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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Sep. 30, 2023
Dec. 31, 2022
Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)      
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 11 - Commitments and Contingencies

 

Corporate Guarantees

 

The Company has an outstanding guarantee of nil and INR 200,000 (approximately $2,433 at the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2023) as of December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, respectively, which pertains to a fund-based and non-fund based revolving credit facility availed by an affiliate, Bhanix Finance and Investment Ltd (“the borrower”), from Kotak Mahindra Bank. The corporate guarantee requires the Company to make payment in the event the borrower fails to perform any of its obligations under the credit facilities. The guarantee was withdrawn with effect from June 1, 2023, and the bank communicated the withdrawal on August 23, 2023. Subsequent to the withdrawal, the amount for expected credit loss recognized were reversed in entirety. Pursuant to the arrangement, beginning April 1, 2021, the Company charged a fee of 0.5% of the guarantee outstanding. In the nine months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded a guarantee fee income of $2 and $9 within “Other income, net” in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

Indemnification obligations

 

In the normal course of business, the Company is a party to a variety of agreements under which it may be obligated to indemnify the other party for certain matters. These obligations typically arise in contracts where the Company customarily agrees to hold the other party harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants for certain matters, infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, data privacy violations, and certain tortious conduct in the course of providing services. The duration of these indemnifications varies, and in certain cases, is indefinite.

 

The Company is unable to reasonably estimate the maximum potential amount of future payments under these or similar agreements due to the unique facts and circumstances of each agreement and the fact that certain indemnifications provide for no limitation to the maximum potential future payments under the indemnification. Management is not aware of any such matters that would have a material effect on the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, the Company may be involved in proceedings and litigation, claims and other legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business. Some of these claims, lawsuits, and other proceedings may involve highly complex issues that are subject to substantial uncertainties, and could result in damages, fines, penalties, nonmonetary sanctions, or relief. Management is not currently aware of any matters that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

Exchange Agreements

 

Upon consummation of the Business Combination, the holders of AARK ordinary shares and Aeries Technology Group Business Accelerators Pvt Ltd. (“ATGBA”) ordinary shares each entered into the Exchange Agreements. Pursuant to the Exchange Agreements, from and after the date of the Exchange Agreements and prior to April 1, 2024 and subject to certain exercise conditions, each holder of AARK ordinary shares and ATGBA ordinary shares may exchange up to 20% of the number of AARK ordinary shares and ATGBA ordinary shares, as applicable, held by such holder for Class A ordinary shares of the Company or cash, in each case as provided in the Exchange Agreements. From and after April 1, 2024 and subject to certain exercise conditions, the Company shall have the right to acquire all of the AARK or ATGBA ordinary Share for Class A ordinary shares or Cash. In addition, after April 01, 2024 and subject to certain exercise condition, each shareholder of ATGBA and AARK ordinary shares shall have the right to require the Company to provide Class A ordinary shares or cash in exchange for up to all of the AARK or ATGBA ordinary share. Each share of AARK may be exchanged for 2,246 Class A ordinary shares the Company and each ATGBA ordinary share may be exchanged for 14.40 Class A ordinary shares of the Company, in each case subject to certain adjustments. The cash exchange payment may only be elected in the event approval from the Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) is not obtained for exchange of shares and provided that the Company has reasonable cash flow to be able to pay the cash exchange payment and such payment would not be prohibited by any then outstanding debt agreements or arrangements of the Company.

 

Class A ordinary shares issuance to certain vendors

 

As set out in the section on Derivative Financial Instruments and FPA Put Option Liability under Note 2, in December 2023 ATI settled the amounts owed to certain vendors by issuance of Class A ordinary shares. If the VWAP of the Class A ordinary shares over the three trading days immediately preceding the agreement date is higher than the VWAP over the three trading days immediately preceding the six-month anniversary from the agreement date, ATI would need to issue additional Class A ordinary shares for the difference. This represents a derivative financial instrument, fair value of which as at December 31, 2023 has been assessed to be insignificant. Refer Note 14 for details on Fair Value Measurements.

Note 5 - Commitments and Contingencies

 

Registration Rights

 

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans, if any (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. These holders will be entitled to certain demand and “piggyback” registration rights. However, the registration rights agreement will provide that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Administrative Support Agreement

 

Commencing on the date that the Company’s securities were first listed on the NASDAQ, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to the Company, up to a maximum of $160,000. The Company recorded an aggregate of $0 and $20,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, in general and administrative expenses in connection with the related agreement in the accompanying statement of operations. The Company ceased paying these monthly fees in February 2023, as the $160,000 threshold was met in this month.

 

The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any shareholder or warrant holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding Public Warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of Public Warrants. Accordingly, the Company may amend the terms of the Public Warrants in a manner adverse to a holder of Public Warrants if holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding Public Warrants approve of such amendment. Although the Company’s ability to amend the terms of the Public Warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then outstanding Public Warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or shares, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

The Company paid an underwriting discount of 2.0% of the per Unit offering price to the Underwriter at the closing of the Initial Public Offering, with an additional fee of 3.5% of the gross offering proceeds payable only upon the Company’s completion of its Initial Business Combination (the “Deferred Discount”). The Deferred Discount of $8,050,000 would become payable to the Underwriter from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event the Company completes its Initial Business Combination unless the Underwriter waives their right to the underwriting fees.

 

The Company granted the Underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the IPO price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriter exercised their over-allotment option in full on November 11, 2021, and the closing of the issuance and sale of the additional 3,000,000 units (the “Over-Allotment Units”) occurred on November 15, 2021. In connection with the over-allotment exercise, the Company issued 3,000,000 Over-Allotment Units, representing 3,000,000 Ordinary Shares and 1,500,000 Public Warrants at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating total gross proceeds of $30,000,000.

 

Effective as of September 30, 2022, the underwriters from the Initial Public Offering resigned and withdrew from their role in the Business Combination and thereby waived their entitlement to the deferred underwriting fees of $8,050,000, which the Company has recorded as a gain on settlement of underwriter fees on the statements of shareholders’ deficit for the year ended December 31, 2022 for $7,847,542, which represents the original amount recorded to accumulated deficit, and the remaining balance of $202,548 representing the amount recorded to the statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. Based on this arrangement, the Company is no longer obligated to pay the underwriter if the Company merges with a Target in the future.

Note 5 — Commitments and Contingencies

 

Registration Rights

 

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans, if any (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans), will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. These holders will be entitled to certain demand and “piggyback” registration rights. However, the registration rights agreement will provide that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

Administrative Support Agreement

 

Commencing on the date that the Company’s securities were first listed on the NASDAQ, the Company agreed to pay the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof in an amount equal to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support made available to the Company. The Company recorded an aggregate of $120,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, in general and administrative expenses in connection with the related agreement in the accompanying statement of operations. Upon completion of the Initial Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

Warrant amendments

 

The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any shareholder or warrant holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, the Company may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder of public warrants if holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although the Company’s ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least a majority of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or shares, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

The Company paid an underwriting discount of 2.0% of the per Unit offering price to the Underwriter at the closing of the Initial Public Offering, with an additional fee of 3.5% of the gross offering proceeds payable only upon the Company’s completion of its Initial Business Combination (the “Deferred Discount”). The Deferred Discount of $8,050,000 will become payable to the Underwriter from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event the Company completes its Initial Business Combination.

 

The Company granted the Underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the IPO price less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriter exercised their over-allotment option in full on November 11, 2021, and the closing of the issuance and sale of the additional 3,000,000 units (the “Over-Allotment Units”) occurred on November 15, 2021. In connection with the over-allotment exercise, the Company issued 3,000,000 Over-Allotment Units, representing 3,000,000 Ordinary Shares and 1,500,000 public warrants at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating total gross proceeds of $30,000,000.

 

Effective as of September 30, 2022, the underwriters from the Initial Public Offering resigned and withdrew from their role in the Business Combination and thereby waived their entitlement to the deferred underwriting fees of $8,050,000, which the Company has recorded as a gain on settlement of underwriter fees on the statements of shareholders’ deficit for the year ended December 31, 2022 for $7,847,542, which represents the original amount recorded to accumulated deficit, and the remaining balance of $202,548 representing the amount recorded to the statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. Based on this arrangement, the Company is no longer obligated to pay the underwriter if the Company merges with a Target in the future.