At the SPAC of Dawn
Morning SPAC News Roundup-readers have spoken! On the eve of the Fed’s press conference, we asked SPACInsider subscribers in this space to predict the number of SPAC IPOs in 2024.
As a baseline, 2023 saw 31 SPAC IPOs, there were 86 in 2022 and one has already priced in 2024 – JVSPAC (NASDAQ:JVSAU). So, the question is in some ways, “will SPAC IPO volume increase, decrease or stay roughly the same.”
SPACInsider‘s subscriber base is primarily made up of the institutional dealmakers and investors around SPAC transactions. So, although 30 responses is a relatively small sample size, a large majority of that clued-in group of respondents believe the 2024 environment will be the same or better for SPACs.
Nearly 76.7% of respondents predicted there would be more than 25 IPOs this year, and 16.7% predicted 50+. During SPACInsider‘s webinar breaking down the SEC’s new SPAC rules, Doug Ellenoff, a partner at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole, placed his chips in the 50+ camp, predicting double 2023’s output, or 62.
But, 23.3% of respondents in the poll predicted the decrease in SPAC activity to continue with less than 25 IPOs this calendar year. Sentiments may change as the market gets further away from the SEC rule drop and closer to a Fed rate cut, but for now the general consensus is for a steady course.
News and Rumors
- PR: Estrella Immunopharma (NASDAQ:ESLA) will begin a share repurchase program for up to $1 million in stock. Estrella combined with TradeUp in September 2023.
- Bloomberg Law: The lawsuit over 26 Capital‘s failed combination with Okada Manila just got bigger as a Delaware judge allowed Zama Capital Master Fund to join. Zama is to be aligned with the branch of the suit accusing an affiliate of Japan’s Universal Entertainment of unduly canceling the deal and interfering in local legal disputes in the Philippines.
- PR: Solar power company Alternus Energy (NASDAQ:ALCE) announced in an 8-K filing that it has repaid €59.1 million (about $64.1 million) in bonds after divesting certain assets in Italy and Poland. Alternus combined with Clean Earth in December 2023.
Harvard Ave Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ:HAVAU) has filed for a $250 million SPAC in a deal that significantly nudges upwards the prominence of D. Boral in the 2025 SPAC market to-date. Early 2025 filing activity has brought out some of the most biggest underwriters in SPACs, but, with Harvard Ave, the title of largest proposed SPAC...
UY Scuti (NASDAQ:UYSCU) has filed for a $50 million SPAC to search for a middle market target using the team’s largely China-based network of contacts. This is so far the smallest offering ask of any SPAC filing this year and in fact no other team has sought to form a SPAC smaller than $55 million since...
Nabors Energy Transition Corp. II (NASDAQ:NETD) has signed a definitive agreement to combine with energy management firm e2Companies at an enterprise value of $770 million, or 26.8x its 2024 revenue. Bonita Springs, Florida-based e2 produces smart generators that electrify off-grid sites and provide power optimizing services to reduce energy costs at high-demand locations. The combined...
In this special follow-up edition of the SPACInsider Podcast, we check back in with Dimitre Genov, Ed Kovary, and Nick Skibo, who last joined us at the end of Q3 2024, to assess the state of the SPAC market in 2025 and the key dynamics shaping the landscape. Our panel brings together perspectives from across...
Texas Ventures Acquisition III Corp. (NASDAQ:TVACU) became the third SPAC to file for an IPO with Cohen & Company in a row Monday morning, but it has some distinct differences from its cousin SPACs on terms. While Cohen’s other recent pair Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:RAAQU) and Digital Asset Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:DAAQU) have initially asked...