SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

☐ 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 ‎001-40117‎

FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.‎

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Cayman Islands		N/A
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

‎14 Wall Street, 20th Floor

New York, New York

10005

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

‎

1 212-618-1798‎

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

Title of Each Class	Trading ‎Symbol(s)‎	Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share	FACT	The New York Stock Exchange
Redeemable warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one ‎Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50	FACT WS	The New York Stock Exchange
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-‎fourth of one redeemable warrant	FACT.U‎	The New York Stock Exchange

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

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

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 (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for 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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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

The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the closing sales price for the Class A ordinary shares on June 30, 2022, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange, was $339,256,450.

As of December 31, 2022, 34,500,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, ‎and 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, were issued and outstanding, ‎respectively.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None

FREEDOM ACQUISITION I CORP.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

			Page
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary			iii

PART I			1

	Item 1.	Business	1
	Item 1A.	Risk Factors	16
	Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	50
	Item 2.	Property	50
	Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	50
	Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	50

PART II			51

	Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	51
	Item 6.	[Reserved]	52
	Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	53
	Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk	58
	Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	58
	Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	58
	Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	58
	Item 9B.	Other Information.	59
	Item 9C.	Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.	59

PART III			60

	Item 11.	Executive Compensation.	67
	Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	68
	Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	70
	Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services.	73

PART IV			74

	Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules	74
	Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	75

CERTAIN TERMS

Unless otherwise stated in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”), references to:

“we,” “us,” “our,” “company,” “our company,” or “Freedom” are to Freedom Acquisition I Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company;

“amended and restated memorandum and articles of association” are to our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association;

“Class A ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share;

“Class B ordinary shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share;

“Companies Act” are to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands as the same may be amended from time to time;

“directors” are to our current directors;

“founder shares” are to our Class B ordinary shares initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to our initial public offering and our Class A ordinary shares that will be issued upon the automatic conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination;

“Freedom Acquisition LLC” are to a member of our sponsor, Freedom Acquisition LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company that is owned by Tidjane Thiam, our Executive Chairman, Abhishek Bhatia, a board observer, and Adam Gishen, our Chief Executive Officer;

“initial shareholders” are to holders of our founder shares prior to our initial public offering;

“management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors;

“NextG” are to NextG Tech Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, which is a member of our sponsor and is affiliated with Edward Zeng, one of our directors;

“ordinary shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares and our Class B ordinary shares;

“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering;

“public shares” are to our Class A ordinary shares sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter in the open market);

“public shareholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our initial shareholders and management team to the extent our initial shareholders and/or members of our management team purchase public shares, provided that each initial shareholder’s and member of our management team’s status as a “public shareholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;

“public warrants” are to the warrants sold as part of the units in our initial public offering (whether they were purchased in our initial public offering or thereafter in the open market);

“sponsor” are to Freedom Acquisition I LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company;

“warrants” are to our public warrants and private placement warrants; and

“$,” “US$” and “U.S. dollar” each refer to the United States dollar.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary

Some of the statements contained in this Annual Report may constitute “forward-looking statements,” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report may include, for example, statements about:

●

risks associated with our proposed business combination with Complete Solaria;

●

our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;

●

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

●

our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;

●

our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;

●

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;

●

our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;

●

our pool of prospective target businesses;

●

the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities;

●

the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting;

●

our public securities’ liquidity and trading;

●

the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;

●

the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or

●

our financial performance.

The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described in “Item 1A.-Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

iii

Summary of Risk Factors

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Such risks include, but are not limited to:

●

We may not be able to complete the proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria. If we are unable to do so, we will incur substantial costs associated with withdrawing from the transaction and may not be able to find additional sources of financing to cover those costs.

●

If the proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria fails, it may be difficult to complete a business combination with a new prospective target business, negotiate and agree to a new business combination, and/or arrange for new sources of financing by the end of the Extension Period, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate.

●

We are a blank check company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

●

Past performance by our management team, directors, advisors and their respective affiliates may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the Company.

●

We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders’ investment in us.

●

Our search for a business combination, and any prospective partner business with which we ultimately consummate a business combination, may be materially adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the status of debt and equity markets.

●

Unlike some other similarly structured special purpose acquisition companies, our initial shareholders will receive additional Class A ordinary shares if we issue certain shares to consummate an initial business combination.

●

Resources could be wasted in researching business combinations that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

●

Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.

●

Your only opportunity to effect your investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash.

●

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and management team have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.

●

The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target or prevent us from completing the most desirable business combination or optimizing our capital structure.

●

If the funds available to us outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the Extension Period, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination, and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search and to complete our initial business combination.

●

You are not entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

●

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination during the Extension Period may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.

●

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only their pro rata portion of the funds in the trust account that are available for distribution to public shareholders, and our warrants will expire worthless.

●

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. To mitigate the risk of being deemed to be an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we may instruct the trustee of the trust account to liquidate the securities held in the trust account and instead hold all funds in the trust account in a bank deposit account.

●

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. This material weakness could continue to adversely affect our ability to report our results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner.

●

The NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

●

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Therefore, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

●

If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for submitting or tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

●

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.

●

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

●

Certain members of our management team may be involved in and have a greater financial interest in the performance of other entities with which they are affiliated, and such activities may create conflicts of interest in making decisions on our behalf.

●

Our initial shareholders stand to make a substantial profit on the founder shares even if an initial business combination subsequently declines in value or is unprofitable for our public shareholders, and may have an incentive to recommend such an initial business combination to our shareholders.

PART I

Item 1. Business

General

We are a blank check company, incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout Annual Report as our initial business combination.

Freedom Acquisition I Corp. was established by Tidjane Thiam, Adam Gishen and Abhishek Bhatia to leverage their extensive experience in acquiring, building, operating and scaling global financial services businesses in constantly evolving environments. Mr. Thiam, with his more than 30 years of experience in financial services businesses, led global institutions like Credit Suisse and Prudential as CEO for 5 years and 6 years, respectively. Mr. Gishen has over 20 years of experience in financial services and has held senior leadership responsibilities in recent years at Credit Suisse running its Global Investor Relations and Corporate Communications functions. Mr. Bhatia has more than 20 years of global experience in life and general insurance and asset management and has created businesses from scratch, including a technology-enabled life insurer in Europe and a full-stack digital insurer in Asia for which he served as CEO.

Company History

On December 31, 2020, the sponsor paid $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, to cover certain offering costs in consideration for 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “founder shares”). On February 25, 2021, the Company effected a share dividend whereby the Company issued 1,437,500 Class B ordinary shares, resulting in an aggregate of 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares outstanding and held by our sponsor. Our Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares, on a one-for-one basis, upon the completion of a business combination. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon completion of the initial public offering.

On March 2, 2021, we completed our initial public offering of 34,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit (the “units”), generating gross proceeds of $345,000,000. Each unit consists of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments.

Substantially concurrently with the completion of the initial public offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 6,266,667 warrants (the “private placement warrants”) at a price of $1.50 per warrant, or $9,400,000 in the aggregate. A total of $345,000,000, comprised of $338,595,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering, including $12,075,000 of the underwriters’ deferred discount, and $6,405,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants, was placed in a U.S.-based trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.

On April 16, 2021, we announced that, commencing April 19, 2021, holders of the 34,500,000 units sold in the initial public offering may elect to separately trade the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants included in the units. Those units not separated continued to trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “FACT.U” and the Class A ordinary shares and warrants that were separated trade under the symbols “FACT” and “FACT WS,” respectively.

Amendment to Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

On February 28, 2023, Freedom held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the “Extraordinary General Meeting”), at which holders of 35,373,848 ordinary shares, comprised of 26,773,848 Class A ordinary shares and 8,600,000 Class B ordinary shares, were present in person or by proxy, representing approximately 82.02% of the voting power of the 43,125,000 issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Freedom entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting at the close of business on January 23, 2023, which was the record date (the “Record Date”) for the Extraordinary General Meeting (such shares, the “Outstanding Shares”). The Outstanding Shares on the Record Date were comprised of 34,500,000 Class A ordinary shares and 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares.

At the Extraordinary General Meeting, the shareholders approved, by special resolution, the proposal (the “Extension Amendment Proposal”) to amend the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to extend the date by which Freedom must (i) consummate a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination, which Freedom refers to as its initial business combination, (ii) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such initial business combination, and (iii) redeem all of the Class A ordinary shares, included as part of the units sold in the initial public offering, for an additional three months, from March 2, 2023 to June 2, 2023, and thereafter to up to three (3) times by an additional one month each time (or up to September 2, 2023) (the “Extension Amendment,” and such period, as may be extended, the “Extension Period”). The voting results for such proposal were as follows:

For				Against				Abstain
	35,047,305				326,543				0

In connection with the Extension Amendment, public shareholders elected to redeem an aggregate of 23,256,504 Class A ordinary shares at a redemption price of $10.21 per share, representing approximately 67.41% of the issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $237,372,952. Following such redemptions, approximately $114,759,374 remained in the trust account and 11,243,496 Class A ordinary shares remain outstanding.

At the Extraordinary General Meeting, the public shareholders also approved the proposal to amend the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2021 (the “Trust Agreement”), by and between Freedom and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee (“Continental”), to reflect the Extension Amendment. The amendment to the Trust Agreement provides that Continental shall commence liquidation of the trust account only and promptly (x) after its receipt of the applicable instruction letter delivered by Freedom in connection with either the consummation of an initial business combination or Freedom’s inability to effect an initial business combination within the time frame specified in Freedom’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or (y) upon the date that is the later of the end of the Extension Period and such later date as may be approved by Freedom’s shareholders in accordance with the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if the aforementioned termination letter has not been received by Continental prior to such date. The voting results for such proposal were as follows:

For				Against				Abstain
	35,047,305				326,543				0

The Proposed Business Combination

Business Combination Agreement

On October 3, 2022, Freedom entered into a Business Combination Agreement (as amended by the First Amendment to the Business Combination Agreement dated December 26, 2022 and the Second Amendment to the Business Combination Agreement dated January 17, 2023, and as may be further amended and supplemented from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), with Jupiter Merger Sub I Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom (“First Merger Sub”), Jupiter Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom (“Second Merger Sub”), Complete Solaria, Inc. (formerly known as Complete Solar Holding Corporation), a Delaware corporation (“Complete Solaria”) and The Solaria Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Solaria”).

The Mergers

The Business Combination Agreement provides that, among other things and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, the following transactions will occur (together with the other agreements and transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination”):

●

at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (the “Closing”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, and in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended (the “DGCL”), (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Complete Solaria, with Complete Solaria surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom, (ii) immediately thereafter and as part of the same overall transaction, Complete Solaria will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom, and (iii) immediately after the consummation of the Second Merger and as part of the same overall transaction, Solaria will merge with and into a newly formed Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Freedom (“Third Merger Sub”), with Third Merger Sub surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Freedom (the “Additional Merger,” and together with the First Merger and the Second Merger, the “Mergers”);

●

at the Closing, all outstanding shares of capital stock of Complete Solaria (subject to certain restrictions) and all options and warrants to acquire shares of capital stock of Complete Solaria will convert into the right to receive shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Freedom (after the Domestication (as defined below)) (“Freedom Common Stock”) or comparable equity awards that are settled or are exercisable for shares of Freedom Common Stock; and

●

at the Closing, Freedom will be renamed “Complete Solaria, Inc.”

A special committee (the “Freedom Special Committee”) of the Board of Directors of Freedom (the “Freedom Board”) and the Freedom Board have (i) approved the Business Combination Agreement and the Business Combination and (ii) resolved to recommend that the shareholders of Freedom approve the Business Combination Agreement and the Business Combination.

The Domestication

Prior to the Closing, subject to the approval of Freedom’s shareholders, and in accordance with the DGCL, the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised) (the “CICA”) and Freedom’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, Freedom will effect a deregistration under the CICA and a domestication under Section 388 of the DGCL (by means of filing a certificate of domestication with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware), pursuant to which Freedom’s jurisdiction of incorporation will be changed from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware (the “Domestication”).

In connection with the Domestication, (i) each of the then issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of Freedom, will convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of Freedom Common Stock, which is entitled to one vote per share, (ii) each of the then issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of Freedom, will convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of Freedom Common Stock.

Conditions to the Closing

The obligation of the parties to consummate the Business Combination is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, including (i) approval of the Business Combination and related matters by the respective shareholders of Freedom and Complete Solaria, (ii) expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, as amended, (iii) the absence of any law or injunctions prohibiting the consummation of the Mergers, (iv) Freedom having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets upon the Closing, (v) the size and composition of the Board conforming to the requirements set forth in the Business Combination Agreement, (vi) receipt of approval for listing by The New York Stock Exchange of the shares of Freedom common stock to be issued in the Business Combination, (vii) effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by Freedom in connection with the Business Combination and (viii) the receipt by the Freedom Board or Freedom Special Committee of a fairness opinion from a reputable financial advisory or valuation firm with respect to the Business Combination (which was received on October 31, 2022).

Other conditions to Freedom’s obligation to consummate the Business Combination include (i) the consummation of the Required Transaction (as defined below) (which was consummated on November 4, 2022) and (ii) the receipt by Complete Solaria of certain consents.

Each party’s obligation to consummate the Business Combination is also conditioned upon the accuracy of the other party’s representations and warranties, subject to customary materiality and material adverse effect qualifiers, and the performance in all material respects by the other party of its covenants in the Business Combination Agreement to be performed as of or prior to the Closing.

Covenants

The Business Combination Agreement contains additional covenants, including, among others, providing for (i) the parties to conduct their respective businesses in the ordinary course through the Closing, (ii) the parties to not initiate any negotiations or enter into any agreements for certain alternative transactions, (iii) Complete Solaria to prepare and deliver to Freedom certain audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements of Complete Solaria and its subsidiaries (including Solaria), (iv) Freedom to prepare and file a registration statement on Form S-4, including a proxy statement/prospectus, and to take certain other actions to obtain the requisite approval of Freedom shareholders of certain proposals regarding the Business Combination (including the Domestication), (v) the parties to use reasonable best efforts to obtain necessary approvals from governmental authorities, (vi) if determined in good faith by Freedom and Complete Solaria that it is probable that the Business Combination will be consummated after March 1, 2023, and subject to the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement, Freedom to seek the approval of its shareholders to amend its organizational documents to extend the time period for Freedom to consummate its initial business combination for six months from March 1, 2023 to September 1, 2023 (which was obtained on February 28, 2023).

Governance

Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, the board of directors of Complete Solaria following the Closing will consist of no more than seven directors, to initially consist of (i) the individuals designated by Complete Solaria prior to Closing, consisting of a majority of “independent” directors for the purposes of NYSE rules and (ii) Tidjane Thiam and Adam Gishen (or any other substitute director designated by the Sponsor, subject to the prior approval of Complete Solaria). Complete Solaria has agreed to cause Mr. Thiam to be nominated for election to its board of directors at each of its first three annual meetings of stockholders following the Closing.

Representations and Warranties

The Business Combination Agreement contains customary representations and warranties by Freedom, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub and Complete Solaria. The representations and warranties of the parties to the Business Combination Agreement will not survive the Closing.

Termination

The Business Combination Agreement contains the following termination rights:

●

the right of the parties to terminate the Business Combination Agreement by mutual consent;

●

the right of either Freedom or Complete Solaria to terminate the Business Combination Agreement if:

shareholders of the other party fail to approve the Business Combination;

any governmental authority issues or otherwise enters a final, nonappealable order making consummation of the Mergers illegal or otherwise prevents or prohibits consummation of the Mergers;

the other party breaches its representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements contained in the Business Combination Agreement in a way that would entitle the party seeking to terminate the Business Combination Agreement to not consummate the Business Combination, subject to the right of the breaching party to cure the breach;

the Required Transaction has not been consummated within 30 days following the date of the Business Combination Agreement (this termination right is no longer applicable as the Required Transaction was consummated on November 4, 2022);

the Freedom Board or Freedom Special Committee has not received a fairness opinion from a reputable financial advisory or valuation firm with respect to the Business Combination within 30 days of the date of the Business Combination Agreement and such party exercises the right to termination within such 30 day period (this termination right is no longer applicable as such fairness opinion was received on October 31, 2022); or

the Closing has not occurred on or before the end of the Extension Period;

●

the right of Complete Solaria to terminate the Business Combination Agreement if the Freedom Board or Freedom Special Committee changes its recommendation with respect to the Business Combination.

Certain Related Agreements and Transactions

The Required Transaction

On October 3, 2022, Complete Solar Holding Corporation (the predecessor of Complete Solaria) entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger with Complete Solaria Midco, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Solaria (“Midco”), Complete Solaria Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Midco, Solaria and Fortis Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, solely in its capacity as the representative of Complete Solaria’s stockholders (the “Required Transaction”). On November 4, 2022, the Required Transaction was consummated.

Complete Solaria Convertible Note Financing

On October 3, 2022, Complete Solaria entered into note subscription agreements (the “Pre-Signing Complete Solaria Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors, consisting of (i) Rodgers Massey Revocable Living Trust (“RMRLT”), which is affiliated with T.J. Rodgers, a former investor in Solaria, (ii) Tidjane Thiam, Executive Chairman of Freedom, (iii) Adam Gishen, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom, and (iv) NextG, an affiliate of Edward Zeng, a director of Freedom, pursuant to which such investors agreed to purchase convertible notes from Complete Solaria for an aggregate purchase price of $7 million. In addition, RMRLT purchased convertible notes from Complete Solaria following the consummation of the Required Transaction in an amount equal to approximately $6.7 million in consideration for RMRLT’s former investment in Solaria, which was assumed and cancelled by Complete Solaria.

The Business Combination Agreement also contemplates that, following the date of the Business Combination Agreement, Complete Solaria will enter into additional subscription agreements on terms substantially similar to, or no less favorable in all material respects to Complete Solaria than, the Pre-Signing Complete Solaria Subscription Agreements (the “Post-Signing Complete Solaria Subscription Agreements” and, together with the Pre-Signing Complete Solaria Subscription Agreements, the “Complete Solaria Subscription Agreements”) with additional investors pursuant to which such investors agree, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, to purchase convertible notes from Complete Solaria for an aggregate purchase price of up to $23 million. In November 2022, December 2022, and February 2023, Complete Solaria entered into note subscription agreements with additional investors, pursuant to which such investors purchased convertible notes from Complete Solaria for an aggregate purchase price of $16 million.

Sponsor Support Agreement

On October 3, 2022, Freedom entered into a Sponsor Support Agreement (the “Sponsor Support Agreement”) with Freedom Acquisition I LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), certain directors and officers of Freedom, and Complete Solaria, pursuant to which the Sponsor and each such director and officer of Freedom has agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, (ii) not redeem their Freedom ordinary shares, (iii) from the Closing, at each of the first three annual meetings of the stockholders of Complete Solaria vote all of their shares of common stock of Complete Solaria in favor of Mr. Thiam for election to the board of directors of Complete Solaria, and (iv) be bound by certain other agreements and covenants related to the Business Combination, including vesting and forfeiture restrictions with respect to certain shares held by the Sponsor.

Complete Solaria Stockholder Support Agreement

On October 3, 2022, Freedom entered into a Company Stockholders Support Agreement (the “Complete Solaria Stockholder Support Agreement”) with Complete Solaria and certain stockholders of Complete Solaria (the “Complete Solaria Stockholders”). Under the Complete Solaria Stockholder Support Agreement, each Complete Solaria Stockholder has agreed to, among other things (i) vote its shares, (ii) execute and deliver a written consent adopting the Business Combination Agreement and related transactions and approving the Business Combination, (iii) from the Closing, at each of the first three annual meetings of the stockholders of Complete Solaria vote all of its shares of Complete Solaria common stock in favor of Mr. Thiam for election to the board of directors of Complete Solaria, and (iv) be bound by certain other agreements and covenants related to the Business Combination.

Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement

The Business Combination Agreement contemplates that, at the Closing, Complete Solaria, the Sponsor, certain equityholders of Complete Solaria and certain of their respective affiliates, as applicable, and the other parties thereto, will enter into an Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “A&R Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which Complete Solaria will grant customary registration rights to the other parties thereto, including to register for resale, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), certain securities of Complete Solaria held by the other parties thereto.

Lock-Up Agreement

The Business Combination Agreement contemplates that, at the Closing, Complete Solaria, the Sponsor, the Sponsor Key Holders (as defined in the Lock-Up Agreement) and Complete Solaria Key Holders (as defined in the Lock-Up Agreement), will enter into a Lock-Up Agreement (the “Lock-Up Agreement”).

The Lock-Up Agreement contains certain restrictions on transfer with respect to securities of Complete Solaria to be held by the Sponsor, Sponsor Key Holders and Complete Solaria Key Holders immediately following the Closing (including shares of Complete Solaria common stock and any such shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion or settlement of derivative securities and promissory notes). Such restrictions begin at the Closing and end on the earlier of (x) the 12 month anniversary of the Closing and (y) the date on which the volume weighted average price of Complete Solaria common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30 consecutive trading day period beginning after the date that is 180 calendar days after the Closing and ending 365 calendar days following the Closing.

Except as specifically discussed, this Annual Report does not assume the closing of the Business Combination and related transactions.

Initial Business Combination

The rules of the NYSE require and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we must consummate an initial business combination 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 amount of any deferred underwriting commission held in trust) as determined at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. This is the case with respect to the proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria. If we do not complete the proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria, and instead pursue an alternative business combination and our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of our initial business combination (including with the assistance of financial advisors), we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or a valuation or appraisal firm with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. While we consider it likely that our board of directors will be able to make an independent determination of the fair market value of our initial business combination, it may be unable to do so if it is less familiar or experienced with the business of a particular target or if there is a significant amount of uncertainty as to the value of the target’s assets or prospects. In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior written consent of NextG. NextG has consented to our proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria.

Our proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria is structured so that the post-transaction company will own all of the equity interests of Complete Solaria. If we do not complete the proposed Business Combination and pursue an alternative initial business combination, we may structure it similarly or we may structure it such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target 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 of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target, or issue a substantial number of new shares to third parties in connection with financing our initial business combination. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our issued and outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be taken into account for purposes of the 80% of net assets test described above. If the business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Corporate Information

Our executive offices are located at 14 Wall Street, 20th Floor, New York, 10005, and our telephone number is (212) 618-1798. Our corporate website address is freedomac1.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this Annual Report.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Act. As an exempted company, we have received a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations will apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to 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 auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” will have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates did not exceed $700 million as of the prior June 30.

Effecting Our Initial Business Combination

On October 3, 2022, we entered into a Business Combination Agreement to consummate a proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria, as described under “— The Proposed Business Combination.” If the proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria is not consummated, we may seek to effectuate a business combination with another target business, as described below.

General

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following our initial public offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may use the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account following the closing for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

Sources of Target Businesses

We anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment bankers and private investment funds. Target businesses may be brought to our attention by such unaffiliated sources as a result of being solicited through calls or mailings. These sources may also introduce us to target businesses in which they think we may be interested on an unsolicited basis, since many of these sources will know what types of businesses we are targeting. Our officers and directors, as well as their affiliates, may also bring to our attention target business candidates of which they become aware through their business contacts as a result of formal or informal inquiries or discussions they may have, as well as attending trade shows or conventions. In addition, we expect to receive a number of proprietary deal flow opportunities that would not otherwise necessarily be available to us as a result of the track record and business relationships of our officers and directors. While we do not presently anticipate engaging the services of professional firms or other individuals that specialize in business acquisitions on any formal basis, we may engage these firms or other individuals in the future, in which event we may pay a finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation to be determined in an arm’s length negotiation based on the terms of the transaction. We will engage a finder only to the extent our management determines that the use of a finder may bring opportunities to us that may not otherwise be available to us or if finders approach us on an unsolicited basis with a potential transaction that our management determines is in our best interest to pursue. Payment of a finder’s fee is customarily tied to completion of a transaction, in which case any such fee will be paid out of the funds held in the trust account. In no event, however, will our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any entity with which they are affiliated, be paid any finder’s fee, consulting fee or other compensation by the company prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or completing the business combination through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, a committee of independent and disinterested directors would consider, review and approve the transaction. Additionally, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or a valuation or appraisal firm that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

Evaluation of a Target Business and Structuring of Our Initial Business Combination

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, interviews of customers and suppliers, inspection of facilities, as applicable, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us. If we determine to move forward with a particular target, we will proceed to structure and negotiate the terms of the business combination transaction.

The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of, and negotiation with, a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination. The company will not pay any consulting fees to members of our management team, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to or in connection with our initial business combination.

In addition, we have agreed not to enter into a definitive agreement regarding an initial business combination without the prior written consent of NextG. NextG has consented to our proposed Business Combination with Complete Solaria.

Lack of Business Diversification

For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:

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subject us to negative economic, competitive and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which we operate after our initial business combination, and

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cause us to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.

Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. At the completion of our initial business combination, we will be required to purchase any ordinary shares properly delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Limitations on Redemptions

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. In addition, our proposed initial business combination may impose a minimum cash requirement for (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed initial business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the initial business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. We may, however, raise funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities or through loans, advances or other indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements we may enter into, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements.

Manner of Conducting Redemptions

We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a general meeting called to approve the initial business combination or (ii) without a shareholder vote by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed initial business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or whether we were deemed to be a foreign private issuer. Asset acquisitions and share purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would typically require shareholder approval. So long as we obtain and maintain a listing for our securities on the NYSE, we will be required to comply with the NYSE’s shareholder approval rules.

The requirement that we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares by one of the two methods listed above is contained in provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will apply whether or not we maintain our registration under the Exchange Act or our listing on the NYSE. Such provisions may be amended if approved by holders of two-thirds of our ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon, so long as we offer redemption in connection with such amendment.

If we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with a general meeting, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:

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conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules, and

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file proxy materials with the SEC.

In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above.

If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if we receive an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the company. A quorum for such meeting will be present if the holders of a majority of issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting are represented in person or by proxy. Our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors will count toward this quorum and, pursuant to the letter agreement, our initial shareholders, sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares and public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of an ordinary resolution, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. These quorum and voting thresholds, and the voting agreement of our initial shareholders, officers and directors, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares without voting and, if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, we will:

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conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers, and

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file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than the number of public shares we are permitted to redeem. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.

Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

We intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. We believe that this will allow our transfer agent to efficiently process any redemptions without the need for further communication or action from the redeeming public shareholders, which could delay redemptions and result in additional administrative cost. If the proposed initial business combination is not approved and we continue to search for a target company, we will promptly return any certificates or shares delivered by public shareholders who elected to redeem their shares.

Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of Our Initial Business Combination If We Seek Shareholder Approval

If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our 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 Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering (the “Excess Shares”) without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us, our sponsor or our management to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us, our sponsor or our management at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in our initial public offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash.

However, we would not be restricting our shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

Delivering Share Certificates in Connection with the Exercise of Redemption Rights

As described above, we intend to require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to, at the holder’s option, either deliver their share certificates to our transfer agent or deliver their shares to our transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) system, prior to the date set forth in the proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable. In the case of proxy materials, this date may be up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination. In addition, if we conduct redemptions in connection with a shareholder vote, we intend to require a public shareholder seeking redemption of its public shares to also submit a written request for redemption to our transfer agent two business days prior to the scheduled vote in which the name of the beneficial owner of such shares is included. The proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the initial business combination if we distribute proxy materials, or from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, as applicable, to submit or tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures disclosed in the proxy or tender offer materials, as applicable, its shares may not be redeemed. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the broker submitting or tendering shares a fee of approximately $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to submit or tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

SEC Form 10-K filed by Freedom Acquisition I Corp.