table:

 

SCHEDULE OF CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE REDEMPTION

Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption as of December 31, 2022     309,134,766  
Redemption of shares     (232,542,916 )
Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value     1,559,464  
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption as of March 31, 2023     78,151,314  
Derecognition of deferred underwriting fee payable allocated to Class A ordinary shares     9,910,904  
Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value     (9,010,904 )
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption as of June 30, 2023     79,051,314  
Redemption of shares     (13,682,412 )
Remeasurement of carrying value to redemption value     1,162,902  
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption as of September 30, 2023   $ 66,531,804  

 

25

 

KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 9. SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

 

Preference Shares-The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.

 

Class A Ordinary Shares-The Company is authorized to issue 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, 24,159,051 Class A ordinary shares were redeemed by shareholders. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were 6,315,949 and 30,475,000 Class A ordinary shares outstanding, all of which were subject to possible redemption and included as temporary equity (see Note 8).

 

Class B Ordinary Shares-The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. There were 7,618,750 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

 

Class A ordinary shareholders and Class B ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders. Except as described below, holders of Class A ordinary shares and holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders except as required by law.

 

The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of the initial Business Combination at a ratio such that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of (i) the total number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding upon completion of the Initial Public Offering, plus (ii) the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities (as defined herein) or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, deemed issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any Private Placement Warrants issued to the Sponsor, its affiliates or any member of the management team upon conversion of Working Capital Loans. In no event will the Class B ordinary shares convert into Class A ordinary shares at a rate of less than one to one.

 

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KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

NOTE 10. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

 

The following table presents information about the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:

 

SCHEDULE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON RECURRING BASIS

Description   Amount at Fair Value     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3  
September 30, 2023                                
Assets                                
Investments held in Trust Account:                                
Money market funds   $ 66,631,804     $ 66,631,804     $ —     $ —  
Liabilities                                
Derivative liability - forward purchase   $ 6,261,728                     $ 6,261,728  
Warrant liability – Public Warrants   $ 914,250     $ —     $ 914,250     $ —  
Warrant liability – Private Placement Warrants   $ 525,000     $ —     $ 525,000     $ —  

 

Description   Amount at Fair Value     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3  
December 31, 2022                                
Assets                                
Investments held in Trust Account:                                
Money market funds   $ 309,234,766     $ 309,234,766     $ —     $ —  
Liabilities                                
Warrant liability – Public Warrants   $ 86,854     $ 86,854     $ —     $ —  
Warrant liability – Private Placement   $ 87,500     $ —     $ 87,500     $ —  

 

Transfers to/from Levels 1, 2, and 3 are recognized at the beginning of the reporting period. The estimated fair value of the Private Placement Warrants transferred from a Level 3 fair value measurement to a Level 2 fair value measurement in the fourth quarter of 2022 due to the use of an observable market quote for a similar asset in an active market. The estimated fair value of the Public Warrants transferred from a Level 1 fair value measurement to a Level 2 fair value measurement in the second quarter of 2023 due to limited trading activity observed.

 

Level 1 assets include investments in money market funds that invest solely in U.S. Treasury securities. The Company uses inputs such as actual trade data, benchmark yields, quoted market prices from dealers or brokers, and other similar sources to determine the fair value of its investments.

 

For periods where no observable traded price was available, the fair value of the Public Warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering, the Company utilized a binomial Monte-Carlo simulation to estimate the fair value of the public warrants at each reporting period and Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model to estimate the fair value of the private warrants at each reporting period, with changes in fair value recognized in the unaudited condensed statements of operations.

 

The estimated fair value of the Forward Purchase Agreement was measured at fair value using a Monte Carlo simulation model, which was determined using Level 3 inputs. Inherent in a Monte Carlo simulation are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, expected life, and risk-free interest rate. The Company estimates the volatility based on historical volatility of select peer company’s shares that matches the expected remaining life of the Forward Purchase Agreement. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the Forward Purchase Agreement. The expected life of the Forward Purchase Agreement is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. Any changes in these assumptions can change the valuation significantly.

 

The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 fair value measurements inputs at their measurement date:

 SCHEDULE OF LEVEL 3 FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT INPUTS 

Forward Purchase Agreement   At September 30, 2023  
Exercise price   $ 10.53  
Stock Price   $ 10.61  
Time to Business Combination (years)     3.13  
Risk-free rate     4.68 %
Volatility rate     4.80 %
Probability of completing an initial Business Combination     75 %

 

The following table provides a summary of the changes in the fair value of the Company’s Level 3 financial instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

SCHEDULE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON A RECURRING BASIS 

Forward Purchase Agreement liabilities at December 31, 2022     —  
Unrealized loss     5,473,232  
Fair value as of June 30, 2023   $ 5,473,232  
Unrealized loss     788,496  
Fair value as of September 30, 2023   $ 6,261,728  

 

NOTE 11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred up to the date unaudited condensed financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, other than as described below, the Company did not identify any other subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the unaudited condensed financial statements.

 

On October 5, 2023, The Company deposited $150,000 into the Company’s Trust Account for its public shareholders, representing $0.02 per public share, allowing the Company to extend the period of time it has to consummate its initial Business Combination by one month from October 5, 2023, to November 5, 2023. The Extension is the third of six-monthly extensions permitted under the Company’s governing documents.

 

On November 6, 2023, The Company deposited $150,000 into the Company’s Trust Account for its public shareholders, representing $0.02 per public share, allowing the Company to extend the period of time it has to consummate its initial Business Combination by one month from November 5, 2023, to December 5, 2023. The Extension is the fourth of six-monthly extensions permitted under the Company’s governing documents.

 

On November 1, 2023 and November 6, 2023, the Company entered into loan agreements with two investors and the Sponsor (the “November Loan Agreements”). Pursuant to the November Loan Agreements, the investors loaned the Sponsor a total of $250,000, which will in turn be loaned by the Sponsor to the Company, to cover a portion of the extension fees with any remaining balance to be used for the Company’s working capital. The Loan Agreements accrue 8% interest per annum and shall be repaid upon closing the initial Business Combination. The Company intends to pay all principal under the Loan Agreements and shall not be responsible for the payment of any interest on the loans.

 

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

References to the “Company,” “Kernel Group Holdings, Inc..,” “Kernel,” “our,” “us” or “we” refer to Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited interim condensed financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Quarterly Report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected and projected. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this Quarterly Report including, without limitation, statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Quarterly Report, words such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “seek” and variations and similar words and expressions, as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to the Company’s management. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. For information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 31, 2023. The Company’s securities filings can be accessed on the EDGAR section of the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

 

Overview

 

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on November 10, 2020. We were formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”). We are an emerging growth company and, as such, we are subject to all of the risks associated with emerging growth companies.

 

Our sponsor was Kernel Capital Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Original Sponsor”). The registration statement for our Initial Public Offering was declared effective on February 2, 2021. On February 5, 2021, we consummated our Initial Public Offering of 30,475,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), including 3,975,000 additional Units to cover the underwriters’ over-allotment (the “Over-Allotment Units”), at $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of approximately $304.8 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $17.4 million, of which approximately $10.7 million was for deferred underwriting commissions.

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the private placement (“Private Placement”) of 8,750,000 warrants (each, a “Private Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Private Placement Warrants”), at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant with the Original Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.8 million.

 

On December 28, 2022, we entered into a purchase agreement with the Original Sponsor, and VKSS Capital, LLC, a Delaware corporation (the “New Sponsor” or “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the New Sponsor, or an entity designated by the New Sponsor, will purchase from the Original Sponsor 7,618,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share and 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, each of which is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $1.00 payable at the time we effect the initial Business Combination. Upon the closing of the initial Business Combination, New Sponsor shall also convey 2,000,000 Class B ordinary shares to the equityholders of the Original Sponsor, as of December 28, 2022, pro rata based on the equityholders’ underlying interest in our Class B ordinary shares as of the December 28, 2022.

 

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Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement, approximately $304.8 million ($10.00 per Unit) of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds of the Private Placement were placed in a trust account (“Trust Account”) with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Continental”) acting as trustee and invested only in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by us, until the earlier of (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.

 

Our management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of its Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. Our initial Business Combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time we sign a definitive agreement in connection with the initial Business Combination. However, we will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target business or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company.

 

If we are unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes that were paid by us or are payable by us, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining shareholders and the board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

 

Charter Amendment and Share Redemptions

 

In an extraordinary general meeting held on February 3, 2023, shareholders approved the charter amendment (the “February Charter Amendment”), changing the structure and cost of the Company’s right to extend the date by which the Company must (i) consummate a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses (a “business combination”), (ii) cease its operations if it fails to complete such business combination, and (iii) redeem or repurchase 100% of the Company’s Public Shares (the “Termination Date”), which was previously February 5, 2023 (the “August Charter Amendment Proposal”). The February Charter Amendment allowed the Company to extend the Termination Date by up to six (6) one-month extensions to August 5, 2023 (each, an “Extension,” and such later date, the “Extended Deadline”) provided that if any Extended Deadline ends on a day that is not a business day, such Extended Deadline will be automatically extended to the next succeeding business day. To effect each Extension, the Company, its Sponsor or any of their affiliates or designees must deposit into the Company’s Trust Account with Continental by the applicable Extended Deadline (the “Extension Payment”) the lesser of (x) $300,000 or (y) $0.06 per share for each of the Company’s publicly held shares outstanding as of the deadline prior to the extension (after giving effect to redemptions in connection with the approval of the February Charter Amendment by the Company’s shareholders with respect to the first such extension). In connection with the approval of the Extension Amendment Proposal, the shareholders also approved a proposal to amend the Company’s trust agreement with Continental (the “Trust Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company’s Trust Agreement with Continental was amended to conform the procedures in the Trust Agreement by which the Company may extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if the Company has not completed its initial Business Combination to the procedures in the February Charter Amendment (the “Trust Amendment Proposal”). In connection with the approval of the Extension Amendment and the Trust Amendment Proposal at the shareholders meeting, holders of 22,848,122 of the Company’s Public Shares exercised their right to redeem those shares for cash at an approximate price of $10.15 per share, for an aggregate of approximately $231.9 million. Following the payment of the redemptions, the Trust Account had a balance of approximately $74.7 million before the first Extension Payment.

 

The shareholders of the Company approved the Amendment to the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company (the “August Charter Amendment”) at the August 3, 2023 shareholders meeting, changing the structure and cost of the Company’s right to extend the Termination Date by up to six (6) one-month Extensions to February 5, 2024, provided that if any Extended Deadline ends on a day that is not a business day, such Extended Deadline will be automatically extended to the next succeeding business day. To effect each Extension, the Company, its sponsor or any of their affiliates or designees must deposit into the Company’s Trust Account with Continental an Extension Payment (after giving effect to redemptions in connection with the approval of the August Extension Charter Amendment) the lesser of (x) $150,000 or (y) $0.04 per share for each of the Company’s Public Shares outstanding as of the applicable Extended Deadline, unless the closing of the Company’s initial Business Combination shall have occurred, in exchange for a non-interest bearing, unsecured promissory note payable upon consummation of a Business Combination. In connection with the approval of the Second Extension Amendment Proposal, the shareholders also approved a proposal to amend the Trust Agreement, pursuant to which the Company’s Trust Agreement with Continental was amended to conform the procedures in the Trust Agreement by which the Company may extend the date on which Continental must liquidate the Trust Account if the Company has not completed its initial Business Combination to the procedures in the August Charter Amendment (the “Second Trust Amendment Proposal”).

 

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In connection with the approval of the Second Extension Amendment Proposal and the Second Trust Amendment Proposal at the August 3, 2023 shareholders meeting, holders of 1,310,929 of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares exercised their rights to redeem those shares for cash at an approximate price of $10.42 per share, for an aggregate of approximately $13.6 million. Following the payment of the redemptions, the nine months ended September 30, 2023 showed the Trust Account with a balance of $66,631,804 inclusive of extension payments.

 

On each of February 9, 2023, March 7, 2023, April 4, 2023, May 9, 2023, June 6, 2023, and July 5, 2023 the Company deposited $300,000, and on each of August 3, 2023 and September 5, 2023 the Company deposited $150,000 into the Trust Account to extend the date to consummate a Business Combination through March 5, 2023, April 5, 2023, May 5, 2023, June 5, 2023, July 5, 2023, August 5, 2023, September 5, 2023, October 5, 2023 and November 5, 2023, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, cash deposited into the Trust Account in relation to the extensions amounted to $2,100,000.

 

Proposed Business Combination

 

On March 3, 2023, the Company entered into a business combination agreement by and among the Company, AIRO Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“ParentCo”), Kernel Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (“Kernel Merger Sub”), AIRO Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (“AIRO Merger Sub”), the Company’s Sponsor, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, in the capacity as the representative for the Company’s shareholders (the “Seller Representative”), and AIRO Group Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“AIRO Group Holdings”), referred to collectively as the parties (the “Parties”) (as may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Company will change the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as a Cayman Islands exempted company and continuing and domesticating as a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Domestication”).

 

In connection with the Domestication, each Class B ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, shall convert into a share of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and each Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, shall convert into a share of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Further, each share of Class B common stock and each share of Class A common stock that is then issued and outstanding shall convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into one share of Kernel common stock (the “Kernel Common Stock”).

 

Following the Domestication, the parties will effect the merger of Kernel Merger Sub with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity as a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (the “First Merger”). Immediately following the First Merger, AIRO Merger Sub will merge with and into AIRO Group Holdings , with AIRO Group Holdings continuing as the surviving entity as a wholly owned subsidiary of ParentCo (the “Second Merger” and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, together, the “Transaction”).

 

As consideration for the Second Merger, the holders of AIRO Group Holdings’ securities collectively shall be entitled to receive from ParentCo, in the aggregate, a number of shares of ParentCo common stock with an aggregate value equal to (the “AIRO Merger Consideration”) (a) $770,000,000 minus (b) the amount, if any, by which the net working capital is less than negative $500,000, plus (c) the amount, if any, by which the net working capital exceeds $500,000 (but not less than zero), minus (d) the amount, if any, by which the closing net debt exceeds the target net debt of $75,000,000, by more than $500,000 (but not less than zero), plus (e) the amount, if any, by which the target net debt of $75,000,000 exceeds closing net debt, minus (f) the amount, if any, by which the company transaction expenses exceed the target company transaction expenses of $14,000,000 (but not less than zero). In addition, holders of AIRO Group Holdings’ securities shall have the contingent right to receive from ParentCo, in the aggregate, up to 33,000,000, and the Sponsor shall have the contingent right to receive up to 3,300,000 shares of ParentCo Common Stock (the “Earnout Shares”). In the event that for any full 12-month period (each an “Earnout Period”) commencing on or after the Closing Date (the “Earnout Start Date”) and ending on or before the last day of the thirteenth full calendar quarter following the Closing Date (the “Earnout End Date”, and the period between the Earnout Start Date and the Earnout End Date, the “Earnout Eligibility Period”) ParentCo’s revenue is (i) greater than or equal to $42,600,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, (ii) greater than or equal to $141,400,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, and (iii) greater than or equal to $358,900,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, then upon the occurrence of each (i), (ii), and (iii) ParentCo shall issue to each of the stockholders of AIRO Group Holdings such stockholder’s pro rata share of 6,600,000 Earnout Shares and the Sponsor shall be issued 660,000 Earnout Shares. In the event that ParentCo’s EBITDA for any Earnout Period is (x) greater than or equal to $(19,300,000) for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, (y) greater than or equal to $4,000,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period and (z) greater than or equal to $98,600,000 for the first time during the Earnout Eligibility Period, then upon the occurrence of each of (x), (y), and (z), ParentCo shall issue to each of the stockholders of AIRO Group Holding such stockholder’s pro rata share of 4,400,000 Earnout Shares and the Sponsor shall be issued 440,000 Earnout Shares.

 

30

 

The Business Combination Agreement contains customary conditions to Closing, including the following mutual conditions of the parties (unless waived): (i) approval of the shareholders of Kernel and AIRO Group Holdings of the Transaction and the other matters requiring shareholder approval; (ii) approvals of any required governmental authorities and completion of any antitrust expiration periods; (iii) receipt of specified third party consents; (iv) no law or order preventing the Transaction; (v) the Registration Statement having been declared effective by the SEC; (vi) no material uncured breach by the other party; (vii) no occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect with respect to the other party; (viii) the satisfaction of the $5,000,001 minimum net tangible asset test by Kernel; (ix) approval from Nasdaq for the listing of the shares of ParentCo’s common to be issued in connection with the Transaction; and (x) reconstitution of the Post-Closing Board as contemplated under the Business Combination Agreement.

 

In addition, unless waived by AIRO Group Holdings, the obligations of AIRO Group Holdings to consummate the Transaction are subject to the satisfaction of the following additional Closing conditions, in addition to the delivery by Kernel of the Related Agreements (as defined and described in greater detail below), customary certificates and other Closing deliverables: (i) the representations and warranties of Kernel being true and correct as of the date of the Business Combination Agreement and as of the Closing (subject to customary exceptions, including materiality qualifiers); (ii) Kernel having performed in all material respects its obligations and complied in all material respects with its covenants and agreements under the Business Combination Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the date of the Closing; (iii) absence of any Material Adverse Effect with respect to Kernel since the date of the Business Combination Agreement which is continuing and uncured; (iv) the replacement of the Replacement Warrants and Replacement Options; (v) at the Closing, Kernel having $50,000,000 in Unencumbered Cash, including funds remaining in the trust account (after giving effect to the completion and payment of any redemptions and any Transaction Expenses) and the proceeds of the PIPE/Convertible Note Investment, fifty percent (50%) of any net cash proceeds of any capital investment raise and/or convertible debt raise conducted by the Company during the period beginning on the effective date of the Business Combination and ending on the Closing Date, and any net cash proceeds of any executed agreements regarding a capital investment raise and/or convertible debt raise conducted by Kernel or ParentCo in which such cash proceeds are required to be paid to ParentCo during the thirty (30) day period beginning on the Closing Date.

 

Finally, unless waived by Kernel, the obligations of Kernel to consummate the Transaction are subject to the satisfaction of the following additional Closing conditions, in addition to the delivery by Kernel of the Related Agreements (as defined and described in greater detail below), customary certificates and other Closing deliverables: (i) the representations and warranties of AIRO Group Holdings being true and correct as of the date of the Business Combination Agreement and as of the Closing (subject to customary exceptions, including materiality qualifiers); (ii) AIRO Group Holdings having performed in all material respects their respective obligations and complied in all material respects with their respective covenants and agreements under the Business Combination Agreement required to be performed or complied with by them on or prior to the date of the Closing; (iii) absence of any Material Adverse Effect with respect to AIRO Group Holdings and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis since the date of the Business Combination Agreement which is continuing and uncured; (iv) delivery of AIRO’s 2022 Audited Financials within 60 days of the Business Combination Agreement’s signing; (v) the completion of Kernel’s legal due diligence of AIRO Group Holdings and its subsidiaries to Kernel’s reasonable satisfaction; (vi) the replacement of the Replacement Warrants and Replacement Options; and (vii) the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness of the Target Companies due earlier than 180 days after the Closing (less Company cash at Closing) is less than Fifty Million U.S. Dollars ($50,000,000).

 

On August 29, 2023, the Company, ParentCo, Kernel Merger Sub, AIRO Merger Sub, Seller Representative, AIRO Group Holdings, and the Sponsor entered into the First Amendment to the Business Combination Agreement (the “First Amendment”). The First Amendment amends the Business Combination Agreement to make certain changes to the earnout provisions to fix the number of Earnout Shares that can be granted in each Earnout Period based on a $10.00 per share price.

 

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Nasdaq Delisting Notice

 

On July 7, 2023, the Company received a notice (the “Nasdaq Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq stating that, as of June 29, 2023, the Company had failed to hold an annual meeting of shareholders within 12 months after its fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, as required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(a) (the “Rule”) and therefore was not in compliance with the Rule. As a result, Nasdaq has advised the Company that its securities would be subject to delisting unless the Company timely requests a hearing before an independent Hearings Panel (the “Panel”). Accordingly, the Company intends to timely request a hearing. The hearing request will stay the suspension of the Company’s securities and the termination of registration of the securities with Nasdaq as required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission pending the Panel’s decision and, therefore, Nasdaq’s notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s ordinary shares, units or warrants on Nasdaq. The time and place of any hearing before the Panel will be determined by the Panel. There can be no assurance that the Panel will grant the Company’s request for continued listing.

 

On September 1, 2023, the Company received a letter (the “Nasdaq letter”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq stating that the Company regained compliance under the Rule upon holding its annual meeting of shareholders on August 31, 2023.

 

Liquidity, Capital Resources, and Going Concern

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net cash used in operating activities of $1,109,602, which was due to our net loss of $8,403,889, income from investments held in Trust Account of $1,522,366, gain on waiver of deferred underwriting commissions of $755,346, partially offset by unrealized loss on changes in the fair value of warrant liabilities of $1,264,896, amortization of debt discount of $1,322,101, unrealized loss on fair value of derivative liabilities – forward purchase agreement of $6,261,728, and changes in working capital of $723,274.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was $292,365, which was due to unrealized loss on changes in the fair value of warrant liabilities of $11,753,875, income from investments held in Trust Account of $1,838,466, partially offset by our net income of $12,718,946, and changes in working capital of $581,030.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net cash provided by investing activities of $244,125,328 included the proceeds from cash withdrawn from the Trust Account of $246,225,328 to pay redeeming shareholders, partially offset by the investment of cash deposited into the Trust Account of $2,100,000 in connection with the Extension Payments.

 

There were no cash flows from investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net cash used in financing activities of $243,108,017 included payments to redeeming shareholders of $246,225,328, partially offset by proceeds from a related party promissory notes of $1,667,311, and convertible promissory notes of $1,450,000.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, net cash used in financing activities was $70,000, which was a result of payment of offering costs.

 

As of September 30, 2023, we had $804 in our operating bank account and a working capital deficit of $13,027,621.

 

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The Company’s liquidity needs to date have been satisfied through a contribution of $25,000 from Original Sponsor to cover for certain expenses in exchange for the issuance of the Founder Shares, the loan of $77,000 from the Original Sponsor under the Note, certain portion of the proceeds from the consummation of the Private Placement not held in the Trust Account, the Promissory Note of $2,100,000, and Convertible Promissory Note of $1,450,000. The Company repaid $77,000 of the loan from the Original Sponsor in February 2021. In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide the Company Working Capital Loans. If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans.

 

Management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of a Business Combination or one year from this filing. Over this time period, the Company will be using these funds for paying existing accounts payable, identifying and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” the Company have determined that the liquidity condition, the date of the mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after February 5, 2023. The unaudited condensed financial statements do not include any adjustment that might be necessary if the Company are unable to continue as a going concern. The Company’s management plans to complete a business combination prior to the mandatory liquidation date.

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on our financial position, results of our operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of the financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. As a result of this action, various nations, including the United States, have instituted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus.

 

The escalation in October 2023 of the conflict between Israel and Hamas also could cause disruptions to global economic conditions and effect the stability of the Middle East region. It is unknown how long any of these disruptions will continue and whether such disruptions will become more severe.

 

The impact of these conflicts on the world economy is not determinable as of the date of these financial statements and the specific impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows is also not determinable as of the date of these condensed financial statements.

 

Results of Operations

 

Our entire activity since inception up to September 30, 2023 was in preparation for our formation and the Initial Public Offering, and since the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the search for an initial Business Combination. We will not be generating any operating revenues until the closing and completion of our initial Business Combination, at the earliest.

 

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, we had a net loss of $187,157, which consisted of $578,578 in general and administrative costs and $30,000 related party administrative fees, $416,701 in amortization of debt discount, $1,220 in interest expense, and $788,496 unrealized loss on fair value of derivatives related to the Forward Purchase Agreement, partially offset by $1,439,250 of unrealized gain from change in fair value of warrant liabilities and $562,902 from income from investments held in trust account.

 

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For the three months ended September 30, 2022, we had net income of $2,297,951, which consisted of $1,378,065 of income from investments held in Trust Account and an unrealized gain of $1,199,375 resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities, partially offset by $249,489 in general and administrative expenses and $30,000 related party administrative fees.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we had a net loss of $8,403,889, which consisted of $1,737,996 in general and administrative costs and $90,000 of related party administrative fees, an unrealized loss of $1,264,896 resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities, an unrealized loss of $6,261,728 resulting from change in fair value of the derivative liability Forward Purchase Agreement $1,322,101 in amortization of debt discount, $4,880 in interest expense, partially offset by $1,522,366 of income from investments held in the Trust Account, and $755,346 gain resulting from a waiver of deferred underwriting commissions.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we had net income of $12,718,946, which consisted of $1,838,466 of income from investments held in Trust Account and a non-operating gain of $11,753,875 resulting from the change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities, partially offset by $783,395 in general and administrative expenses and $90,000 related party administrative fees.

 

Related Party Transactions

 

Founder Shares

 

On November 19, 2020, the Original Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for certain expenses on behalf of us in exchange for issuance of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares (the “Founder Shares”). On January 11, 2021, we effected a 1 for 1.25 forward stock split of the Founder Shares that increased the number of outstanding Founder Shares from 5,750,000 to 7,187,500 shares, and the Original Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 75,000 Founder Shares to the independent directors and an aggregate of 50,000 Founder Shares to the Former Advisors. On February 2, 2021, we effected a 1 for 1.06 forward stock split of the Founder Shares that increased the number of outstanding Founder Shares from 7,187,500 to 7,618,750 shares and resulted in the Original Sponsor holding 7,493,750 Founder Shares. The Original Sponsor agreed to forfeit up to an aggregate of 993,750 Founder Shares to the extent that the option to purchase additional Units was not exercised in full by the underwriters or was reduced, so that the Founder Shares would represent 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after the Initial Public Offering. On February 5, 2021, the underwriter fully exercised its over-allotment option; thus, these 993,750 Founder Shares are no longer subject to forfeiture.

 

The Sponsor agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of (A) one year after the completion of the initial Business Combination and (B) subsequent to the initial Business Combination, (x) if the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the initial Business Combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

On December 28, 2022, we entered into a purchase agreement with the Original Sponsor, and VKSS Capital, LLC, a Delaware corporation (the “New Sponsor” or “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the New Sponsor, or an entity designated by the New Sponsor, will purchase from the Original Sponsor 7,618,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share and 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, each of which is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $1.00 payable at the time we effect the initial Business Combination. Upon the closing of the initial Business Combination, New Sponsor shall also convey 2,000,000 Class B ordinary shares to the equityholders of the Original Sponsor, as of December 28, 2022, pro rata based on the equityholders’ underlying interest in our Class B ordinary shares as of December 28, 2022.

 

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Private Placement Warrants

 

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we consummated the Private Placement of 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant with the Original Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of approximately $8.8 million.

 

On December 28, 2022, the Original Sponsor transferred all Private Placement Warrants to the New Sponsor.

 

Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants to the Sponsor was added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If we do not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable for cash and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

 

The Sponsor and our officers and directors agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination.

 

Related Party Loans

 

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). If we complete a Business Combination, we may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to us. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, we may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1.5 million of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post Business Combination entity at a price of $1.00 per warrant. The warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023 , the Company entered into loan agreements with eleven investors and the Sponsor (the “Loan Agreements”). Pursuant to the Loan Agreements, the investors loaned the Sponsor a total of $2,100,000, which will in turn be loaned by the Sponsor to the Company, to cover a portion of the extension fees with any remaining balance to be used for the Company’s working capital. The Loan Agreements accrue 8% interest per annum and shall be repaid upon closing the initial Business Combination. The Company intends to pay all principal under the Loan Agreements and shall not be responsible for the payment of any interest on the loans. As of September 30, 2023, the total amount drawn on the Loan Agreements was $1,667,311.

 

Forward Purchase Agreement

 

In February 2023, the Company entered into a forward purchase agreement (the “Forward Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which Meteora Special Opportunity Fund I, LP, Meteora Capital Partners, LP, Meteora Select Trading Opportunities Master, LP (collectively the “Seller”), intends, but is not obligated, to purchase from the Company up to a maximum of 7,700,000 Class A ordinary shares (the “Forward Purchase Shares”) from holders (other than the Company or its affiliates) who have elected to redeem such shares in connection with the Business Combination. Purchases by Seller will be made through brokers in the open market after the redemption deadline in connection with the Business Combination at a price no higher than the redemption price to be paid by the Company in connection with the Business Combination.

 

The Seller will determine in its sole discretion the specific number of forward purchase shares (up to 7,700,000) that it will purchase, if any, and the obligation of the Company to sell the forward purchase shares is subject to the approval of the Seller’s manager following notice to the Seller that the Company intends to enter into an agreement for a Business Combination.

 

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The Forward Purchase Agreement also provides that the Seller is entitled to registration rights with respect to the Forward Purchase Shares. The proceeds from the sale of the Forward Purchase Shares may be used as part of the consideration to the Company in an initial Business Combination, expenses in connection with an initial Business Combination or for working capital in the post-Business Combination company. These purchases are required to be made regardless of whether any Class A ordinary shares are redeemed by the Public Shareholders and are intended to provide the Company with a minimum funding level for an initial Business Combination. The Forward Purchase Shares will be issued only in connection with the closing of an initial Business Combination.

 

The Company accounts for the Forward Purchase Agreement in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40. Such guidance provides that because the Forward Purchase Agreement does not meet the criteria for equity treatment thereunder, the agreement must be recorded as a liability. Accordingly, the Company classifies the Forward Purchase Agreement as an asset or liability at its fair value. This asset or liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date. With each such remeasurement, the asset or liability will be adjusted to fair value, with the change in fair value recognized in the Company’s condensed statements of operations.

 

The Company evaluated the Forward Purchase Agreement at September 30, 2023 at a value of $6,261,728.

 

Administrative Services Agreement

 

Commencing on the date that our securities were first listed on Nasdaq through the earlier of consummation of the initial Business Combination or its liquidation, we agreed to pay the Sponsor $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $30,000 and $30,000 for such services, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $90,000 and $90,000 for such services, respectively. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $260,000 and $170,000 were outstanding, respectively, and included in accrued expenses – related party as reflected in the accompanying condensed balance sheets.

 

Commitments and Contractual Obligations

 

Registration and Shareholder Rights

 

The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants) were entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration and shareholder rights agreement signed upon the effective date of the Initial Public Offering. The holders of these securities were entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders will be entitled to certain demand and “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial Business Combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

We granted the underwriters a 45-day option from the final date of the prospectus relating to the Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 3,975,000 additional Units at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. On February 5, 2021, the underwriter fully exercised its over-allotment option.

 

The underwriters were entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit, approximately $6.1 million in the aggregate, paid upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per unit, or approximately $10.7 million in the aggregate will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. On May 24, 2023, the underwriters agreed to waive their rights to their portion of the fee payable by the Company for deferred underwriting commissions, with respect to any potential business combination of the Company. Of the total $10,666,250 waived fee, $9,910,904 was recorded as a reduction to accumulated deficit and $755,346 was recorded as a gain on the waiver of deferred underwriting commissions by underwriter in the condensed statements of operations, following a manner consistent with the original allocation of the deferred underwriting fees.

 

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Critical Accounting Estimates

 

Derivative Warrant Liabilities

 

We do not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. We evaluate all of our financial instruments, including issued stock purchase warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives, pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity” (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period.

 

The warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Warrants are recognized as derivative liabilities in accordance with ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company recognizes the warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The liabilities are subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until exercised. The fair value of warrants issued in connection with the Private Placement has been measured by using the market value of the public warrants. The fair value of the warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering was initially measured using a Monte-Carlo simulation and subsequently has been measured based on the market price at each measurement date when separately listed and traded. The determination of the fair value of the derivative liability may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and accordingly the actual results could differ significantly. Derivative liabilities are classified as non-current liabilities as their liquidation is not reasonably expected to require the use of current assets or require the creation of current liabilities.

 

Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption

 

We account for our Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, Class A ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. Our Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of Initial Public Offering, we had 30,475,000 Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption, that are presented as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ equity (deficit) section of our condensed balance sheets. In the nine months ended September 30, 2023, 24,159,051 Class A ordinary shares were redeemed by shareholders.

 

We recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and adjusts the carrying value of the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. This method would view the end of the reporting period as if it were also the redemption date for the security. Effective with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, we recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount, which resulted in charges against additional paid-in capital (to the extent available) and accumulated deficit.

 

Net Income (Loss) per Ordinary Share

 

We comply with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.” We have two classes of shares, which are referred to as Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Income and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. This presentation assumes a business combination as the most likely outcome.Net income (loss) per ordinary share is calculated by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding for the respective period.

 

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The calculation of diluted net income (loss) per ordinary share does not consider the effect of the warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement Warrants to purchase 23,987,500 Class A ordinary shares in calculation of diluted income (loss) per share, because their exercise is contingent upon future events and their inclusion would be anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method. As a result, diluted net income (loss) per share is the same as basic net income (loss) per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. Accretion associated with the redeemable Class A ordinary shares is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.

 

We have considered the effect of Class B ordinary shares that were excluded from weighted average number as they were contingent on the exercise of over-allotment option by the underwriters. Since the contingency was satisfied, we have included these shares in the weighted average number as of the beginning of the interim period to determine the dilutive impact of these shares.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, ASC Subtopic 820, “Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions.” The ASU amends ASC 820 to clarify that a contractual sales restriction is not considered in measuring an equity security at fair value and to introduce new disclosure requirements for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions that are measured at fair value. The ASU applies to both holders and issuers of equity and equity-linked securities measured at fair value. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for both interim and annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company is still evaluating the impact of this pronouncement on the financial statements.

 

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

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

As of September 30, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

 

JOBS Act

 

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”) contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act are allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, the financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

 

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis) and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our Initial Public Offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.

 

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that during the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as September 30, 2023.

 

Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023 covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

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PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

 

On September 19, 2023, the Company was served with a lawsuit by KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (“KPMG Germany”). KPMG Germany asserted claims against the Company for unpaid fees incurred by the Company for KPMG Germany’s transaction advice in 2021 in the amount of $758,282.35 (the “Claim”). The Claim is being brought in Germany in the District Court of Frankfurt am Main Chamber for Commercial Affairs, Regional Court of Urbach. On September 21, 2023, the Regional Court of Urbach set the amount in dispute at $736,690.70.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

 

As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023. We may disclose additional factors from time to time in our future filings with the SEC.

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities, Use of Proceeds, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

On November 19, 2020, our Original Sponsor paid $25,000 to cover certain expenses on our behalf in consideration of 5,750,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001.

 

In January 2021, we effected a 1 for 1.2 forward stock split of the Founder Shares that increased the number of outstanding founder shares from 5,750,000 to 7,618,750 shares and our Original Sponsor transferred an aggregate of 75,000 Founder Shares to our independent directors and an aggregate of 50,000 Founder Shares to our Former Advisors.

 

On February 2, 2021, we completed our Initial Public Offering of 30,475,000 units, including 3,975,000 units as a result of the underwriters’ exercise of their over-allotment option in full, at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $304,750,000. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., served as the representative of the underwriters in the Company’s Initial Public Offering.

 

Concurrently with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, our Original Sponsor purchased 8,750,000 Private Placement Warrants, each exercisable to purchase one ordinary share at $11.50 per share generating gross proceeds of $8.75 million, in a private placement that closed simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants was added to the proceeds from the initial public offering held in the Trust Account. If the company does not complete an initial Business Combination within 24 months (or 30 months, subject to six one-month extensions) from the closing of our Initial Public Offering, the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants are substantially similar to the warrants underlying the units issued in the Initial Public Offering, except that they are non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees. The Sponsor and the company’s officers and directors agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Private Placement Warrants until 30 days after the completion of the initial Business Combination. The sale of the Private Placement Warrants was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.

 

Use of Proceeds

 

In connection with the Initial Public Offering and the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, we incurred offering costs of approximately $17.4 million, of which approximately $10.7 million was for deferred underwriting commissions. Other incurred offering costs consisted principally preparation fees related to the Initial Public Offering. After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the Initial Public Offering expenses, approximately $304.8 million of the net proceeds from our Initial Public Offering and certain of the proceeds from the private placement of the Private Placement Warrants (or $10.00 per Unit sold in the initial public offering) was placed in the Trust Account. The net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and certain proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants are held in the trust account and invested as described elsewhere in this Report.

 

There has been no material change in the planned use of the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants as is described in our final prospectus related to our initial public offering.

 

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Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

 

None.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Other Information

 

(a) None.

 

(b) None.

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

Item 6. Exhibits 

 

Exhibit

Number

   Description
2.1†   Business Combination Agreement, dated March 3, 2023, by and among Kernel Group Holdings, Inc., AIRO Group, Inc., Kernel Merger Sub, Inc., AIRO Merger Sub, Inc., VKSS Capital, LLC, Seller Representative, and AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 6, 2023)
2.2   First Amendment to Business Combination Agreement, dated as of August 29, 2023, by and among Kernel Group Holdings, Inc., AIRO Group, Inc., Kernel Merger Sub, Inc., AIRO Merger Sub, Inc., VKSS Capital, LLC, Seller Representative, and AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 30, 2023)
3.1   Amended and Restated Articles of Association of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 5, 2021)
3.2   Amendment to Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, filed May 12, 2023)
3.3   Amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Association of the Company dated August 3, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 4, 2023)
4.1   Warrant Agreement, dated February 5, 2021, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 5, 2021)
10.1   Amendment No. 2 to Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated August 3, 2023, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company (incorporated by referenced to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 4, 2023)
10.2   Form of Loan and Transfer Agreement, by and among the Company, VKSS Capital, LLC, and lenders (incorporated by referenced to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 7, 2023)
10.3  

Form of Loan and Transfer Agreement, by and among the Company, VKSS Capital, LLC, and lenders (incorporated by referenced to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 7, 2023)
31.1*   Certification of Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*   Certification of Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1**   Certification of Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2**   Certification of Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS*   Inline XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the iXBRL document and contained in Exhibit 101)

 

* Filed herewith.

 

** Furnished.

 

† Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(a)(5). The Registrant agrees to furnish a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request.

 

41

 

PART III

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Dated: November 13, 2023 KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Surendra Ajjarapu
  Name: Surendra Ajjarapu
  Title:

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

Dated: November 13, 2023 KERNEL GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Howard Doss
  Name: Howard Doss
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

42

EX-31.1 2 ex31-1.htm

 

Exhibit 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a)

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Surendra Ajjarapu, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 of Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.;
   
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
   
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
   
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
     
  b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
     
  c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
     
  d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
     
  b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

Date: November 13, 2023 By: /s/ Surendra Ajjarapu
    Surendra Ajjarapu
    Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
    (Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

EX-31.2 3 ex31-2.htm

 

Exhibit 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a)

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Howard Doss, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 of Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.;
   
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
   
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
   
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
     
  b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
     
  c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
     
  d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
     
  b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

Date: November 13, 2023 By: /s/ Howard Doss
    Howard Doss
    Chief Financial Officer
   

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

EX-32.1 4 ex32-1.htm

 

Exhibit 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Surendra Ajjarapu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

 

(1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
   
(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: November 13, 2023    
  /s/ Surendra Ajjarapu
  Name: Surendra Ajjarapu
  Title: Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
    (Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

EX-32.2 5 ex32-2.htm

 

Exhibit 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Howard Doss, Chief Financial Officer, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

 

(1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
   
(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: November 13, 2023  
  /s/ Howard Doss
  Name: Howard Doss
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)