Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.





General


On July 7, 2021, Concord Acquisition Corp, a Delaware corporation ("Concord"), Circle Internet Financial Limited, a private company limited by shares incorporated in Ireland (the "Company"), Circle Acquisition Public Limited Company, a public company limited by shares incorporated in Ireland ("Topco"), and Topco (Ireland) Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Merger Sub"), entered into a Business Combination Agreement (the "Business Combination Agreement"), pursuant to which Topco agreed to combine with Concord in a business combination that will result in each of the Company and Concord becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Topco. Capitalized terms used in this Current Report on Form 8-K but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Business Combination Agreement.

The Business Combination Agreement

Structure of the Proposed Transactions

The business combination is comprised of two separate transactions (collectively, the "Proposed Transactions"):

(a) Pursuant to an Irish law court-approved scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme"),


     the Company's shareholders will transfer their holdings of shares in the
     capital of the Company to Topco in exchange for the issuance of new shares in
     Topco, with the result that, at the effective time of the Scheme, the Company
     will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Topco; and



(b) On the first business day following the Scheme effective time, subject to the


     conditions of the Business Combination Agreement and in accordance with the
     Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), Merger Sub will merge with and
     into Concord (the "Merger"), with Concord surviving the Merger as a
     wholly-owned subsidiary of Topco.




Consideration



Pursuant to the Scheme, at the Scheme effective time, each holder of shares of any class in the capital of the Company appearing in the register of members of the Company at the Scheme record time ("Scheme Shares") will transfer all of his, her or its Scheme Shares to Topco in exchange for the allotment and issuance by Topco of that number of Topco Ordinary Shares comprising that Scheme shareholder's pro rataportion of an amount of Topco Ordinary Shares equal to the Company Equity Value (as defined below) divided by $10.00 and rounded down to the nearest whole number of Topco Ordinary Shares (collectively, the "Scheme Consideration"). The "Company Equity Value" means $4,500,000,000 plus (i) the aggregate amount of the net proceeds of any equity or convertible debt issued by the Company after March 6, 2021, minus (ii) any indebtedness of the Company that will not convert into equity in connection with the Proposed Transactions.

At the effective time of the Merger:

(a) each share of Concord Class A common stock and each share of Concord Class B


     common stock (other than shares held by Concord as treasury stock or owned by
     Concord immediately prior to the Merger effective time) issued and
     outstanding immediately prior to the Merger effective time will be cancelled
     and automatically converted into and become the right to receive one Topco
     Ordinary Share (the "Merger Consideration"); and



(b) each Concord Warrant that is outstanding immediately prior to the Merger


     effective time will be converted in accordance with the terms of the Concord
     Warrant Agreement into a Topco Warrant on substantially the same terms as
     were in effect immediately prior to the Merger effective time under the terms
     of the Concord Warrant Agreement.




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Earnout



Following the closing of the Proposed Transactions (the "Closing"), Topco will issue up to an aggregate number of Topco Ordinary Shares equal to 20% of the Topco Ordinary Shares in issue (on a fully diluted basis) immediately following the Closing (the "Earnout Shares") to certain of the Company's existing equity holders, as follows:

? 25% of the Earnout Shares, in the aggregate, if the volume weighted average

trading price of the Topco Ordinary Shares is $12.00 or greater for any 20

trading days within a period of 30 consecutive trading days prior to the first

anniversary of the Closing;

? 25% of the Earnout Shares, in the aggregate, if the volume weighted average

trading price of the Topco Ordinary Shares is $14.00 or greater for any 20

trading days within a period of 30 consecutive trading days prior to the third

anniversary of the Closing;

? 25% of the Earnout Shares, in the aggregate, if the volume weighted average

trading price of the Topco Ordinary Shares is $16.00 or greater for any 20

trading days within a period of 30 consecutive trading days prior to the fifth

anniversary of the Closing; and

? 25% of the Earnout Shares, in the aggregate, if the volume weighted average

trading price of the Topco Ordinary Shares is $100.00 or greater for any 20

trading days within a period of 30 consecutive trading days prior to the tenth

anniversary of the Closing.

Such Earnout Shares will also become issuable under certain circumstances if a "change of control" of Topco occurs prior to the applicable earnout expiration date and the price per share in the change of control equals or exceeds the applicable price target.





Escrow


Following the Closing, Topco and certain Topco shareholders will enter into an escrow agreement, pursuant to which an aggregate of 37,500,000 of Topco Ordinary Shares included in the Scheme Consideration will be deposited with an escrow agent to serve as security for certain specified potential post-Closing liabilities of the Company.

Proxy Statement/Prospectus and Stockholder Meeting

As promptly as reasonably practicable after the date of the availability of certain required financial statements of the Company, Topco, Concord and the Company will prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement (as amended or supplemented, the "Registration Statement"), which will include a proxy statement / prospectus that will be included therein as a prospectus with respect to Topco and that will be used as a proxy statement with respect to a meeting of the stockholders of Concord to seek adoption and approval of (i) the Business Combination Agreement, (ii) any other proposals reasonably agreed by Topco, Concord and the Company to be necessary or appropriate in connection with the Proposed Transactions or that either the SEC or New York Stock Exchange (or their respective staff members) deems necessary in its comments to the Registration Statement or in correspondence related thereto, and (iii) a proposal for the adjournment of Concord stockholders' meeting, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies because there are not sufficient votes to approve and adopt any of the foregoing (such proposals in clauses (i) through (iii), the "Concord Proposals") and other matters reasonably related to the Concord Proposals.





Closing


The Closing will occur on a date to be agreed by the parties, but in no event later than three business days, following the satisfaction or waiver of all of . . .

Item 3.02. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The disclosure set forth above under the heading "Private Placement and Subscription Agreements" in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference herein. The securities of Concord that may be issued in connection with the Business Combination Agreement and the Subscription Agreements will not be registered under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act promulgated thereunder.

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On July 8, 2021, Concord and the Company issued a joint press release announcing the execution of the Business Combination Agreement and announcing that the Company and Concord will host a recorded investor conference call on July 8, 2021 (the "Conference Call"). A copy of the press release, which includes information regarding accessing the Conference Call, is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference. A transcript of the Conference Call is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and incorporated herein by reference.

Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.3 and incorporated herein by reference is the form of presentation to be used by Concord in presentations for certain of Concord's stockholders and other persons. Additionally, attached hereto as Exhibit 99.4 and incorporated herein by reference are certain supplemental presentation materials providing additional information relating to the Company and the Proposed Transactions to be used by Concord in presentations for certain of Concord's stockholders and other persons.

Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.5 and incorporated herein by reference is a letter that the Company is sending to certain customers, partners and other interested persons regarding the Proposed Transactions.

Furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.6 and incorporated by reference into this Item 7.01 are audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020.

The foregoing (including the information presented in Exhibits 99.1, 99.2, 99.3, 99.4, 99.5 and 99.6) is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 and will not be deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise be subject to the liabilities of that section, nor will it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. The submission of the information set forth in this Item 7.01 shall not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any information in this Item 7.01, including the information presented in Exhibits 99.1, 99.2, 99.3, 99.4, 99.5 and 99.6. that is provided solely in connection with Regulation FD.

Important Information and Where to Find It

A full description of the terms of the Proposed Transactions will be provided in a registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed with the SEC by the Topco that will include a proxy statement for the stockholders of Concord that will also constitute a prospectus of Topco. Concord, Topco and the Company urge investors, stockholders and other interested persons to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus as well as other documents filed with the SEC because these documents will contain important information about Concord, Circle and the Proposed Transactions. After the registration statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement will be mailed to stockholders of Concord as of a record date to be established for voting on the Proposed Transactions. Stockholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the proxy statement/prospectus, without charge, by directing a request to: Concord Acquisition Corp, 477 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10022. The preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov).





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Participants in the Solicitation

Concord, Topco and the Company and their respective directors and executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the Proposed Transactions under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Concord is set forth in Concord's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on March 31, 2021 and amended on May 20, 2021. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the stockholders in connection with the Proposed Transactions will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.





Non-Solicitation


This document is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Proposed Transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Concord, Topco or the Company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.





Forward-Looking Statements


This document includes certain statements that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "could," "plan," "predict," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "outlook," and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected proceeds of the Proposed Transactions to the combined company, and the Company and Concord's ability to consummate the Proposed Transactions within the time period expected, or at all. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of Concord's and the Company's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Concord and the Company. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, political and business conditions; applicable taxes, inflation, interest rates and the regulatory environment in which the Company operates; the outcome of legal proceedings or other disputes to which Topco, Concord and/or the Company is or may become a party; the inability of the parties to consummate the Proposed Transactions; the risk that the approval of the stockholders of Concord or the Company for the Proposed Transactions is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions, including as a result of a delay in consummating the Proposed Transactions; the risk that the announcement and/or consummation of the Proposed Transactions disrupt current plans and operations of the Company; the risk that any of the conditions to closing are not satisfied in the anticipated manner or on the anticipated timeline; the ability to maintain the listing of the combined company's securities on the New York Stock Exchange; the inability to complete the private placement proposed to be consummated in connection with the Proposed Transactions; the amount of redemption requests made by Concord's stockholders; those factors discussed in Concord's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 under the heading "Risk Factors," and other documents of Concord filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. If the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Concord, Topco and the Company presently do not know or that they currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Concord's and the Company's expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this document. Concord and the Company anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause their assessments to change. However, while Concord and the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Concord and the Company specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Concord's or the Company's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.





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Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.





(d) Exhibits.




Exhibit No.                                 Description
2.1*            Business Combination Agreement, dated as of July 7, 2021, by and
              among Concord Acquisition Corp, Circle Internet Financial Limited,
              Circle Acquisition Public Limited Company and Topco (Ireland) Merger
              Sub, Inc.
10.1            Transaction Support Agreement, dated as of July 7, 2021, by and among
              Concord Acquisition Corp and certain shareholders of Circle Internet
              Financial Limited.
10.2            Transaction Support Agreement, dated as of July 7, 2021, by and among
              Concord Acquisition Corp and Jeremy Allaire.
10.3            Form of Subscription Agreement.
99.1            Press release, dated July 8, 2021.
99.2            Conference call transcript.
99.3            Investor presentation.
99.4            Supplemental presentation materials.
99.5            Letter from Circle Internet Financial Limited, dated July 8, 2021.
99.6            Audited consolidated financial statements of Circle Internet
              Financial Limited and subsidiaries.



* Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in

accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). The Registrant agrees to furnish

supplementally a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the Securities

and Exchange Commission upon its request.






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