Below is a daily summary of links to the latest SPAC news and rumors gathered across the web.
Latest SPAC News: Ouster and Velodyne agree to merger, DWAC gains as investors leap at presidential bid, and Polestar gets $1.6B boost from Volvo
Ouster and Velodyne agree to merger, signaling consolidation in lidar industry
Ouster (NYSE:OUST) and Velodyne (NASDAQ:VLDR), two lidar companies, have agreed to a merger in an all-stock transaction, the companies said Monday. Both Ouster and Velodyne will maintain a 50% stake in the new company, according to the agreement that was signed on November 4.
The merger comes as many in the industry, including autonomous vehicle technology company Cruise’s CEO Kyle Vogt, have been expecting another round of consolidation in the lidar space.
That’s in part because there are too many lidar companies for how many OEMs are implementing the sensor for autonomous driving applications. It’s also because many of these companies, including Ouster and Velodyne, went public via special purpose acquisition at potentially inflated valuations that were based on projected revenue, not actual revenue
READTrump-Tied SPAC Gains as Investors Leap at Presidential Bid
Investors snapped up shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:DWAC), the blank-check firm set to merge with Donald Trump’s social media company, after the former president hinted at plans to make another bid for the White House.
The special-purpose acquisition company rallied as much as 31% to the highest since September in heavy trading on Monday. Warrants tied to the SPAC surged 53%, while Phunware Inc. (NASDAQ:PHUN), a software company that worked on Trump’s re-election campaign, jumped 19%.
READPolestar gets a $1.6 billion boost from Volvo, another major stakeholder
Polestar (NASDAQ:PSNY) said Thursday it had secured $1.6 billion in funding from its two major shareholders to help it achieve its growth plans in volatile markets.
Volvo, which co-founded the brand with China’s Geely in 2017, said it would provide an $800 million loan to the company. The other major shareholder, PSD Investment, will provide the same amount through “direct and indirect financial and liquidity support,” Polestar said.
Volvo, which owns just over 48% of Polestar, said the loan included options for Volvo to convert some of its loans into equity in a possible future capital increase by Polestar.
In June, Polestar was listed on Nasdaq through a merger with a SPAC.
READProCap Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:PCAPU) has filed for a $200 million SPAC to hunt for a fintech or financial services target. The new S-1 filing was BTIG’s second of the week after a two-month break, bringing its 2025 new SPAC filings to five and the bank has so far managed to IPO five SPACs as well....
MSM Frontier Capital Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:MSMUU) has filed for a $225 million SPAC to search for a infrastructure target in Africa. The new SPAC will head out on this expedition with a trust that is not overfunded and units that each contain one right to a 1/8 share. It will also have 24 months to...
At the SPAC of Dawn This action-packed week in SPACs comes to an end with three more SPACs launching their IPOs, bringing it to nine on the week. And, the crypto strategy that SPACInsider noticed becoming increasingly popular among de-SPACs earlier this year has continued to gain steam. This week, edtech firm Classover (NASDAQ:KIDZ), fresh...
Cartesian Growth Corporation III (NASDAQ:CGCT) announced the pricing of its upsized $240 million IPO and its shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “CGCT”, Friday, May 2, 2025. The new SPAC intends to combine with a closely held private company ready to make the jump to being a market-leading transnational...
Cantor Equity Partners II, Inc. (NASDAQ:CEPT) announced the pricing of its upsized $240 million IPO and its shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “CEPT”, Friday, May 2, 2025. The new SPAC intends to combine with a target in the financial services, healthcare, real estate services, technology, or software industries....