under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, so that BurTech is not deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to BurTech to pay its income or other tax obligations, the proceeds will not be released from the Trust Account until the earlier of the completion of a Business Combination or the redemption of 100% of the outstanding shares of common stock if BurTech has not completed a Business Combination in the required time period. The proceeds held in the Trust Account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which BurTech completes a Business Combination. Any amounts not paid as consideration to the sellers of the target business may be used to finance operations of the target business.
Prior Extension
At a special meeting of stockholders held on March 10, 2023 (the “Extension Meeting”), the Company’s stockholders approved (i) a proposal to amend its amended and restated certificate of incorporation, and (ii) a proposal to amend the investment management trust agreement dated as of December 10, 2021, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”), to extend the date by which it has to consummate a business combination until December 15, 2023 (the “Trust Agreement”). In connection with the stockholders’ vote at the Extension Meeting, 22,119,297 shares were tendered for redemption. As a result, approximately $228 million (approximately $10.31 per share) was removed from the Trust Account to pay such stockholders. Following redemptions, the Company had approximately $68 million in the Company’s trust account.
At a special meeting of stockholders held on December 11, 2023 (the “Second Extension Meeting”), the Company entered into an amendment to the Trust Agreement d (the “Trust Amendment”). Pursuant to the Trust Amendment, the Company has the right to extend the time to complete a business combination twelve (12) times, each such extension for an additional one (1) month period until December 15, 2024, by depositing into the Trust Account the lesser of $0.03 per unredeemed share of Class A common stock or $150,000 per month. In connection with the stockholders’ vote at the Special Meeting, 2,285,040 shares were tendered for redemption. As a result, approximately $24.4 million (approximately $10.70 per share) was removed from the Trust Account to pay such holders, without taking into account additional allocation of payments to cover any tax obligation of the Company, such as franchise taxes, but not including any excise tax, since that date.
On December 11, 2023, the Company issued an aggregate of 9,487,495 Class A Shares, to the holders of the Company’s Class B Shares, upon the exchange of an equal number of Class B Shares (the “Exchange”). The 9,487,495 Class A Shares issued in connection with the Exchange are subject to the same restrictions as applied to the Class B Shares before the Exchange, including, among other things, certain transfer restrictions, waiver of redemption rights and the obligation to vote in favor of the Business Combination as described in the prospectus for our IPO.
THE FUNDS HELD IN THE COMPANY’S TRUST ACCOUNT, INCLUDING ANY INTEREST THEREON, WILL NOT BE USED TO PAY FOR ANY EXCISE TAX LIABILITIES WITH RESPECT TO ANY FUTURE REDEMPTIONS PRIOR TO OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY EXTENSION, THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR THE LIQUIDATION OF THE COMPANY.
The Company is still in the process of completing a business combination.
On December 22, 2023, BurTech entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) by and among BurTech, BurTech Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of BurTech, Blaize, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Blaize”), and, solely for the limited purposes set forth therein, Burkhan Capital LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Blaize, whereupon the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Blaize will be the surviving company and continue in existence as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of BurTech, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein. In connection with the consummation of the Business Combination, BurTech will be renamed “Blaize Holdings, Inc.”
Our Charter provides for the return of the IPO proceeds held in the trust account to the holders of Public Shares if it has not consummated a business combination(s) on or before December 15, 2024. The Company