From the proceeds of the IPO and the Private Placement, an aggregate of $201,000,000 was placed into a trust account for the benefit of the Company’s public stockholders to fund redemptions of the shares of common stock held by the Company’s public stockholders (the “Trust Account”), to be invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 180 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the requirements of Rule 2(a)(7) of the Investment Company Act, until the earlier of (i) the consummation of a business combination or (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account.
Transaction costs amounted to $21,881,745, including $9,000,000 in deferred underwriting and advisory fees payable, $4,019,555 in upfront underwriting fees, $8,163,891 in offering costs allocated to anchor investors, and $698,299 in other offering costs related to the IPO.
On June 13, 2022, the Company entered into a business combination agreement with Excelera DCE, Inc., which was subsequently terminated on October 31, 2022.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, we earned net loss of $103,814, which consisted of operating costs of $248,412 and provision for income taxes of $36,071, offset by interest income on our cash balance of $6,052 and net gains on marketable securities held in our trust account of $174,617.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we incurred a net loss of $152,562, which consisted of operating costs of $170,284, partially offset by interest income on our cash balance of $1,318 and net gains on marketable securities held in our operating and trust accounts of $16,404.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
On September 9, 2021, the Company consummated the IPO of 20,000,000 units. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant of the Company. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of common stock for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $200,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, the Company completed the Private Placement of 7,375,000 Private Placement Warrants at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant to the Sponsor and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $7,375,000.
Following the IPO and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, $201,000,000 ($10.05 per redeemable share sold in the IPO) was placed in the Trust Account. We incurred $21,881,745 in transaction costs, including $9,000,000 in deferred underwriting and advisory fees payable, $4,019,555 in upfront underwriting fees, $8,163,891 in offering costs allocated to the fair value of the common shares sold to anchor investors by certain related parties, and $698,299 of other offering costs related to the IPO.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, cash used in operating activities was $158,278, comprised of a net loss of $103,814, gain on marketable securities (net), dividends and interest held in Trust Account of $174,617 and $120,153 in cash provided by changes in operating assets and liabilities.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, cash used in operating activities was $316,895, comprised of a net loss of $152,562, gain on marketable securities (net), dividends and interest held in Trust Account of $16,404, and $147,929 in cash used by changes in operating assets and liabilities.
As of March 31, 2023, we had cash and marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $16,505,866. We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account (less deferred underwriting and advisory fees payable and income and franchise taxes payable), to complete our Business Combination. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our Business Combination, any remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.