Below is a daily summary of links to the latest SPAC news and rumors gathered across the web.
Latest SPAC News: Palihapitiya blames the Fed for market conditions, Johannesburg Stock Exchange changes listing rules, and Zukin Certification Services partners with Banyan Risk to offer SPAC D&O insurance
Chamath Palihapitiya blames the Fed for ‘perverted’ market conditions that benefited him
Billionaire investor and so-called SPAC King Chamath Palihapitiya said the zero interest rates the Federal Reserve allowed to persist for years created the “perverted” market conditions he benefited from at the height of the Covid pandemic.
Speaking with Axios at an event Wednesday, Palihapitiya explained what he felt contributed to the rapid rise and collapse of the SPAC market, the shorthand for special purpose acquisition companies, which created a way for young firms to go public without some of the usual IPO hurdles. SPACs, which grew in popularity in the first two years of the pandemic, have seen a reset amid economic and regulatory headwinds.
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JSE changes listing rules in effort to attract more firms
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (“JSE”) is implementing measures to amend listing requirements for companies in order to attract more firms. “It is our ongoing objective to create an enabling environment for listing on the JSE as we take into account international best practices,” said Andre Visser, director of issuer regulation at the JSE in the statement.
The JSE will also amend its SPAC rules “to align with international leading markets to ensure the attractiveness and competitiveness of SPACs”, it said, without elaborating on the changes. Spacs are firms with no business operations which merge with a private company to take it public.
READZukin Certification Services and Banyan Risk Bundle Reasonable Basis Review of SPAC Target Projections with SPAC D&O Insurance
Zukin Certification Services (ZCS) today announced its partnership with specialty insurer Banyan Risk to offer discounted Directors’ and Officers’ insurance in combination with a subsidized Zukin Reasonable Basis Review (Zukin RBR™), an essential service designed to provide SPACs with an independent review of a target company’s financial projections.
Since receipt of a Zukin RBR Certification can serve to mitigate a transaction’s risk profile, Banyan will offer its SPAC clients both a subsidized rate on the Zukin RBR service as well as discounted D&O insurance premiums.
READIllinois Gaming Board Confirms Tekkorp’s Sports Wagering License Withdrawal
The Illinois Gaming Board confirmed Thursday that it had approved Tekkorp Corporation’s withdrawal of its application for one of the state’s three online-only sports wagering licenses and announced that the period for submitting applications for the supplemental bidding process will open Tuesday.
The announcement by IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter was expected given that, earlier this month, Tekkorp announced it would not seek shareholder approval to extend talks with Playtech, Caliente Interactive, and Caliplay. The decision led to the winding down of the SPAC the two sides had planned as part of the bid, effectively ending the pursuit of entry into the Illinois market. Fruchter disclosed during Thursday’s state agency meeting that Tekkorp made the request to withdraw its application on Oct. 14, and he approved the request three days later.
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Pelican Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:PELIU) announced the pricing of its $75 million IPO and its units began trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “PELIU”, Friday, May 23, 2025. The new SPAC aims to combine with a technology company with a defensible market position that would benefit from being publicly traded in the US. Pelican’s management...
Cohen Circle II (NASDAQ:CCIIU) has filed for a $220 million SPAC marking the second wave of the Betsy Cohen team’s return to the market in the burgeoning 2024/2025 cycle. The new SPAC brings slightly less warrant coverage than its predecessor Cohen Circle I (NASDAQ:CCIR) with a 1/4 warrant in each of its units as opposed...
A Paradise (NASDAQ:APADU) has filed for a $200 million SPAC to get a fresh Asia-focused vehicle on the road with a leader that has steered several SPACs before. The new SPAC continues underwriter Cohen & Company’s warpath as its 15th SPAC put on file this year, with the firm’s 12th SPAC IPO debut set for...
On this week’s SPACInsider REPLAY, we revisit a 2022 conversation with Harry Sloan of the Eagle SPACs. At the time, Harry had already completed seven SPACs and was closing in on his eighth. As markets cooled and the SPAC boom waned, Harry offered a prescient take on where the market was headed—and what a “post-boom”...
At the SPAC of Dawn Betsy Cohen’s team is back with a new S-1 filing for Cohen Circle II (NASDAQ:CCIIU). The filing is good news for the health of the SPAC market as it represents something of a second wave of SPACs by the serial sponsor teams. Cohen Circle I (NASDAQ:CCIR) listed in October 2024...