falseVirgin Group Acquisition Corp. II00018417611.321.06061.06061.32P10DP10DIncludes an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 4). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a 33-for-25 share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a 35-for-33 share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. All share and per-share amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share capitalizations (see Note 4).Excludes an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 4). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a 33-for-25 share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a 35-for-33 share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. 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Table of Contents
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 1
4
, 2022
No. 333-[
]
 
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
FORM
S-4
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
 
 
VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II*
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
Cayman Islands*
 
6770
 
N/A
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
65 Bleecker Street
6th Floor
New York, New York 10012
Tel.: (212)
497-9050
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
 
Josh Bayliss
Chief Executive Officer
 
Evan Lovell
Chief Financial Officer
 
 
Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:
 
Derek J. Dostal
Lee Hochbaum
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Tel: (212)
450-4000
 
Martin A. Wellington
Joshua G. DuClos
Sara Garcia Duran
Sidley Austin LLP
1001 Page Mill Road, Building 1
Palo Alto, California 94304
Tel: (650)
565-7000
 
 
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public
: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If the securities being registered on this Form are being offered in connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check the following box.  ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated
filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “
large accelerated filer,
” “
accelerated filer,
” “
smaller reporting company,
” and “
emerging growth company
” in Rule
12b-2
of the Exchange Act.
 
Large accelerated filer
 
  
Accelerated filer
 
Non-accelerated filer
 
  
Smaller reporting company
 
 
  
Emerging growth company
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  
If applicable, place an X in the box to designate the appropriate rule provision relied upon in conducting this transaction:
Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(i) (Cross-Border Issuer Tender Offer)  ☐
Exchange Act Rule 14d-l(d) (Cross-Border Third-Party Tender Offer)  ☐

Table of Contents
 
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
 
 
Title of Each Class of
Securities to be Registered
 
Amount
to be
Registered(6)
 
Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
Per Share
 
Proposed
Maximum Aggregate
Offering Price
 
Amount of
Registration Fee
New Grove Class A Common Stock(1)
 
50,312,500
 
$9.88(7)
 
$497,087,500.00
 
$46,080.01(10)
Warrants to purchase New Grove Class A Common Stock(2)
 
14,750,000
 
$0.74(9)
 
$10,915,000.00
 
$1,011.82(10)
New Grove Class A Common Stock(3)
 
14,750,000
 
$11.50(8)
 
$169,625,000.00
 
$15,724.24(10)
New Grove Class B Common Stock(4)
 
174,073,129
 
$9.88(9)
 
$1,719,842,514.52
 
$159,429.40(10)
New Grove Class A Common Stock(5)
 
174,073,129
 
 
 
 
 
Total
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$222,245.47
 
 
(1)
Based on the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (as defined below) (the “
New Grove Class
 A Common Stock
”) to be issued in connection with the Domestication (as defined below). This number is based on shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued in respect of (A) 40,250,000 Class A ordinary shares underlying units issued in VGAC II’s initial public offering and (B) 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares held by VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC.
(2)
The number of warrants to acquire shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock being registered represents (i) 8,050,000 warrants to purchase Class A ordinary shares underlying units issued in VGAC II’s initial public offering (“
public warrants
”) and (ii) 6,700,000 warrants to purchase Class A ordinary shares issued to VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of VGAC II’s initial public offering (“
private placement warrants
” and, together with the public warrants, the “
warrants
”). The warrants will convert into warrants to acquire shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the Domestication (as defined below).
(3)
The number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued upon the exercise of (i) 8,050,000 public warrants and (ii) 6,700,000 private warrants.
(4)
Based on the maximum number of shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class B Common Stock
”) to be issued in connection with the business combination described herein (the “
Business Combination
”). This number includes (a) shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Merger (as defined below), (b) the product of (i) shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock reserved for issuance as of [●] under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (as defined below) and that may be issued after such date pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement (as defined below) and (ii) the Exchange Ratio (as defined below), and (c) the product of (i) shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock that may be reserved for issuance under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan and that may be issued after such date pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement and (ii) the Exchange Ratio.
(5)
Represents shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon conversion (on a
one-for-one
basis) of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Business Combination.
(6)
Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “
Securities Act
”), there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends, or similar transactions.
(7)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the average of the high and low prices of the Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II on the New York Stock Exchange (“
NYSE
”) on January 11, 2022 ($9.88 per Class A ordinary share). This calculation is in accordance with Rule 457(f)(1) of the Securities Act.
(8)
Represents the exercise price of the public warrants and private warrants.
(9)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the average of the high and low prices of the VGAC II public warrants on the NYSE on January 13, 2022 ($0.74 per warrant). This calculation is in accordance with Rule 457(f)(1) of the Securities Act.
(10)
Determined in accordance with Section 6(b) of the Securities Act at a rate equal to $92.70 per $1,000,000 of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price.
 
*
At least one day prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“
VGAC II
”), intends to effect a deregistration and a transfer by way of continuation to Delaware pursuant to Part XII of the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and Section 388 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, pursuant to which VGAC II’s jurisdiction of incorporation will be changed from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware (the “
Domestication
”). All securities being registered will be issued by the continuing entity following the Domestication, which will be renamed “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” upon the consummation of the Domestication. As used herein, “
New Grove
” refers to VGAC II after giving effect to the Domestication.
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to Section 8(a), may determine.
 
 
 

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The information in this preliminary proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The registrant may not sell the securities described in this preliminary proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is declared effective. This preliminary proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
 
PRELIMINARY—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY 14, 2022
PROXY STATEMENT FOR
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION
CORP. II
CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT FOR
GROVE
COLLABORATIVE, INC.
PROSPECTUS
FOR
[
] SHARES OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK, [
] SHARES OF CLASS B COMMON STOCK AND [
] WARRANTS OF VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II (AFTER ITS DOMESTICATION AS A CORPORATION INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE, WHICH WILL BE RENAMED GROVE COLLABORATIVE HOLDINGS, INC. IN CONNECTION WITH THE BUSINESS COMBINATION DESCRIBED HEREIN)
The board of directors of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“
VGAC II
”), has approved the transactions (collectively, other than the Domestication (as defined below), the “
Business Combination
”) contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 7, 2021 (as may be amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “
Merger Agreement
”), by and among VGAC II, Treehouse Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned direct subsidiary of VGAC II (“
VGAC II Merger Sub
”), and Grove Collaborative, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Grove
”), a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex A, as well as the domestication of VGAC II as a Delaware corporation (the “
Domestication
”). As described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, VGAC II shareholders are being asked to consider a vote upon, among other items, each of the Domestication and the Business Combination. As used in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, “
New Grove
” refers to VGAC II after giving effect to the consummation of the Domestication.
In connection with the Domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing Date: (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (the “
Class
 A ordinary shares
”), and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (the “
Class
 B ordinary shares
”), of VGAC II will be converted into one share of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 A Common Stock
”); (ii) each issued and outstanding whole warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II will be converted into a warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the warrant agreement, dated March 22, 2021, between VGAC II and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “
VGAC II Warrant Agreement
”); (iii) the governing documents of VGAC II will be amended and restated and become the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws of New Grove, copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D, respectively; and (iv) VGAC II’s name will change to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” In connection with clauses (i) and (ii) of this paragraph, each issued and outstanding unit of VGAC II that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II and the underlying warrants of VGAC II prior to the Domestication will be canceled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock and
one-fifth
of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the VGAC II Warrant Agreement.
At the closing of the Business Combination (the “
Closing
”), VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove (the “
Merger
”), with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to the Merger, Grove will be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove (the time at which the Merger becomes effective being referred to as the “
Effective Time”
).
In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove common stock and preferred stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the

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right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 B Common Stock
”), as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement (the “
Exchange Ratio
”) and (ii) a number of restricted shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that will vest upon the achievement of certain earnout thresholds prior to the tenth anniversary of the Closing, as more fully described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus (such shares, the “
Grove Earnout Shares
”); (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove common stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of restricted stock units to acquire Grove common stock (collectively, “
Grove RSUs
”) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove common stock or Grove preferred stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove common stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options to purchase Grove common stock granted since January 1, 2021 under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan that have not yet vested as of immediately prior to the Closing (the “
Company Unvested 2021 Options
”).
Subject to approval by VGAC II shareholders of the proposal to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement, the proposal to approve the change of VGAC II’s jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as a Cayman Islands exempted company and continuing and domesticating as a public benefit corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, and the proposals to approve material differences between VGAC II’s existing amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the proposed new certificate of incorporation of New Grove and the proposed new bylaws of New Grove Collaboration upon the Domestication, New Grove will adopt a dual-class stock structure, comprised of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which will carry one vote per share, and New Grove Class B common stock, which will carry ten votes per share. Upon the Closing, all stockholders of Grove will hold only shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock. The New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to the same dividends as and will rank equally to the New Grove Class A Common Stock upon any liquidation. Each share of New Grove Class B Common Stock may be converted into one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock. See “
Description of New Grove Securities—Common Stock—New Grove Class
 B Common Stock—Mandatory Conversion.
This prospectus covers [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, [●] shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, [●] warrants to acquire shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and [●] warrants to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Domestication and the Business Combination to the existing shareholders and warrantholders of VGAC II and the existing shareholders and warrantholders of Grove.
VGAC II’s units, public shares, and public warrants are currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“
NYSE
”) under the symbols “
VGII.U,
” “
VGII,
” and “
VGII.W,
” respectively. It is a condition of the consummation of the Business Combination that VGAC II receive confirmation from NYSE that New Grove Class A Common Stock has been conditionally approved for listing on the NYSE, but there can be no assurance that such listing condition will be met or that VGAC II will obtain such confirmation from NYSE. If such listing condition is not met or if such confirmation is not obtained, the Business Combination will not be consummated unless the NYSE condition set forth in the Merger Agreement is waived by the requisite parties.
The accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus provides shareholders of VGAC II and Grove with detailed information about the Domestication, the Business Combination and other matters to be considered at the

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extraordinary general meeting of VGAC II. We encourage you to read the entire accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes thereto and other documents referred to therein, carefully and in their entirety. You should also carefully consider the risk factors described in “
” beginning on page 27 of the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT/ PROSPECTUS, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is dated [
], 2022, and is first being mailed to VGAC II shareholders and Grove stockholders on or about [
], 2022.

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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
65 Bleecker Street
6th Floor
New York, New York 10012
Dear Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II Shareholders:
You are cordially invited to attend the extraordinary general meeting (the “
extraordinary general meeting
”) of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“
VGAC II
”), to be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and virtually via the Internet at [●], Eastern Time, on [●], 2022, or at such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be adjourned. Due to public health concerns regarding the
COVID-19
pandemic, and the importance of ensuring the health and safety of VGAC II directors, officers, employees and shareholders, VGAC II shareholders are encouraged to attend the extraordinary general meeting virtually via the Internet. To attend and participate in the extraordinary general meeting virtually, you must register at [●], which is referred to in the accompanying joint proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as the VGAC II meeting website. Upon completing your registration, you will receive further instructions via email, including a unique link that will allow you access to the extraordinary general meeting and to vote and submit questions during the extraordinary general meeting.
As further described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, in connection with the Domestication (as defined below), at least one day prior to the closing of the Business Combination (as defined below) (the “
Closing Date
”), among other things, (i) VGAC II will change its name to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.,” (ii) all of the outstanding shares of VGAC II will be converted into Class A common stock of a new Delaware corporation and all of the outstanding VGAC II warrants will be converted into warrants to purchase Class A common stock of a new public benefit Delaware corporation, and (iii) the governing documents of VGAC II will be amended and restated. As used in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, “
New Grove
” refers to VGAC II after giving effect to the Domestication. The other transactions contemplated by that certain Merger Agreement (as defined below) are collectively referred to as the “
Business Combination
”.
At the extraordinary general meeting, VGAC II shareholders will be asked to consider and vote upon a proposal, which is referred to herein as the “
Business Combination Proposal,
” to approve and adopt that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 7, 2021 (as may be amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “
Merger Agreement
”), by and among VGAC II, Treehouse Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned direct subsidiary of VGAC II (“
VGAC II Merger Sub
”), and Grove Collaborative, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Grove
”), including the transactions contemplated thereby. A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex A.
As further described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, the following transactions will occur:
 
  (a)
At least one day prior to the Closing Date, VGAC II will change its jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as a Cayman Islands exempted company and continuing and domesticating as a public benefit corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “
Domestication
”), upon which VGAC II will change its name to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (“
New Grove
”) (for further details, see “
Proposal No. 2—The Domestication Proposal
”).
 
  (b)
On the Closing Date, VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove (the “
Merger
”), with Grove as the surviving company and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove shall be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove. In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the time at which the Merger becomes effective (the “
Effective Time
”), based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove common stock and preferred stock (on an

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as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 B Common Stock
”), as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement (the “
Exchange Ratio
”) and (ii) a number of restricted shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that will vest upon the achievement of certain earnout thresholds prior to the tenth anniversary of the Closing, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus (such shares, the “
Grove Earnout Shares
”); (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove common stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of restricted stock units to acquire Grove common stock (collectively, “
Grove RSUs
”) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove common stock or Grove preferred stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove common stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options to purchase Grove common stock granted since January 1, 2021 under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan that have not yet vested as of immediately prior to the Closing (the “
Company Unvested 2021 Options
”).
In connection with the foregoing and concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, VGAC II entered into Subscription Agreements (the “
Subscription Agreements
”) with certain investors (the “
PIPE Investors
”), pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and VGAC II agreed to issue and sell to the PIPE Investors, on the Closing Date, an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $87,075,000 (the “
PIPE Financing
”). One of the PIPE Investors is an affiliate of the Sponsor (as defined below) that has agreed to subscribe for 5,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. In addition, the other PIPE Investors include existing equityholders of Grove that have agreed to subscribe for 3,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the aggregate. The shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Subscription Agreements have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “
Securities Act
”), in reliance upon the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. VGAC II will grant the PIPE Investors certain customary registration rights in connection with the PIPE Financing. The PIPE Financing is contingent upon, among other things, the substantially concurrent closing of the Business Combination.
You will also be asked to consider and vote upon: (a) a proposal to approve the Domestication (the “
Domestication Proposal
”); (b) a proposal to approve by special resolution the adoption and approval of the proposed new certificate of incorporation (the “
Proposed Certificate of Incorporation
”) and bylaws (the “
Proposed Bylaws,
” and together with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, the “
Proposed Governing Documents
”) of New Grove (the “
Charter Amendment Proposal
”) copies of which are attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annexes C and D, respectively; (c) five separate and
non-binding,
advisory proposals to approve material differences between VGAC II’s existing amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (together, the “
Existing Governing Documents
”) and Proposed Governing Documents upon the Domestication, respectively (together, the “
Governing Documents Proposals
”); (d) a proposal to approve, for purpose of complying with New York Stock Exchange (“
NYSE
”) Listing Rule 312.03, the issuance of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing (the “
NYSE Proposal
”); (e) a proposal to approve and adopt the Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. 2022 Incentive Equity Plan, a copy of which is attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus

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as Annex I (the “
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
”); (f) a proposal to approve and adopt the [Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan], a copy of which is attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex J (the “
ESPP Proposal
”); (g) a proposal to elect the directors constituting the New Grove board of directors (the “
Director Election Proposal
”); and (h) a proposal to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, for one or more of the Adjournment Purposes (as defined below) (the “
Adjournment Proposal”)
.
The Domestication and the Business Combination will each be consummated only if the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, the Charter Amendment Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal, and the NYSE Proposal (collectively, the “
Condition Precedent Proposals
”) are approved at the extraordinary general meeting. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned upon the approval of any other proposal. Each of these proposals is more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, which each shareholder is encouraged to read carefully and in its entirety.
The Adjournment Proposal provides for a vote to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates to the extent required (a) to ensure that any supplement or amendment is made to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus that VGAC II, after reasonable consultation with Grove, has determined in good faith is required to satisfy the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement and other applicable law, (b) if on a date for which the extraordinary general meeting is scheduled, VGAC II has not received proxies representing a sufficient number of VGAC II ordinary shares to obtain the approval of the proposals at the extraordinary general meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, (c) if, as of the time for which the extraordinary general meeting is scheduled, there are insufficient VGAC II ordinary shares represented (either in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business to be conducted at the extraordinary general meeting, or (d) if, as of the deadline for electing redemption by holders of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares in accordance with the governing documents of VGAC II, the VGAC II shareholders redeem an amount of the public shares such that the condition to consummation of the Business Combination that the aggregate cash in the trust account, together with the aggregate gross proceeds from the PIPE Financing, equal no less than $175,000,000 after deducting any amounts paid to VGAC II shareholders that exercise their redemption rights in connection with the Business Combination, would not be satisfied (such aggregate cash, the “
Available Cash,
” and such condition to the consummation of the Business Combination, the “
Minimum Available Cash Condition
”) (clauses (a), (b), (c), and (d) collectively the “
Adjournment Purposes
”).
In connection with the Business Combination, certain related agreements have been, or will be entered into on or prior to the Closing, including the Sponsor Agreement, Subscription Agreements, Grove Stockholder Support Agreement and the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (each as defined in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus). See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information.
Subject to approval by VGAC II shareholders of the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, and the Charter Amendment Proposal, New Grove will adopt a dual-class stock structure, comprised of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which will carry one vote per share, and New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will carry ten votes per share. Upon the closing of the Business Combination (the “
Closing
”), all stockholders of Grove will hold only shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock. The New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to the same dividends as and will rank equally to the New Grove Class A Common Stock upon any liquidation. The New Grove Class B Common Stock may be converted into one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock. See “
Description of New Grove Securities—Common Stock—New Grove Class
 B Common Stock—Conversion.
Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, a holder of VGAC II’s public shares (a “
public shareholder
”) may request that VGAC II redeem all or a portion of such public shares for cash if the Business Combination is consummated. Holders of units must elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in

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an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“
Continental
”), VGAC II’s transfer agent, directly and instruct it to do so. The redemption rights include the requirement that a holder must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide its legal name, phone number, and address to Continental in order to validly redeem its shares.
Public shareholders may elect to redeem their public shares even if they vote “
FOR
” the Business Combination Proposal.
If the Business Combination is not consummated, the public shares will be returned to the respective holder, broker, or bank. If the Business Combination is consummated, and if a public shareholder properly exercises its right to redeem all or a portion of the public shares that it holds and timely delivers its share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms to Continental, New Grove will redeem such public shares for a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the pro rata portion of the trust account established at the consummation of VGAC II’s initial public offering, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination. For illustrative purposes, as of [●], 2022, this would have amounted to approximately $[●] per issued and outstanding public share. If a public shareholder exercises its redemption rights in full, then it will be electing to exchange its public shares for cash and will no longer own public shares. The redemption will take place following the Domestication and, accordingly, it is shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be redeemed immediately after the Closing. See “
Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II—Redemption Rights
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for a detailed description of the procedures to be followed if you wish to redeem your public shares for cash.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such public shareholder or any other person with whom such public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “
group
” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “
Exchange Act
”)), will be restricted from redeeming its public shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash and such excess public shares would be converted into the merger consideration in connection with the Business Combination.
VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC (the “
Sponsor
”) has, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger) and (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. In addition, the Sponsor has agreed that 35% of the Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor as of the date of the Sponsor Agreement (the “
Sponsor Earnout Shares
”) will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. Pursuant to such
earn-out
provisions, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to an earnout period of ten years (the “
Sponsor Earnout Period
”), with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (as defined in the Sponsor Agreement) (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement).

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If, upon the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove. As of the date of the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, certain stockholders of Grove each entered into a Support Agreement with VGAC II, pursuant to which such stockholders have agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby and (ii) be bound by certain other covenants and agreements related to the Business Combination. The vote of such stockholders of Grove will be sufficient to approve the Business Combination on behalf of Grove.
The Merger Agreement is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain other closing conditions as described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. There can be no assurance that the closing conditions will be satisfied or that the parties to the Merger Agreement would waive any such provision of the Merger Agreement. In addition, in no event will VGAC II redeem public shares in an amount that would cause New Grove’s net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) to be less than $5,000,001 after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing.
VGAC II is providing the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and accompanying proxy card to VGAC II shareholders in connection with the solicitation of proxies to be voted at the extraordinary general meeting and at any adjournments of the extraordinary general meeting. Information about the extraordinary general meeting, the Business Combination, and other related business to be considered by VGAC II shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting is included in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Whether or not you plan to attend the extraordinary general meeting, all of VGAC II shareholders are urged to read the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes thereto and other documents referred to therein, carefully and in their entirety. You should also carefully consider the risk factors described in “
Risk Factors”
beginning on page [
] of the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
After careful consideration, the board of directors of VGAC II has approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, and unanimously recommends that shareholders vote “
FOR
” the adoption of the Merger Agreement and approval of the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, and “
FOR
” all other proposals presented to VGAC II shareholders in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. When you consider the recommendation of these proposals by the board of directors of VGAC II, you should keep in mind that VGAC II’s directors and officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for a further discussion of these considerations.
The approval of each of the Domestication Proposal and the Charter Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of at least a
two-thirds
(2/3) of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. The approval of each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Governing Documents Proposals, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.

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Your vote is very important
. Whether or not you plan to attend the extraordinary general meeting, please vote as soon as possible by following the instructions in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus to make sure that your shares are represented at the extraordinary general meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name” through a bank, broker, or other nominee, you will need to follow the instructions provided to you by your bank, broker, or other nominee to ensure that your shares are represented and voted at the extraordinary general meeting. The Business Combination will be consummated only if the Condition Precedent Proposals are approved at the extraordinary general meeting. Each of the Condition Precedent Proposals is cross-conditioned on the approval of each other. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on the approval of any other proposal set forth in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
If you sign, date, and return your proxy card without indicating how you wish to vote, your proxy will be voted “FOR” each of the proposals presented at the extraordinary general meeting. If you fail to return your proxy card or fail to instruct your bank, broker, or other nominee how to vote, and do not attend the extraordinary general meeting in person, the effect will be, among other things, that your shares will not be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the extraordinary general meeting. If you are a shareholder of record and you attend the extraordinary general meeting and wish to vote in person, you may withdraw your proxy and vote in person.
TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS, YOU MUST DEMAND IN WRITING THAT YOUR PUBLIC SHARES ARE REDEEMED FOR A PRO RATA PORTION OF THE FUNDS HELD IN THE TRUST ACCOUNT AND TENDER YOUR SHARES TO CONTINENTAL, VGAC II’S TRANSFER AGENT, AT LEAST TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE VOTE AT THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING. IN ORDER TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHT, YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A BENEFICIAL HOLDER AND PROVIDE YOUR LEGAL NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND ADDRESS IN YOUR WRITTEN DEMAND. YOU MAY TENDER YOUR SHARES BY EITHER DELIVERING YOUR SHARE CERTIFICATE TO CONTINENTAL OR BY DELIVERING YOUR SHARES ELECTRONICALLY USING THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY’S DWAC (DEPOSIT WITHDRAWAL AT CUSTODIAN) SYSTEM. IF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION IS NOT COMPLETED, THEN THESE SHARES WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU OR YOUR ACCOUNT. IF YOU HOLD THE SHARES IN STREET NAME, YOU WILL NEED TO INSTRUCT THE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT YOUR BANK OR BROKER TO WITHDRAW THE SHARES FROM YOUR ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS.
On behalf of VGAC II’s board of directors, I would like to thank you for your support and look forward to the successful completion of the Business Combination.
 
Sincerely,
 
Josh Bayliss
Chief Executive Officer and Director
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is dated [●], 2022 and is first being mailed to shareholders on or about [●], 2022.

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NOTICE OF SOLICITATION OF WRITTEN CONSENT
To Stockholders of Grove Collaborative, Inc.:
Pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 7, 2021 (as may be further amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “
Merger Agreement
”), by and among VGAC II, Treehouse Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned direct subsidiary of VGAC II (“
VGAC II Merger Sub
”), and Grove Collaborative, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Grove
”), VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove, with Grove surviving the merger as a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove (the “
Merger
”).
This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is being delivered to you on behalf of the board of directors of Grove (the “
Grove Board
”) to request that holders of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock (with respect to the common stock you will hold upon conversion of preferred stock) execute and return written consents to adopt and approve the Merger Agreement and the Merger and the ancillary documents thereto and consent to certain other actions specified therein.
Concurrent with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain holders of Grove Preferred Stock (determined on an
as-converted
basis) representing the requisite vote required under the certificate of incorporation of Grove executed a written consent pursuant to which all of Grove’s issued and outstanding preferred stock will be converted immediately prior to the Merger into shares of Grove common stock in accordance with Grove’s certificate of incorporation. The written consents solicited via this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus will become effective upon such conversion of the Grove preferred stock.
This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus describes the proposed Merger and the actions to be taken in connection with the Merger and provides additional information about the parties involved. Please give this information your careful attention. A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
The Grove Board has considered the Merger and the terms of the Merger Agreement and the ancillary documents and has unanimously determined that the Merger and the Merger Agreement are advisable, fair to and in the best interests of Grove and its stockholders and recommends that Grove stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement and the ancillary documents by submitting a written consent.
Please complete, date, and sign the written consent furnished with this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and return it promptly to Grove by one of the means described in “
Grove’s Solicitation of Written Consents.

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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
65 Bleecker Street
6th Floor
New York, New York 10012
NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON [
], 2022
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an extraordinary general meeting (the “
extraordinary general meeting
”) of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“
VGAC II
”), will be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and virtually via the Internet at [●], Eastern Time, on [●], 2022. Due to public health concerns regarding the
COVID-19
pandemic, and the importance of ensuring the health and safety of VGAC II directors, officers, employees and shareholders, VGAC II shareholders are encouraged to attend the extraordinary general meeting virtually via the Internet. To attend and participate in the extraordinary general meeting virtually, VGAC II shareholders must register at [●], which is referred to in the accompanying joint proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as the VGAC II meeting website. Upon completing their registration, VGAC II shareholders will receive further instructions via email, including a unique link that will allow VGAC II shareholders access to the extraordinary general meeting and to vote and submit questions during the extraordinary general meeting. You are cordially invited to attend the extraordinary general meeting, which will be held for the following purposes:
 
   
Proposal No. 1—The Business Combination Proposal—RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that VGAC II’s entry into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 7, 2021 (as may be amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “
Merger Agreement
”), by and among VGAC II, Treehouse Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned direct subsidiary of VGAC II (“
VGAC II Merger Sub
”), and Grove Collaborative, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Grove
”), a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex A, be approved, pursuant to which, among other things, at least one day following the
de-registration
of VGAC II as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and the continuation and domestication of VGAC II as a public benefit corporation in the State of Delaware with the name “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.
,
” (a) VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove (the “
Merger
”), with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove shall be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove, and (b) in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the time at which the Merger becomes effective (the “
Effective Time
”), based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove common stock and preferred stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 B Common Stock
”), as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement (the “
Exchange Ratio
”) and (ii) a number of restricted shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that will vest upon the achievement of certain earnout thresholds prior to the tenth anniversary of the Closing, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus (such shares, the “
Grove Earnout Shares
”); (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove common stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of restricted stock units to acquire Grove common stock (collectively, “
Grove RSUs
”) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a

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number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove common stock or Grove preferred stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove common stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options to purchase Grove common stock granted since January 1, 2021 under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan that have not yet vested as of immediately prior to the Closing (the “
Company Unvested 2021 Options
”).
 
   
Proposal No. 2—The Domestication Proposal—RESOLVED
, as a special resolution, that VGAC II be transferred by way of continuation to Delaware pursuant to Part XII of the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and Section 388 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“
DGCL
”) and, immediately upon being
de-registered
in the Cayman Islands, VGAC II be continued and domesticated as a public benefit corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware and, conditioned upon, and with effect from, the registration of VGAC II as a corporation in the State of Delaware, the name of VGAC II be changed from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” and the registered office of the Company be changed to 3500 South DuPont Highway, City of Dover, County of Kent, Delaware, be approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 3—Charter Amendment Proposal—RESOLVED
, as a special resolution, that the existing amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of VGAC II (together, the “
Existing Governing Documents
”) be amended and restated by the deletion in their entirety and the substitution in their place of the proposed new certificate of incorporation, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C (the “
Proposed Certificate of Incorporation
”) and the proposed new bylaws, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex D (the “
Proposed Bylaws
”) of “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” upon the Domestication, be approved as the certificate of incorporation and bylaws, respectively, of Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc., effective upon the effectiveness of the Domestication.
 
   
Governing Documents Proposals
—to consider and vote upon the following five separate
non-binding,
advisory resolutions to approve certain features of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws (such proposals, collectively, the “
Governing Documents Proposals
”):
 
   
Proposal No. 4—Governing Documents Proposal A—RESOLVED
, as a
non-binding,
advisory resolution, that the change in the authorized share capital of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, (ii) 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and (iii) 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share, to (a) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (b) 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and (c) 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Preferred Stock
”) be approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 5—Governing Documents Proposal B—RESOLVED
, as a
non-binding,
advisory resolution, that the amendment and restatement of the Existing Governing Documents be approved and that all other immaterial changes necessary or, as mutually agreed in good faith by VGAC II and Grove, desirable in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws as part of the Domestication (copies of which are attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D, respectively), including (i) changing the corporate name from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (which is expected to occur upon the consummation of the Domestication), (ii) making New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual, (iii) adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and (iv) removing certain provisions related to our status as a blank check company that will no longer be applicable upon consummation of the Business Combination be approved.

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Proposal No. 6—Governing Documents Proposal C—RESOLVED
, as a
non-binding,
advisory resolution, that the issuance of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will allow holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock be approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 7—The NYSE Proposal—RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that for the purposes of complying with the applicable provisions of New York Stock Exchange (“
NYSE
”) Listing Rule 312.03, the issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock be approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 8—The Incentive Equity Plan Proposal—RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. 2022 Equity and Incentive Plan, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex I, be adopted and approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 9—The ESPP Proposal—RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the [Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan], a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex J, be adopted and approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 10—The Director Election Proposal—RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the proposal to elect Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●], [●] and [●], in each case, to serve as directors of New Grove until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal, be adopted and approved.
 
   
Proposal No. 11—The Adjournment Proposal—RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates (A) to the extent necessary to ensure that any required supplement or amendment to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is provided to VGAC II shareholders, (B) in order to solicit additional proxies from VGAC II shareholders in favor of one or more of the proposals at the extraordinary general meeting, or (C) if VGAC II shareholders redeem an amount of the public shares such that the condition to consummation of the Business Combination that the aggregate cash in the trust account, together with the aggregate gross proceeds from the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share pursuant to the Subscription Agreements (the “
Subscription Agreements
”) with certain investors (the “
PIPE Investors
”), for aggregate gross proceeds of $87,075,000 (the “
PIPE Financing
”), equal no less than $175,000,000 after deducting any amounts paid to VGAC II shareholders that exercise their redemption rights in connection with the Business Combination would not be satisfied, at the extraordinary general meeting be approved.
Each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, the Charter Amendment Proposal, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal and the Director Election Proposal (collectively, the “
Condition Precedent Proposals
”) is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on any other proposal.
These items of business are described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, which we encourage you to read carefully and in its entirety before voting.
Only holders of record of ordinary shares at the close of business on [●], 2022 are entitled to notice of and to vote and have their votes counted at the extraordinary general meeting and any adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting.
The accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and accompanying proxy card is being provided to VGAC II shareholders in connection with the solicitation of proxies to be voted at the extraordinary general meeting and at any adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting.
Whether or not you plan to attend the extraordinary general meeting, all VGAC II shareholders are urged to read the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes thereto

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and the documents referred to herein carefully and in their entirety. You should also carefully consider the risk factors described in “
Risk Factors
” beginning on page 26
of the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
After careful consideration, the board of directors of VGAC II has approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, and unanimously recommends that shareholders vote “
FOR
” the adoption of the Merger Agreement and approval of the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, and “
FOR
” all other proposals presented to VGAC II shareholders in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. When you consider the recommendation of these proposals by the board of directors of VGAC II, you should keep in mind that VGAC II’s directors and officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for a further discussion of these considerations.
Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, a public shareholder of VGAC II may request that New Grove redeem all or a portion of its public shares for cash if the Business Combination is consummated. As a holder of public shares, you will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:
 
  (i)
(a) hold public shares, or (b) hold public shares through units and elect to separate your units into the underlying public shares and warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares;
 
  (ii)
submit a written request to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“
Continental
”), VGAC II’s transfer agent, in which you (a) request that New Grove redeem all or a portion of your public shares for cash, and (b) identify yourself as the beneficial holder of the public shares and provide your legal name, phone number and address; and
 
  (iii)
deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental physically or electronically through The Depository Trust Company.
Holders must complete the procedures for electing to redeem their public shares in the manner described above prior to 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on [
], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order for their shares to be redeemed.
Holders of units must elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact Continental directly and instruct them to do so. The redemption rights include the requirement that a holder must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide its legal name, phone number, and address to Continental in order to validly redeem its shares. Public shareholders may elect to redeem public shares regardless of if or how they vote in respect of the Business Combination Proposal. If the Business Combination is not consummated, the public shares will be returned to the respective holder, broker, or bank. If the Business Combination is consummated, and if a public shareholder properly exercises its right to redeem all or a portion of the public shares that it holds and timely delivers its shares to Continental, New Grove will redeem such public shares for a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the pro rata portion of the trust account established at the consummation of VGAC II’s initial public offering (the “
trust account
”), calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination. For illustrative purposes, as of [●], 2022, this would have amounted to approximately $[●] per issued and outstanding public share. If a public shareholder exercises its redemption rights in full, then it will be electing to exchange its public shares for cash and will no longer own public shares. The redemption will take place following the Domestication and, accordingly, it is shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be redeemed immediately after consummation of the Business Combination. See “
Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II—Redemption Rights
” in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for a detailed description of the procedures to be followed if you wish to redeem your public shares for cash.

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such public shareholder or any other person with whom such public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “
group
” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“
Exchange Act
”)), will be restricted from redeeming its public shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash and such excess public shares would be converted into the merger consideration in connection with the Business Combination.
VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC (the “
Sponsor
”) has, pursuant to the Sponsor Letter Agreement, dated as of December 7, 2021, entered into by Grove, the Sponsor, VGAC II, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as the underwriter, the Insiders (as defined therein) and the Holders (as defined therein) (the “
Sponsor Agreement
”), agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger), (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, and (iii) be bound by certain
earn-out
provisions with respect to its shares in VGAC II following the closing of the Business Combination, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
The Merger Agreement is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain other closing conditions as described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. There can be no assurance that the closing conditions will be satisfied or that the parties to the Merger Agreement would waive any such provision of the Merger Agreement. In addition, in no event will VGAC II redeem public shares in an amount that would cause New Grove’s net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) to be less than $5,000,001 after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing.
The approval of each of the Domestication Proposal and the Charter Amendment Proposal require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of at least
two-thirds
(2/3) of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. The approval of each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Governing Documents Proposals, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
Your vote is very important
. Whether or not you plan to attend the extraordinary general meeting, please vote as soon as possible by following the instructions in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus to make sure that your shares are represented at the extraordinary general meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name” through a bank, broker, or other nominee, you will need to follow the instructions provided to you by your bank, broker, or other nominee to ensure that your shares are represented and voted at the extraordinary general meeting. The Business Combination will be consummated only if the Condition Precedent Proposals are approved at the extraordinary general meeting. Each of the Condition Precedent Proposals is cross-conditioned on the approval of each other. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on the approval of any other proposal set forth in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
If you sign, date, and return your proxy card without indicating how you wish to vote, your proxy will be voted “
FOR
” each of the proposals presented at the extraordinary general meeting. If you fail to return your proxy card or fail to instruct your bank, broker, or other nominee how to vote, and do not attend the extraordinary general meeting in person, the effect will be, among other things, that your shares will not be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the extraordinary general meeting. If you are a shareholder of record and you attend the extraordinary general meeting and wish to vote in person, you may withdraw your proxy and vote in person.

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Your attention is directed to the remainder of the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus following this notice (including the Annexes and other documents referred to herein) for a more complete description of the proposed Business Combination and related transactions and each of the proposals. You are encouraged to read the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus carefully and in its entirety, including the Annexes hereto and other documents referred to herein. If you have any questions or need assistance voting your ordinary shares, please contact [●], our proxy solicitor, by calling [●], or banks and brokers can call collect at [●], or by emailing [●].
Thank you for your participation. We look forward to your continued support. By Order of the Board of Directors of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp II.
Josh Bayliss
Chief Executive Officer and Director
TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS, YOU MUST DEMAND IN WRITING THAT YOUR PUBLIC SHARES ARE REDEEMED FOR A PRO RATA PORTION OF THE FUNDS HELD IN THE TRUST ACCOUNT AND TENDER YOUR SHARES TO CONTINENTAL, VGAC II’S TRANSFER AGENT, AT LEAST TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE VOTE AT THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING. IN ORDER TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS, YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A BENEFICIAL HOLDER AND PROVIDE YOUR LEGAL NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND ADDRESS IN YOUR WRITTEN DEMAND. YOU MAY TENDER YOUR SHARES BY EITHER DELIVERING YOUR SHARE CERTIFICATE TO CONTINENTAL OR BY DELIVERING YOUR SHARES ELECTRONICALLY USING THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY’S DWAC (DEPOSIT WITHDRAWAL AT CUSTODIAN) SYSTEM. IF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION IS NOT COMPLETED, THEN THESE SHARES WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU OR YOUR ACCOUNT. IF YOU HOLD THE SHARES IN STREET NAME, YOU WILL NEED TO INSTRUCT THE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT YOUR BANK OR BROKER TO WITHDRAW THE SHARES FROM YOUR ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO EXERCISE YOUR REDEMPTION RIGHTS.

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ANNEXES
Annex A—Agreement and Plan of Merger
Annex B—Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of VGAC II
Annex C—Form of Certificate of Incorporation of New Grove
Annex D—Form of Bylaws of New Grove
Annex E—Sponsor Agreement
Annex F—Form of Subscription Agreement
 
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Annex G—Form of Registration Rights Agreement
Annex H—Form of Grove Stockholder Support Agreement
Annex I—Form of Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. 2022 Equity and Incentive Plan
Annex J—Form of Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Annex K—Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
Annex L—Fairness Opinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.
 
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You may request copies of the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and any other publicly available information concerning VGAC II, without charge, by written request to Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10012, or by telephone request at (212)
497-9050;
or [●], VGAC II’s proxy solicitor, by calling [●], or banks and brokers can call collect at [●], or by emailing [●] or from the SEC through the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
In order for VGAC II shareholders to receive timely delivery of the documents in advance of the extraordinary general meeting of VGAC II to be held on [●], 2022, you must request the information by [●], 2022 (five business days prior to the date of the extraordinary general meeting).
TRADEMARKS
This document contains references to trademarks, trade names, and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks, trade names, and service marks referred to in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may appear without the
®
or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. VGAC II does not intend VGAC II’s use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks, or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us, by any other companies.
 
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SELECTED DEFINITIONS
Unless otherwise stated in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:
 
   
Articles of Association
” are to the amended and restated articles of association of VGAC II;
 
   
Available Cash
” are an amount equal to the sum of, immediately prior to the Closing, (i) the amount of cash available to be released from the trust account (after giving effect to all payments to VGAC II shareholders that exercise their redemption rights in connection with the Business Combination), plus (ii) the net amount of proceeds actually received by VGAC II pursuant to the PIPE Financing.
 
   
Business Combination
” are to the Merger and other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, other than the Domestication, collectively, including the PIPE Financing;
 
   
Cayman Islands Companies Act
” are to the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands;
 
   
Class
 A ordinary shares
” are to the Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of VGAC II prior to the Domestication, which will automatically convert, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in connection with the Domestication, authorized pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents;
 
   
Class
 B ordinary shares
” or “
founder shares
” are to the 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of VGAC II outstanding as of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus that were issued to the Sponsor in a private placement prior to the initial public offering (as defined below), and, in connection with the Domestication, will automatically convert, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock;
 
   
Closing
” are to the closing of the Business Combination;
 
   
Closing Date
” are to that date that is in no event later than the third business day, following the satisfaction (or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, waiver) of the conditions described under the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Conditions to Closing of the Business Combination
,” (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to satisfaction or waiver of such conditions) or at such other date as VGAC II and Grove may agree in writing;
 
   
Condition Precedent Proposals
” are to the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, the Charter Amendment Proposal, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, and the Director Election Proposal, collectively;
 
   
Continental
” are to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company;
 
   
COVID-19
” or the “
COVID-19
pandemic
” are to the novel coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2
or
COVID-19),
and any evolutions, mutations, or variations thereof or any other related or associated public health condition, emergency, epidemics, pandemics, or disease outbreaks;
 
   
Domestication
” are to VGAC II’s domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, as a Delaware corporation in accordance with the DGCL and the Cayman Islands Companies Act;
 
   
Effective Time
” are to the time at which the Merger becomes effective;
 
   
ESPP
” are to the Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan to be considered for adoption and approval by VGAC II shareholders pursuant to the ESPP Proposal;
 
   
Existing Governing Documents
” are to the Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association;
 
   
extraordinary general meeting
” are to the extraordinary general meeting of VGAC II to be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017
 
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and virtually via the Internet at [●], Eastern Time, on [●], 2022, or at such other time, on such other date and at such other place to which the meeting may be adjourned;
 
   
Governing Documents Proposals
” are to Governing Documents Proposal A, Governing Documents Proposal B, and Governing Documents Proposal C;
 
   
Grove
” are to Grove Collaborative, Inc., a Delaware corporation, prior to the consummation of the Business Combination;
 
   
Grove Board
” are to the Board of Directors of Grove;
 
   
Grove Common Stock
” are to the shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove;
 
   
Grove Equityholders
” are to the holders of Grove equity interests;
 
   
Grove Preferred Stock
” are the shares of (i) Series Seed preferred stock; (ii) Series A preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, (iii) Series B preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, (iv) Series C preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, (v) Series
C-1
preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, (vi) Series D preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, (vii) Series
D-1
preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, (viii) Series
D-2
preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove, and (ix) Series E preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Grove;
 
   
Grove Stockholders
” are to holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock;
 
   
Incentive Equity Plan
” are to the Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. 2022 Incentive Equity Plan to be considered for adoption and approval by VGAC II shareholders pursuant to the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal;
 
   
initial public offering
” are to VGAC II’s initial public offering that was consummated on March 25, 2021;
 
   
Memorandum of Association
” are to the amended and restated memorandum of association of VGAC II;
 
   
Merger
” are to the merger of VGAC II Merger Sub with and into Grove pursuant to the Merger Agreement, with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove becoming a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove;
 
   
Merger Agreement
” are to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 7, 2021, by and among VGAC II, VGAC II Merger Sub, and Grove;
 
   
Minimum Available Cash Condition
” are to the condition that Available Cash shall be greater than or equal to $175,000,000;
 
   
New Grove
” are to Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. (f.k.a. Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II) upon and after the Domestication;
 
   
New Grove Board
” are to the board of directors of New Grove;
 
   
New Grove Class
 A Common Stock
” are to the shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove;
 
   
New Grove Class
 B Common Stock
” are to the shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove;
 
   
New Grove Common Stock
” are to the shares New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock;
 
   
New Grove Preferred Stock
” are to the shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove;
 
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New Grove Public Warrants
” are to warrants included in the public units issued in the initial public offering that will be exercisable for shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock after the Closing;
 
   
NYSE
” are to the New York Stock Exchange;
 
   
ordinary shares
” are to VGAC II Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares;
 
   
PIPE Financing
” are to the transactions contemplated by the Subscription Agreements, pursuant to which the PIPE Investors have collectively committed to subscribe for an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $87,075,000 to be consummated in connection with the Closing;
 
   
PIPE Investors
” are to the investors participating in the PIPE Financing, collectively;
 
   
private placement warrants
” are to the 6,700,000 private placement warrants outstanding as of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus that were issued to and held by the Sponsor in private placements simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, which are substantially identical to the public warrants sold as part of the units in the initial public offering, subject to certain limited exceptions;
 
   
pro forma
” are to giving pro forma effect to the Business Combination, including the Merger and the PIPE Financing;
 
   
Proposed Bylaws
” are to the proposed bylaws of New Grove to be effective upon the Domestication attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex D;
 
   
Proposed Certificate of Incorporation
” are to the proposed certificate of incorporation of New Grove to be effective upon the Domestication attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C;
 
   
Proposed Governing Documents
” are to the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws;
 
   
public shareholders
” are to holders of public shares, whether acquired in the initial public offering or acquired in the secondary market;
 
   
public shares
” are to the currently outstanding 40,250,000 Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II, whether acquired in VGAC II’s initial public offering or acquired in the secondary market;
 
   
public warrants
” are to the currently outstanding 8,050,000 redeemable warrants to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II that were issued by VGAC II in the initial public offering;
 
   
redemption
” are to each redemption of public shares for cash pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents;
 
   
redemption rights
” are to the redemption rights of VGAC II shareholders;
 
   
SEC
” are to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission;
 
   
Securities Act
” are to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
 
   
Sponsor
” are to VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company;
 
   
Sponsor Agreement
” are to the Sponsor Letter Agreement, dated as of December 7, 2021, entered into by Grove, the Sponsor, VGAC II, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as the underwriter, the Insiders (as defined therein) and the Holders (as defined therein);
 
   
Subscription Agreements
” are to the subscription agreements, entered into by VGAC II and each of the PIPE Investors in connection with the PIPE Financing;
 
   
transfer agent
” are to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent;
 
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trust account
” are to the account established by VGAC II for the benefit of its public shareholders pursuant to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2021, by and between VGAC II and Continental;
 
   
Trust Agreement
” are to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2021, between VGAC II and Continental;
 
   
trust fund
” are to the trust fund established by VGAC II for the benefit of its public shareholders;
 
   
VGAC II
” are to Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company, prior to the Domestication;
 
   
VGAC II Board
” are to VGAC II’s board of directors;
 
   
VGAC II meeting website
” are to [●], the Internet address of the extraordinary general meeting;
 
   
VGAC II Merger Sub
” are to Treehouse Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned direct subsidiary of VGAC II prior to the consummation of the Business Combination;
 
   
VGAC II Parties
” are to VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub;
 
   
VGAC II units
” are to the units of VGAC II, each unit representing one Class A ordinary share and
one-fifth
of one warrant to acquire one Class A ordinary share, that were offered and sold by VGAC II in the initial public offering;
 
   
VGAC II shareholders
” are to holders of VGAC II ordinary shares;
 
   
VGAC II Warrant Agreement
” are to the warrant agreement, dated March 22, 2021, between VGAC II and Continental, as warrant agent;
 
   
VGAC II warrantholders
” are to holders of VGAC II warrants (as defined below);
 
   
VGAC II warrants
” are to the public warrants and the private placement warrants; and
 
   
Virgin Group
” are to the Virgin Group, an affiliate of the Sponsor, and its affiliates where applicable.
 
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may constitute “
forward-looking statements
” for purposes of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding VGAC II or VGAC II’s management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, or strategies regarding the future, including, without limitation, those relating to the Domestication and the Business Combination. The information included in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus in relation to Grove has been provided by Grove and its respective management, and forward-looking statements include statements relating to VGAC II’s and Grove’s respective management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, or strategies regarding the future, including, without limitation, those relating to the Domestication and the Business Combination. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “
anticipate,
” “
believe,
” “
continue,
” “
could,
” “
estimate,
” “
expect,
” “
intend,
” “
may,
” “
might,
” “
plan,
” “
possible,
” “
potential,
” “
predict,
” “
project,
” “
should,
” “
would,
” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may include, for example and without limitation, statements about:
 
   
VGAC II’s ability to complete the Business Combination with Grove and the timing thereof or, if VGAC II does not consummate such Business Combination, any other initial business combination;
 
   
satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Business Combination including, among others: (i) the approval by VGAC II shareholders of the Condition Precedent Proposals; (ii) the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act of 1976 (the “
HSR Act
”) relating to the Merger Agreement; (iii) VGAC II having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing; (iv) the Minimum Available Cash Condition; and (v) the approval by the NYSE of VGAC II’s initial listing application in connection with the Business Combination;
 
   
statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity;
 
   
references with respect to the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination and the projected future financial performance of New Grove or New Grove’s operating companies following the Business Combination;
 
   
changes in the market for Grove’s products, and expansion plans and opportunities;
 
   
anticipated customer retention by Grove;
 
   
the extent to which Grove is able to protect Grove’s intellectual property and not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others;
 
   
the sources and uses of cash of the Business Combination;
 
   
new or adverse regulatory developments relating to automatic renewal laws;
 
   
the effect of
COVID-19
on the foregoing, including VGAC II’s ability to consummate the Business Combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the recent
COVID-19
pandemic; and
 
   
other factors detailed under the section entitled “
Risk Factors
.”
The forward-looking statements contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus are based on VGAC II’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on VGAC II and/or Grove. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting VGAC II and/or Grove will be those that VGAC II has anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks,
 
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uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of VGAC II or Grove), or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described herein under the heading “
Risk Factors.
” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of VGAC II’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Some of these risks and uncertainties may in the future be amplified by the
COVID-19
outbreak and there may be additional risks that VGAC II considers immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. VGAC II undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Before any VGAC II shareholder grants its proxy or instructs how its vote should be cast or vote on the proposals to be put to the extraordinary general meeting, such VGAC II shareholder should be aware that the occurrence of the events described in the “
Risk Factors
” section and elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may adversely affect VGAC II and/or Grove.
 
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR SHAREHOLDERS OF VGAC II
The questions and answers below highlight only selected information from this document and only briefly address some commonly asked questions about the proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting, including with respect to the Domestication and the Business Combination. The following questions and answers do not include all the information that is important to VGAC II shareholders. VGAC II urges VGAC II shareholders to read this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes hereto and the other documents referred to herein, carefully and in their entirety to fully understand the Domestication and the Business Combination and the voting procedures for the extraordinary general meeting, which will be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and virtually via the Internet at [
], Eastern Time, on [
], 2022.
 
Q:
Why am I receiving this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus?
 
A:
VGAC II shareholders are being asked to consider and vote upon, among other proposals, a proposal to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement and approve the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Business Combination. In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, among other things, in connection with the Merger, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement (the “
Exchange Ratio
”) and (ii) a number of restricted shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that will vest upon the achievement of certain earnout thresholds prior to the tenth anniversary of the Closing, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus (such shares, the “
Grove Earnout Shares
”); (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of restricted stock units to acquire Grove Common Stock (collectively, “
Grove RSUs
”) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options to purchase Grove common stock granted since January 1, 2021 under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan that have not yet vested as of immediately prior to the Closing (the “
Company Unvested 2021 Options
”).
A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex A and you are encouraged to read the Merger Agreement in its entirety. This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus includes descriptions of the Merger Agreement and particular provisions therein. These descriptions do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement.
The approval of each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Governing Documents Proposals, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal, and the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by
 
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proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting, and each of the Domestication Proposal and the Charter Amendment Proposal require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of at least a
two-thirds
(2/3) of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
In connection with the Domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing Date, (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (ii) each issued and outstanding warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II will convert automatically into a warrant to acquire New Grove Class A Common Stock in the same form and on the same terms and conditions as the converted VGAC II warrant, and (iii) each issued and outstanding unit of VGAC II that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary share of VGAC II and underlying VGAC II warrant upon the request of the holder thereof prior to the Domestication will be canceled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock and
one-fifth
of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the VGAC II Warrant Agreement. See “
Domestication Proposal
.”
The provisions of the Proposed Governing Documents will differ in certain material respects from the Existing Governing Documents. Please see “
What amendments will be made to the current constitutional documents of VGAC II?
” below.
THE VOTE OF SHAREHOLDERS IS IMPORTANT. SHAREHOLDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VOTE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER CAREFULLY REVIEWING THIS PROXY STATEMENT/CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS.
 
Q:
What proposals are shareholders of VGAC II being asked to vote upon?
 
A:
At the extraordinary general meeting, VGAC II is asking holders of its ordinary shares to consider and vote upon eleven separate proposals:
 
   
a proposal to approve and adopt by ordinary resolution the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, and the transactions contemplated thereby;
 
   
a proposal to approve by special resolution the Domestication;
 
   
a proposal to approve by special resolution the adoption and approval of the proposed new certificate of incorporation (the “
Proposed Certificate of Incorporation
”) and bylaws (the “
Proposed Bylaws,
” and together with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, the “
Proposed Governing Documents
”) of New Grove, copies of which are attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annexes D and E, respectively;
 
   
the following five separate
non-binding,
advisory proposals to approve by ordinary resolution the following material differences between the Existing Governing Documents and the Proposed Governing Documents:
 
   
to authorize the change in the authorized share capital of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share, to (ii) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock;
 
   
to amend and restate the Existing Governing Documents and authorize all other immaterial changes necessary or, as mutually agreed in good faith by VGAC II and Grove, desirable in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Governing Documents as part of the Domestication;
 
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to authorize the issuance of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will allow holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock; and
 
   
a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing pursuant to NYSE Listing Rules;
 
   
a proposal to approve and adopt by ordinary resolution the Incentive Equity Plan;
 
   
a proposal to approve and adopt by ordinary resolution the ESPP;
 
   
a proposal to elect the directors to the New Grove Board; and
 
   
a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to, among other things, permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for the approval of one or more proposals at the extraordinary general meeting.
If VGAC II shareholders do not approve each of the Condition Precedent Proposals, then unless certain conditions in the Merger Agreement are waived by the applicable parties to the Merger Agreement, the Merger Agreement could terminate and the Business Combination may not be consummated.
For more information, please see “
Business Combination Proposal
,” “
Domestication Proposal
,” “
Governing Documents Proposals
,” “
NYSE Proposal
,” “
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
,” “
ESPP Proposal,” “Director Election Proposal
,” and “
Adjournment Proposal
.”
VGAC II will hold the extraordinary general meeting to consider and vote upon these proposals. This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus contains important information about the Business Combination and the other matters to be acted upon at the extraordinary general meeting. Shareholders of VGAC II should read it carefully and in its entirety.
After careful consideration, the VGAC II Board has determined that the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, the Charter Amendment Proposal, each of the Governing Documents Proposals, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal, and the Adjournment Proposal are in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and unanimously recommends that VGAC II shareholders vote or give instruction to vote “
FOR
” each of those proposals.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he or she or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he or she or they may believe is best for himself or herself or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a VGAC II shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
Q:
Why is VGAC II proposing the Business Combination?
 
A:
VGAC II is a blank check company incorporated on January 13, 2021 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Although VGAC II may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector, or geographical location for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, VGAC II has focused on companies in the travel & leisure, financial services, health & wellness, technology & internet-enabled, music & entertainment, media & mobile, and renewable energy/resource efficiency sectors. VGAC II is not permitted
 
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  under the Existing Governing Documents to effect a business combination with a blank check company or a similar type of company with nominal operations.
VGAC II has identified several criteria and guidelines it believes are important for evaluating acquisition opportunities. VGAC II has sought targets that it believes: will perform well in the public markets over the long term and offer attractive returns to VGAC II shareholders; would uniquely benefit from an association with a trusted name like the Virgin Group through brand enhancement and improved operational performance; can be sourced through VGAC II’s extensive proprietary networks so as to avoid broadly marketed processes; generate stable free cashflows or that have a clear near-term path to produce healthy free cashflows; have the ability to provide a strong consumer experience that is meaningfully differentiated from competitors; have a strong and experienced management team that VGAC II can work alongside and augment as the company scales; and are prepared from a management, corporate governance, and reporting perspective to become a publicly traded company and can benefit from the access to the broader capital markets that this will provide.
Based on its due diligence investigations of Grove and the industry in which it operates, including the financial and other information provided by Grove in the course of negotiations, the VGAC II Board believes that Grove meets the criteria and guidelines listed above. However, there is no assurance of this. See “
Business Combination Proposal—The VGAC II Board’s Reasons for the Business Combination
.”
Although the VGAC II Board believes that the Business Combination with Grove presents an attractive business combination opportunity and is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders, the VGAC II Board did consider certain potentially material negative factors in arriving at that conclusion. These factors are discussed in greater detail in the sections entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—The VGAC II Board’s Reasons for the Business Combination
” and “
Risk Factors—Risks Related to Grove and New Grove Business Following the Business Combination
.”
 
Q:
Did the VGAC II Board obtain a third-party valuation or fairness opinion in determining whether or not to proceed with the Business Combination?
 
A:
Yes. Although the Existing Governing Documents do not require VGAC II to seek an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another valuation or appraisal firm that regularly renders fairness opinions unless it pursues a business combination with an affiliated company, the board of directors of VGAC II received an opinion dated December 6, 2021, of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. (“
Houlihan Lokey
”) to the effect that, as of such date and on the basis of and subject to the qualifications, limitations and assumptions set forth in Houlihan Lokey’s written opinion, the merger consideration, excluding the Grove Earnout Shares, to be issued by VGAC II in the Business Combination pursuant to the Merger Agreement (the “
Closing Payment Shares
”) was fair, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II. See the section entitled “
BCA Proposal
 — Opinion of Houlihan Lokey
.”
 
Q:
What will Grove’s equityholders receive in return for the Business Combination with VGAC II?
 
A:
On the date of Closing, VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove, with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove shall be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove. In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the time at which the Merger becomes effective (the “
Effective Time
”), based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with
 
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  regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of Company Unvested 2021 Options.
 
Q:
How will the combined company be managed following the Business Combination?
 
A:
Following the Closing, it is expected that the current management of Grove will become the management of New Grove, and the New Grove Board will consist of nine directors. If the Director Election Proposal is approved, the New Grove Board will consist of Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●], [●] and [●]. Please see the section entitled “
Management of New Grove Following the Business Combination
” and “
Director Election Proposal
” for further information.
 
Q:
What equity stake will current VGAC II shareholders and current equityholders of Grove hold in New Grove immediately after the consummation of the Business Combination?
 
A:
As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are (i) 40,250,000 Class A ordinary shares outstanding underlying units issued in the initial public offering and (ii) 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares outstanding held by the Sponsor. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are 6,700,000 private placement warrants outstanding and held by the Sponsor and 8,050,000 public warrants. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share and, following the Domestication, will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock. Therefore, as of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus (without giving effect to the Business Combination and assuming that none of VGAC II’s outstanding public shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination), VGAC II’s fully diluted share capital, giving effect to the exercise of all of the private placement warrants and public warrants, would be 65,062,500 ordinary shares.
The following table illustrates varying estimated ownership levels in New Grove immediately following the consummation of the Business Combination, based on the varying levels of redemptions by the public shareholders and the following additional assumptions (the below ownership calculations exclude Grove Earnout Shares and Sponsor Earnout Shares):
 
    
Share Ownership in New Grove(1)
 
    
No Redemptions
   
Maximum redemptions(2)
 
    
Percentage of Outstanding
Shares
   
Percentage of Outstanding
Shares
 
VGAC II Shareholders
     22.4     5.9
Sponsor(2)
     3.7     4.4
PIPE Investors
     4.8     83.8
Grove Stockholders(3)
     69.1     5.9
 
 
(1)
As of January 14, 2022. Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(2)
Assumes that 31,459,600 of VGAC II’s Class A ordinary share are redeemed for an aggregate payment of $314.6 million (which is the maximum number of redemptions that would still allow the Minimum Cash Condition to be satisfied).
 
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(3)
Excludes equity awards issued at Closing upon rollover of vested and unvested Grove equity awards and new awards issued under the proposed New Grove Incentive Equity Plan.
For further details, see “Business Combination Proposal—Consideration to Grove Equityholders in the Business Combination.”
Furthermore, subject to approval by VGAC II shareholders of the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, and the Charter Amendment Proposal, New Grove will adopt a dual-class stock structure, comprising of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which will carry one (1) vote per share, and New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will carry ten (10) votes per share. Upon the Closing, all stockholders of Grove will hold only shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock. The New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to the same dividends as and will rank equally to the New Grove Class A Common Stock upon any liquidation. The New Grove Class B Common Stock is also subject to conversion to New Grove Class A Common Stock upon the occurrence of certain events. Upon conversion, each share of New Grove Class B Common Stock will convert into one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock. See “
Description of New Grove Securities—Common Stock—New Grove Class
 B Common Stock—Mandatory Conversion.
 
Q:
What percentage of voting power will current VGAC II shareholders and current equityholders of Grove hold in New Grove immediately after the consummation of the Business Combination?
 
A:
The following table illustrates the estimated voting power in New Grove immediately following the consummation of the Business Combination, based on the varying levels of redemptions by the public shareholders and the following additional assumptions:
 
    
Voting Power in New Grove(1)
 
    
No Redemptions
   
Maximum
redemptions(2)
 
    
Percentage of
Voting Power of
Outstanding Shares
   
Percentage of
Voting Power of
Outstanding Shares
 
VGAC II Shareholders
     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
Sponsor
     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
PIPE Investors
     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
Grove Class A Stockholders(3)
     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
Grove Class B Stockholders(3)(4)
     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
 
 
(1)
As of [●], 2022. Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(2)
Assumes that 31,459,600 of VGAC II’s Class A ordinary share are redeemed for an aggregate payment of $314.6 million (which is the maximum number of redemptions that would still allow the Minimum Cash Condition to be satisfied).
(3)
Excludes equity awards issued at Closing upon rollover of vested and unvested Grove equity awards under the proposed New Grove’s Incentive Equity Plan.
(4)
Each share of New Grove Class B Common Stock will have ten (10) votes per share, while each share of New Grove Class A Common Stock will have one (1) vote per share.
 
Q:
Why is VGAC II proposing the Domestication?
 
A:
The VGAC II Board believes that there are significant advantages to VGAC II that will arise as a result of a change of its domicile to Delaware. Further, the VGAC II Board believes that any direct benefit that the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “
DGCL
”) provides to a corporation also indirectly benefits its stockholders, who are the owners of the corporation. The VGAC II Board believes that there are several reasons why transfer by way of continuation to Delaware is in the best interests of VGAC II and the VGAC II shareholders, including (i) the prominence, predictability, and flexibility of the DGCL, (ii) Delaware’s well-established principles of corporate governance, and (iii) the increased ability for Delaware corporations
 
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  to attract and retain qualified directors. Each of the foregoing reasons are discussed in greater detail in the section entitled “
Domestication Proposal—Reasons for the Domestication
.”
To effect the Domestication, VGAC II will file an application for deregistration with the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies, together with the necessary accompanying documents, and file a certificate of corporate domestication and a certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, under which VGAC II will be domesticated and continue as a Delaware public benefit corporation.
The approval of the Domestication Proposal is a condition to the Closing under the Merger Agreement. The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of at least a
two-thirds
(2/3) majority of the votes cast by the holders of the issued ordinary shares present in person or represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting and entitled to vote on such matter. Abstentions and broker nonvotes, while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on a particular proposal.
 
Q:
What amendments will be made to the current constitutional documents of VGAC II?
 
A:
The Closing is conditional, among other things, on the Domestication. Accordingly, in addition to voting on the Business Combination, VGAC II shareholders also are being asked to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve the Domestication, and replace the Existing Governing Documents, in each case, under Cayman Islands law with the Proposed Governing Documents, in each case, under the DGCL, which differ from the Existing Governing Documents in the following material respects:
 
    
Existing Governing Documents
  
Proposed Governing Documents
Authorized Shares
(
Governing Documents Proposal A
)
   The share capital under the Existing Governing Documents is US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares of par value US$0.0001 per share.    The Proposed Governing Documents authorize 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock.
     
    
See paragraph 5 of the Memorandum of Association.
  
See Article IV of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
     
Corporate Name
(
Governing Documents Proposal B
)
   The Existing Governing Documents provide the name of the company is “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II”    The Proposed Governing Documents will provide that the name of the corporation will be “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.”
     
    
See paragraph 1 of VGAC II’s Memorandum of Association.
  
See Article I of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
     
Perpetual Existence
(
Governing Documents Proposal B
)
   The Existing Governing Documents provide that if VGAC II does not consummate a business combination (as defined in the    The Proposed Governing Documents do not include any provisions relating to New Grove’s ongoing existence; the
 
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Existing Governing Documents
  
Proposed Governing Documents
     Existing Governing Documents) by March 25, 2023 (twenty-four months after the closing of the initial public offering), VGAC II will cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up and will redeem the shares issued in the initial public offering and liquidate its trust account.    default under the DGCL will make New Grove’s existence perpetual.
     
    
See Article 49 of VGAC II’s Articles of Association.
  
This is the default rule under the DGCL.
     
Exclusive Forum
(
Governing Documents Proposal B
)
   The Existing Governing Documents do not contain a provision adopting an exclusive forum for certain shareholder litigation.    The Proposed Governing Documents adopt Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act.
     
Provisions Related to Status as Blank Check Company
(
Governing Documents Proposal B
)
   The Existing Governing Documents set forth various provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company prior to the consummation of a business combination.    The Proposed Governing Documents do not include such provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company, which no longer will apply upon consummation of the Business Combination, as VGAC II will cease to be a blank check company at such time.
     
    
See Article 49 of VGAC II’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association.
    
     
Voting Rights of Common Stock
(
Governing Documents Proposal C
)
   The Existing Governing Documents provide that the holders of each ordinary share of VGAC II is entitled to one vote for each share on each matter properly submitted to the VGAC II shareholders entitled to vote.    The Proposed Governing Documents provide that holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be entitled to cast one (1) vote per share of New Grove Class A Common Stock, and holders of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to cast ten (10) votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders entitled to vote.
     
    
See Article 23 of VGAC II’s Articles of Association.
  
See Article IV of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
 
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Q:
How will the Domestication affect my ordinary shares, warrants, and units?
 
A:
In connection with the Domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing Date, (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (ii) each issued and outstanding warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II will convert automatically into a warrant to acquire New Grove Class A Common Stock in the same form and on the same terms and conditions as the converted VGAC II warrant, and (iii) each issued and outstanding unit of VGAC II that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary share of VGAC II and underlying VGAC II warrant upon the request of the holder thereof prior to the Domestication will be canceled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock and
one-fifth
of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the VGAC II Warrant Agreement. See “
Domestication Proposal.
In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of the Company Unvested 2021 Options.
 
Q:
What effect will New Grove being a public benefit corporation under Delaware law have on New Grove’s public stockholders?
 
A:
Unlike traditional corporations, which have a fiduciary duty to focus exclusively on maximizing stockholder value, as a Delaware public benefit corporation, New Grove’s directors will have a fiduciary duty to consider not only the stockholders’ interests, but also the company’s specific public benefit and the interests of other stakeholders affected by New Grove’s actions. Therefore, New Grove may take actions that its directors believes will be in the best interests of those stakeholders materially affected by its specific benefit purpose, even if those actions do not maximize New Grove’s financial results. While New Grove intends for this public benefit designation and obligation to provide an overall net benefit to New Grove and its stakeholders, it could instead cause New Grove to make decisions and take actions without seeking to maximize the income generated from its business, and hence available for distribution to its stockholders.
In addition, as a public benefit corporation, New Grove may be less attractive as a takeover target than a traditional company would be and, therefore, New Grove stockholders’ ability to realize investment through an acquisition may be more difficult. As set forth in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, the public
 
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benefit purpose of New Grove is to develop promotion and distribute of consumer products as a positive force for human and environmental health globally.
Stockholders of a Delaware public benefit corporation with shares listed on a national securities exchange (if they, individually or collectively, own at least two percent of the company’s outstanding shares or shares of the corporation with a market value of at least $2,000,000 as of the date the action is instituted) are entitled to file a derivative lawsuit claiming the directors failed to balance stockholder and public benefit interests. This potential liability does not exist for traditional corporations.
 
Q:
What are the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Domestication Proposal?
 
A:
The Domestication should constitute a
tax-free
reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “
Code
”). Assuming that the Domestication so qualifies, the following summarizes the consequences to U.S. Holders (as defined in “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
” below) of the Domestication:
 
   
Subject to the discussion below concerning PFICs, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares whose ordinary shares have a fair market value of less than $50,000 on the date of the Domestication and who does not own actually and/or constructively 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of VGAC II shares entitled to vote or 10% or more of the total value of all classes of VGAC II shares (that is, who is not a “
10% shareholder
”) will not recognize any gain or loss and will not be required to include any part of VGAC II’s earnings in income.
 
   
Subject to the discussion below concerning PFICs, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares whose ordinary shares have a fair market value of $50,000 or more, but who is not a 10% shareholder will generally recognize gain (but not loss) on the deemed receipt of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the Domestication. As an alternative to recognizing gain as a result of the Domestication, such U.S. Holder may file an election to include in income, as a dividend, the “
all earnings and profits amount
” (as defined in the regulations promulgated under the Code (the “
Treasury Regulations
”) under Section 367 of the Code) attributable to its Class A ordinary shares provided certain other requirements are satisfied.
 
   
Subject to the discussion below concerning PFICs, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares who on the date of the Domestication is a 10% shareholder will generally be required to include in income, as a dividend, the “
all earnings and profits amount
” (as defined in the Treasury Regulations under Section 367 of the Code) attributable to its Class A ordinary shares provided certain other requirements are satisfied.
 
   
As discussed further under “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
” below, VGAC II believes that it is (and has been) treated as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the event that VGAC II is (or in some cases has been) treated as a PFIC, notwithstanding the foregoing, proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code (which have a retroactive effective date), if finalized in their current form, generally would require a U.S. Holder to recognize gain as a result of the Domestication unless the U.S. Holder makes (or has made) certain elections discussed further under “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—The Domestication.
” The tax on any such gain would be imposed at the rate applicable to ordinary income and an interest charge would apply based on a complex set of rules. It is difficult to predict whether such proposed regulations will be finalized and whether, in what form, and with what effective date, other final Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code will be adopted. Further, it is not clear how any such regulations would apply to the warrants. For a more complete discussion of the potential application of the PFIC rules to U.S. Holders as a result of the Domestication, see the section entitled “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
” Each U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares or warrants is urged to consult its own tax advisor concerning the application of the PFIC rules to the exchange of Class A ordinary shares for New Grove Class A Common Stock and public warrants for New Grove warrants pursuant to the Domestication.
 
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Additionally, the Domestication may cause
Non-U.S.
Holders (as defined in “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” below) to become subject to U.S. federal income withholding taxes on any dividends in respect of such
Non-U.S.
Holder’s New Grove Class A Common Stock subsequent to the Domestication.
The tax consequences of the Domestication are complex and will depend on a holder’s particular circumstances. All holders are strongly urged to consult their tax advisor for a full description and understanding of the tax consequences of the Domestication, including the applicability and effect of U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income and other tax laws. For a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Domestication, see the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
 
Q:
Do I have redemption rights?
 
A:
If you are a holder of public shares, you have the right to request that VGAC II redeems all or a portion of your public shares for cash provided that you follow the procedures and deadlines described elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of the public shares held by them regardless of if or how they vote in respect of the Business Combination Proposal. If you wish to exercise your redemption rights, please see the answer to the next question: “
How do I exercise my redemption rights?
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such public shareholder or any other person with whom such public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its public shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash and such excess public shares would be converted into the merger consideration in connection with the Business Combination.
The Sponsor has agreed to waive its redemption rights with respect to all of its ordinary shares in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination. Such shares will be excluded from the pro rata calculation used to determine the per share redemption price.
 
Q:
How do I exercise my redemption rights?
 
A:
If you are a public shareholder and wish to exercise your right to redeem the public shares, you must:
 
  (i)
(a) hold public shares, or (b) hold public shares through units and elect to separate your units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares;
 
  (ii)
submit a written request to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, in which you (a) request that VGAC II redeem all or a portion of your public shares for cash, and (b) identify yourself as the beneficial holder of the public shares and provide your legal name, phone number, and address; and
 
  (iii)
deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental physically or electronically through The Depository Trust Company (“
DTC”
).
Holders must complete the procedures for electing to redeem their public shares in the manner described above prior to 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on [
], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order for their shares to be redeemed.
The address of Continental is listed under the question “
Who can help answer my questions?
” below.
 
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Holders of units must elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact Continental directly and instruct them to do so.
Public shareholders will be entitled to request that their public shares be redeemed for a pro rata portion of the amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the Closing including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to VGAC II (net of taxes payable). For illustrative purposes, as of [●], 2022, this would have amounted to approximately $[●] per issued and outstanding public share. However, the proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of VGAC II’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of VGAC II shareholders, regardless of whether such public shareholders vote or, if they do vote, irrespective of if they vote for or against the Business Combination Proposal. Therefore, the per share distribution from the trust account in such a situation may be less than originally expected due to such claims. Whether any particular VGAC II shareholder votes, and if any particular VGAC II shareholder does vote irrespective of how such VGAC II shareholder votes, on any proposal, including the Business Combination Proposal, will have no impact on the amount such VGAC II shareholder will receive upon exercise of your redemption rights. It is expected that the funds to be distributed to public shareholders electing to redeem their public shares will be distributed promptly after the consummation of the Business Combination.
Any request for redemption, once made by a holder of public ordinary shares, may not be withdrawn once submitted to VGAC II unless the VGAC II Board determines (in its sole discretion) to permit the withdrawal of such redemption request (which they may do in whole or in part). If you deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, and later decide prior to the extraordinary general meeting not to elect redemption, you may request that Continental return the share certificates (if any) and the shares (physically or electronically) to you. You may make such request by contacting Continental at the phone number or address listed at the end of this section.
Any corrected or changed written exercise of redemption rights must be received by Continental prior to the vote taken on the Business Combination Proposal at the extraordinary general meeting. No request for redemption will be honored unless the holder’s public shares have been delivered (either physically or electronically) to Continental at least two business days prior to the vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
If a holder of public shares properly makes a request for redemption and the public shares are delivered as described above, then, if the Business Combination is consummated, VGAC II will redeem the public shares for a pro rata portion of funds deposited in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination. The redemption takes place following the Domestication and, accordingly, it is shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be redeemed immediately after consummation of the Business Combination.
If you are a holder of public shares and you exercise your redemption rights, such exercise will not result in the loss of any warrants that you may hold.
 
Q:
If I am a holder of units, can I exercise redemption rights with respect to my units?
 
A:
No. Holders of issued and outstanding units must elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If you hold your units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, you must notify your broker or bank that you elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if you hold units registered in your own name, you must contact Continental directly and instruct them to do so. The redemption rights include the requirement that a holder must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide its
 
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  legal name, phone number, and address to Continental in order to validly redeem its shares. You are requested to cause your public shares to be separated and delivered to Continental by 5:00 PM, Eastern Time, on [●], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order to exercise your redemption rights with respect to your public shares.
 
Q:
What are the U.S. federal income tax consequences of exercising my redemption rights?
 
A:
A U.S. Holder (as defined in “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
” below) of Class A ordinary shares (if the Domestication does not occur) or New Grove Class A Common Stock (if the Domestication occurs) as the case may be, that exercises its redemption rights to receive cash from the trust account in exchange for such ordinary shares or common stock may (subject to the application of the PFIC rules) be treated as selling such ordinary shares or common stock, resulting in the recognition of capital gain or capital loss. There may be certain circumstances in which the redemption may be treated as a distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes depending on the amount of ordinary shares or common stock, as the case may be, that a U.S. Holder owns or is deemed to own (including through the ownership of warrants). For a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of an exercise of redemption rights by a U.S. Holder, see the sections entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations – Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur – U.S. Holders – Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations – The Domestication – Tax Consequences of a Redemption of New Grove Class A Common Stock.”
Additionally, because the Domestication will occur (if it is approved) prior to the redemption of U.S. Holders that exercise redemption rights, U.S. Holders exercising redemption rights will be subject to the potential tax consequences of Section 367 of the Code and the PFIC rules as a result of the Domestication. The tax consequences of Section 367 of the Code and the PFIC rules are discussed more fully below under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” We urge you to consult your tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of exercising your redemption rights.
If the Domestication occurs, a
Non-U.S.
Holder (as defined in “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” below) of New Grove Class A Common Stock that exercises its redemption rights to receive cash from the trust account in exchange for such common stock, like a U.S. Holder, will also generally be treated as selling such common stock. Gain recognized by a
Non-U.S.
Holder in connection with a redemption generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless certain exceptions apply. However, as with U.S. Holders, a redemption by a
Non-U.S.
Holder may be treated as a distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes, depending on the amount of common stock that a
Non-U.S.
Holder owns or is deemed to own (including through the ownership of warrants). Any portion of such distribution that constitutes a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes will generally be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend (unless such
Non-U.S.
Holder establishes that it is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty or certain other exceptions apply).
Because the determination as to whether a redemption is treated as a sale or a distribution is dependent on matters of fact, withholding agents may presume, for withholding purposes, that all amounts paid to
Non-U.S.
Holders in connection with a redemption are treated as distributions in respect of such
Non-U.S.
Holder’s shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. Accordingly, a
Non-U.S.
Holder should expect that a withholding agent will likely withhold U.S. federal income tax on the gross proceeds payable to a
Non-U.S.
Holder pursuant to a redemption at a rate of 30% unless such
Non-U.S.
Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form
W-8BEN
or
W-8BEN-E,
or other applicable IRS Form
W-8).
For a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of an exercise of redemption rights by a
Non-U.S.
Holder, see the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—The Domestication—Tax Consequences of a Redemption of New Grove Class A Common Stock.”
 
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Q:
What happens to the funds deposited in the trust account after consummation of the Business Combination?
 
A:
Following the closing of the initial public offering, an amount equal to $402,500,000 ($10.00 per unit) of the net proceeds from the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in the trust account. As of September 30, 2021, funds in the trust account totaled approximately $402,520,541 and were held in money market funds. These funds will remain in the trust account, except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, until the earliest of (i) the completion of a business combination (including the Closing) or (ii) the redemption of all of the public shares if VGAC II is unable to complete a business combination by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents), subject to applicable law.
If VGAC II’s initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with VGAC II’s initial business combination or used for redemptions or purchases of the public shares, New Grove may apply the balance of the cash released to it from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of New Grove, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in the Business Combination, to fund the purchase of other companies, or for working capital. See “
Summary of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus—Sources and Uses of Funds for the Business Combination
.”
 
Q:
What happens if a substantial number of the public shareholders vote in favor of the Business Combination Proposal and exercise their redemption rights?
 
A:
VGAC II’s public shareholders are not required to vote in respect of the Business Combination in order to exercise their redemption rights. Accordingly, the Business Combination may be consummated even though the funds available from the trust account and the number of public shareholders are reduced as a result of redemptions by public shareholders.
The Merger Agreement provides that the obligations of Grove to consummate the Business Combination are conditioned on, among other things, that as of immediately prior to the Closing, the Available Cash equal no less than $175,000,000. If such condition is not met, and such condition is not or cannot be waived under the terms of the Merger Agreement, then the Merger Agreement could terminate and the proposed Business Combination may not be consummated.
In no event will VGAC II redeem public shares in an amount that would cause VGAC II’s net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) to be less than $5,000,001 after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing.
Additionally, as a result of redemptions, the trading market for the New Grove Class A Common Stock may be less liquid than the market for the public shares was prior to consummation of the Business Combination and VGAC II may not be able to meet the listing standards for NYSE or another national securities exchange.
 
Q:
What conditions must be satisfied to complete the Business Combination?
 
A:
The consummation of the Business Combination is conditioned upon, among other things: (i) the approval by VGAC II shareholders of the Condition Precedent Proposals; (ii) the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act relating to the Merger Agreement; (iii) VGAC II having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing; (iv) the Minimum Available Cash Condition; (v) the approval by NYSE of VGAC II’s initial listing application in connection with the Business Combination; and (vi) the consummation of the Domestication. Therefore, unless these conditions are waived by the applicable parties to the Merger Agreement, the Merger Agreement could terminate and the Business Combination may not be consummated.
 
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For more information about conditions to the consummation of the Business Combination, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Conditions to Closing of the Business Combination
.”
 
Q:
When do you expect the Business Combination to be completed?
 
A:
It is currently expected that the Business Combination will be consummated in late first quarter or early second quarter 2022. This date depends on, among other things, the approval of the proposals to be voted on by VGAC II shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting. However, such extraordinary general meeting could be adjourned if the Adjournment Proposal is adopted by VGAC II shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting and VGAC II elects to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates (i) to the extent necessary to ensure that any required supplement or amendment to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is provided to VGAC II shareholders, (ii) in order to solicit additional proxies from VGAC II shareholders in favor of one or more of the proposals at the extraordinary general meeting, (iii) if, as of the time for which the extraordinary general meeting is scheduled, there are insufficient VGAC II ordinary shares represented (either in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business to be conducted at the extraordinary general meeting, or (iv) if VGAC II shareholders redeem an amount of public shares such that the Minimum Available Cash Condition would not be satisfied. For a description of the conditions for the completion of the Business Combination, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Conditions to Closing of the Business Combination
.”
 
Q:
What happens if the Business Combination is not consummated?
 
A:
VGAC II will not complete the Domestication unless all other conditions to the Closing have been satisfied or waived by the parties in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement. If VGAC II is not able to consummate the Business Combination with Grove nor able to complete another business combination by March 25, 2023, in each case, as such date may be extended pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, VGAC II will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of VGAC II’s remaining shareholders and the VGAC II Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to VGAC II’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law.
 
Q:
Do I have appraisal rights in connection with the proposed Business Combination and the proposed Domestication?
 
A:
Neither VGAC II shareholders nor VGAC II warrantholders have appraisal rights in connection with the Business Combination or the Domestication under the Cayman Islands Companies Act or under the DGCL.
 
Q:
What do I need to do now?
 
A:
VGAC II urges you to read this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes hereto and the documents referred to herein, carefully and in their entirety and to consider how the Business Combination will affect you as a VGAC II shareholder and/or a VGAC II warrantholder. VGAC II shareholders should then vote as soon as possible in accordance with the instructions provided in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and on the enclosed proxy card.
 
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Q:
What do I need in order to vote and ask questions at the extraordinary general meeting via the Internet?
 
A:
To attend the extraordinary general meeting via the Internet, you must register at [●]. Upon completing your registration, you will receive further instructions via email, including a unique link that will allow you access to the extraordinary general meeting and to vote and submit questions during the extraordinary general meeting. As part of the registration process, you must enter the control number located on your proxy card or voting instruction form. If you hold your shares in “street name,” which means your shares are held of record by a broker, bank, or nominee, you will also need to provide the registered name on your account and the name of your broker, bank or other nominee as part of the registration process. On the day of the extraordinary general meeting, you may begin to log in to the extraordinary general meeting fifteen (15) minutes prior to the extraordinary general meeting. We will have technicians ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the extraordinary general meeting. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the extraordinary general meeting platform, including any difficulties voting or submitting questions, you may call the technical support number that will be posted in your instructional email.
 
Q:
How do I vote my shares at the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
Shares Held of Record
If you hold shares directly in your name as a stockholder of record, you may submit your proxy to vote such shares via the Internet, by telephone or by mail.
To submit your proxy via Internet or by telephone, follow the instructions provided on your enclosed proxy card. If you vote via the Internet or by telephone, you must do so by no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on [●], 2022.
As an alternative to submitting your proxy via the Internet or by telephone, you may submit your proxy by mail. To submit your proxy by mail, you will need to complete, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope. If you vote by mail, your proxy card must be received by no later than [●], 2022.
If you have registered in advance to attend the extraordinary general meeting at the VGAC II meeting website, you may also vote at the extraordinary general meeting via the VGAC II meeting website.
You can also attend the extraordinary general meeting and vote in person. You will receive a ballot when you arrive.
Shares Held in Street Name
If you hold your shares in “street name”, which means your shares are held of record by a broker, bank, or nominee, you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or nominee that you must follow in order to submit your voting instructions and have your shares voted at the extraordinary general meeting.
If you want to vote in person virtually at the extraordinary general meeting, you must register in advance at the VGAC II meeting website. You can also attend the extraordinary general meeting and vote in person. You will receive a ballot when you arrive. However, you may be instructed to obtain a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee and to submit a copy in advance of the extraordinary general meeting. Further instructions will be provided to you as part of your registration process.
Please carefully consider the information contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and, whether or not you plan to attend the extraordinary general meeting, submit your proxy via the Internet, by telephone or by mail so that your shares will be voted in accordance with your wishes even if you decide not to attend the extraordinary general meeting.
 
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Q:
If my shares are held in “street name,” will my broker, bank, or nominee automatically vote my shares for me?
 
A:
No. If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial holder” of the shares held for you in what is known as “street name.” If this is the case, this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may have been forwarded to you by your brokerage firm, bank, or other nominee, or its agent. As the beneficial holder, you have the right to direct your broker, bank, or other nominee as to how to vote your shares. If you do not provide voting instructions to your broker on a particular proposal on which your broker does not have discretionary authority to vote, your shares will not be voted on that proposal. This is called a “broker
non-vote.”
Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on a particular proposal. If you decide to vote, you should provide instructions to your broker, bank, or other nominee on how to vote in accordance with the information and procedures provided to you by your broker, bank, or other nominee.
 
Q:
When and where will the extraordinary general meeting be held?
 
A:
The extraordinary general meeting will be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and virtually via the Internet at [●], Eastern Time, on [●], 2022, unless the extraordinary general meeting is adjourned.
 
Q:
How will the
COVID-19
pandemic impact
in-person
voting at the General Meeting?
 
A:
VGAC II intends to hold the extraordinary general meeting both in person and virtually via the Internet. Because VGAC II is sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our shareholders may have and recommendations that public health officials may issue in light of the evolving nature of
COVID-19
situation, VGAC II encourages VGAC II shareholders to attend the extraordinary general meeting virtually via the Internet. Additionally, VGAC II may impose additional procedures or limitations on VGAC II shareholders who wish to attend the extraordinary general meeting in person. VGAC II plans to announce any such updates in a press release filed with the SEC and on its proxy website, [●], and VGAC II encourages VGAC II shareholders to check this website prior to the meeting if they plan to attend.
 
Q:
What impact will the
COVID-19
pandemic have on the Business Combination?
 
A:
Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the impact of
COVID-19
on the businesses of VGAC II and Grove, and there is no guarantee that efforts by VGAC II and Grove to address the adverse impacts of
COVID-19
will be effective. The extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of
COVID-19
and actions taken to contain
COVID-19
or its impact, among others. If VGAC II or Grove are unable to recover from a business disruption on a timely basis, the Business Combination and/or New Grove’s business, financial condition, and results of operations following the completion of the Business Combination, would be adversely affected. The Business Combination may also be delayed and adversely affected by
COVID-19
and become more costly. Each of VGAC II and Grove may also incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by any such disruptions, which could adversely affect their respective financial condition and results of operations.
 
Q:
Who is entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
VGAC II has fixed [●], 2022 as the record date for the extraordinary general meeting. If you were a shareholder of VGAC II at the close of business on the record date, you are entitled to vote on matters that come before the extraordinary general meeting. However, a VGAC II shareholder may only vote his or her shares if he or she is present in person or is represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
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Q:
How many votes do I have?
 
A:
VGAC II shareholders are entitled to one vote at the extraordinary general meeting for each ordinary share held of record as of the record date. As of the close of business on the record date for the extraordinary general meeting, there were 50,312,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, of which 40,250,000 were issued and outstanding public shares.
 
Q:
What constitutes a quorum?
 
A:
A quorum of VGAC II shareholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. A quorum will be present at the extraordinary general meeting if one (1) or more VGAC II shareholders who together hold not less than a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares as of the record date entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting are represented in person or by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting. As of the record date for the extraordinary general meeting, [●] ordinary shares would be required to achieve a quorum.
 
Q:
What vote is required to approve each proposal at the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
The following votes are required for each proposal at the extraordinary general meeting:
 
  (i)
Business Combination Proposal
: The approval of the Business Combination Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (ii)
Domestication Proposal
: The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (iii)
Charter Amendment Proposal
: The approval of the Charter Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (iv)
Governing Documents Proposals
:
The approval of the Governing Documents Proposals requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Because the votes on the Governing Documents Proposals are advisory only, they will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
 
  (v)
NYSE Proposal
: The approval of the NYSE Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (vi)
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
: The approval of the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (vii)
ESPP Proposal
: The approval of the ESPP Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands Law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
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  (viii)
Director Election Proposal
: Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, until the Closing, only holders of Class B ordinary shares can appoint or remove directors. Therefore, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote on the Director Election Proposal. The approval of the Director Election Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of Class B ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (ix)
Adjournment Proposal
: The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
Q:
What are the recommendations of the VGAC II Board?
 
A:
The VGAC II Board believes that the Business Combination Proposal and the other proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting are in the best interest of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and unanimously recommends that its shareholders vote “FOR” the Business Combination Proposal, “FOR” the Domestication Proposal, “FOR” the Charter Amendment Proposal, “FOR” the Governing Documents Proposals, “FOR” the NYSE Proposal, “FOR” the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, “FOR” the ESPP Proposal, “FOR” the Director Election Proposal, and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal, in each case, if presented at the extraordinary general meeting.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he or she or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he or she or they may believe is best for himself or herself or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a VGAC II shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
Q:
How does the Sponsor intend to vote its shares?
 
A:
The Sponsor has agreed to vote all its shares in favor of all the proposals being presented at the extraordinary general meeting. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
 
Q:
What happens if I sell my VGAC II ordinary shares before the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
The record date for the extraordinary general meeting is earlier than the date of the extraordinary general meeting and earlier than the date that the Business Combination is expected to be completed. If you transfer your public shares after the applicable record date, but before the extraordinary general meeting, unless you grant a proxy to the transferee, you will retain your right to vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
Q:
May I change my vote after I have mailed my signed proxy card?
 
A:
Yes. Shareholders may send a later-dated, signed proxy card to VGAC II’s Chief Financial Officer at VGAC II’s address set forth below so that it is received by VGAC II’s Chief Financial Officer prior to the vote at the extraordinary general meeting (which is scheduled to take place on [●], 2022) or attend the extraordinary general meeting in person and vote. Shareholders also may revoke their proxy by sending a notice of revocation to VGAC II’s Chief Financial Officer, which must be received by VGAC II’s Chief Financial Officer prior to the vote at the extraordinary general meeting. However, if your shares are held in
 
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  “street name” by your broker, bank, or another nominee, you must contact your broker, bank, or other nominee to change your vote.
 
Q:
What happens if I fail to take any action with respect to the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
If you fail to vote with respect to the extraordinary general meeting and the Business Combination is approved by VGAC II shareholders and the Business Combination is consummated, you will become a stockholder and/or warrantholder of New Grove. If you fail to vote with respect to the extraordinary general meeting and the Business Combination is not approved, you will remain a shareholder and/or warrantholder of VGAC II. However, if you fail to vote with respect to the extraordinary general meeting, you will nonetheless be able to elect to redeem your public shares in connection with the Business Combination.
 
Q:
What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?
 
A:
Shareholders may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. If you are a holder of record and your shares are registered in more than one name, you will receive more than one proxy card. Please complete, sign, date, and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive in order to cast a vote with respect to all of your ordinary shares.
 
Q:
Who will solicit and pay the cost of soliciting proxies for the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
VGAC II will pay the cost of soliciting proxies for the extraordinary general meeting. VGAC II has engaged [●] (“[●]”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the extraordinary general meeting. VGAC II has agreed to pay [●] a fee of $[●], plus disbursements, and will reimburse [●] for its reasonable
out-of-pocket
expenses and indemnify [●] and its affiliates against certain claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses. VGAC II will also reimburse banks, brokers and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries representing beneficial owners of Class A ordinary shares for their expenses in forwarding soliciting materials to beneficial owners of Class A ordinary shares and in obtaining voting instructions from those owners. VGAC II’s directors and officers may also solicit proxies by telephone, by text message, by facsimile, by mail, on the Internet, or in person. They will not be paid any additional amounts for soliciting proxies.
 
Q:
Where can I find the voting results of the extraordinary general meeting?
 
A:
The preliminary voting results will be announced at the extraordinary general meeting. VGAC II will publish final voting results of the extraordinary general meeting in a Current Report on Form
8-K
within four business days after the extraordinary general meeting.
 
Q:
Who can help answer my questions?
 
A:
If you have questions about the Business Combination or if you need additional copies of the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or the enclosed proxy card you should contact:
[●]
[●]
[●]
Individuals call toll-free: [●]
Banks and brokers call collect: [●]
E-mail:
[●]
 
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You also may obtain additional information about VGAC II from documents filed with the SEC by following the instructions in the section entitled
“Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.”
If you are a holder of public shares and you intend to seek redemption of your public shares, you will need to deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) (either physically or electronically) to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, at the address below prior to the extraordinary general meeting. Holders must complete the procedures for electing to redeem their public shares in the manner described above prior to 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on [●], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order for their shares to be redeemed. If you have questions regarding the certification of your position or delivery of your stock, please contact:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street Plaza, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Mark Zimkind
E-mail:
mzimkind@continentalstock.com
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT GROVE’S CONSENT SOLICITATION
 
Q:
Who is entitled to give a written consent for Grove?
 
A:
The holders representing a majority of the outstanding Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
basis) will be entitled to give consent using the form of written consent furnished with this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
 
Q:
What approval is required by the Grove Stockholders to adopt the Merger Agreement?
 
A:
The Merger cannot be completed unless stockholders of Grove adopt the Merger Agreement and thereby approve the Business Combination and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Adoption of the Merger Agreement requires the approval of the written consent of the holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock representing the requisite vote required under the certificate of incorporation of Grove. As of the close of business on [●], 2022, there were approximately [●] shares of Grove Common Stock (including the shares of Grove Preferred Stock on an
as-converted
basis) outstanding and entitled to vote.
Concurrent with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain Grove stockholders entered into a Support Agreements with VGAC II. Under the Support Agreement, such Grove stockholders agreed, among other things, to (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, and (ii) be bound by certain other covenants and agreements related to the Business Combination. For a more detailed description of the support agreement, see the section titled “
Other Agreements—Support Agreement
” of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
 
Q:
Do any of Grove’s directors or officers have interests in the Merger that may differ from or be in addition to the interests of Grove stockholders?
 
A:
Grove’s executive officers and certain
non-employee
directors may have interests in the Merger that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of Grove stockholders generally, including (i) the fact that a director of Grove will become a director of New Grove after the closing of the Merger and, as such, in the future such director will receive any cash fees, stock options or stock awards that the New Grove Board determines to pay to its
non-executive
directors; (ii) the fact that Grove has entered into employment agreements with certain of its named executive officers (please see “
Grove—Executive Compensation
”); (iii) the fact that each holder of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to ten (10) votes per share on all matters voted upon by New Grove’s stockholders; and (iv) the continued indemnification of
 
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  current directors and officers and the continuation of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. The Grove Board was aware of and considered these interests to the extent such interests existed at the time, among other matters, in approving the Merger Agreement and in recommending that the Merger Agreement be approved by the Grove stockholders.
 
Q:
I am an employee of Grove who holds equity awards of Grove. How will my equity awards be treated in the Merger?
 
A:
As of the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares.
 
Q:
How can I return my written consent?
 
A:
If you hold shares of Grove Common Stock and you wish to submit your consent, you must fill out the enclosed written consent, date, and sign it, and promptly return it to Grove. Once you have completed, dated and signed your written consent, deliver it to Grove by emailing a .pdf copy of your written consent to [dcostin@grove.co] or by mailing your written consent to Grove at [1301 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111], Attention: [Delida Costin]. Grove does not intend to hold a stockholders’ meeting to consider the Business Combination Proposal, and, unless Grove decides to hold a stockholders’ meeting for such purposes, you will be unable to vote in person or virtually by attending a stockholders’ meeting.
 
Q:
What is the deadline for returning my written consent?
 
A:
The Grove Board has set [●] Eastern Time, on [●], 2022 as the targeted final date for the receipt of written consents. Grove reserves the right to extend the final date for the receipt of written consents beyond [●], 2022. Any such extension may be made without notice to Grove stockholders. Once a sufficient number of consents to adopt the Merger Agreement have been received, the consent solicitation will conclude.
 
Q:
What options do I have with respect to the proposed Merger?
 
A:
With respect to the shares of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock that you hold, you may execute a written consent to approve the Business Combination Proposal. If you fail to execute and return your written consent, or otherwise withhold your written consent, it has the same effect as voting against the Business Combination Proposal. You may also dissent and demand appraisal of your shares. See
“—Can I Dissent and Require Appraisal of My Shares?
 
Q:
Can I dissent and require appraisal of my shares?
 
A:
If you are a Grove stockholder who does not approve the Merger by delivering a written consent adopting the Merger Agreement, you will, by complying with Section 262 of the DGCL, be entitled to appraisal rights. Section 262 of the DGCL is attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex K. Failure to follow any of the statutory procedures set forth in Annex K may result in the loss or waiver of appraisal rights under Delaware law. Delaware law requires that, among other things, you send a written demand for appraisal to Grove after receiving a notice that appraisal rights are available to you, which notice will be sent to
non-consenting
Grove stockholders in the future. This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is not intended to constitute such a notice. Do not send in your demand before the date of such notice because any demand for appraisal made prior to your receipt of such notice may not be effective to perfect your rights. See the section titled “
Appraisal Rights
” beginning in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
 
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Q:
Should Grove stockholders send in their stock certificates now?
 
A:
No. Grove stockholders SHOULD NOT send in any stock certificates now. If the Merger Agreement is adopted and the Merger is consummated, transmittal materials, with instructions for their completion, will be provided under separate cover to Grove stockholders who hold physical stock certificates and the stock certificates should be sent at that time in accordance with such instructions.
 
Q:
Whom should I contact if I have any questions about the consent solicitation?
 
A:
If you have any questions about the merger or how to return your written consent or letter of transmittal, or if you need additional copies of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or a replacement written consent or letter of transmittal, you should contact Delida Costin at legal@grove.co.
 
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SUMMARY OF THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
This summary highlights selected information from this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and does not contain all of the information that is important to you. To better understand the proposals to be submitted for a vote at the extraordinary general meeting, including the Business Combination, you should read this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes hereto and other documents referred to herein, carefully and in their entirety. The Merger Agreement is the legal document that governs the Business Combination and the other transactions that will be undertaken in connection with the Business Combination. The Merger Agreement is also described in detail in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus in the section entitled “Business Combination Proposal—The Merger Agreement.”
The Parties to the Business Combination
VGAC II
VGAC II is a blank check company incorporated on January 13, 2021 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. VGAC II has neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on VGAC II’s business activities, it is a “shell company” as defined under the Exchange Act because it has no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash.
On March 25, 2021, VGAC II consummated an initial public offering of 35,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, and a private placement with Sponsor of 6,000,000 private placement warrants at an offering price of $1.50 per private placement warrant. Each unit sold in the initial public offering and private placement consists of one Class A ordinary share and
one-fifth
of one redeemable warrant.
On April 9, 2021, the underwriters of the initial public offering notified VGAC II of their intent to fully exercise their over-allotment option. As such, on April 13, 2021, VGAC II sold an additional 5,250,000 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, and the sale of an additional 700,000 private placement warrants to the Sponsor, at $1.50 per private placement warrant. A total of $51,450,000 of the net proceeds was deposited into the trust account, bringing the aggregate proceeds held in the trust account to $402,500,000.
Following the closing of the initial public offering, an amount equal to $402,500,000 of the net proceeds from the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants was placed in the trust account. The trust account may be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule
2a-7
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which invest only in direct U.S. government obligations. As of September 30, 2021, funds in the trust account totaled approximately $402,520,541 and were held in money market funds. These funds will remain in the trust account, except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, until the earliest of (i) the completion of VGAC II’s initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Existing Governing Documents to modify the substance and timing of VGAC II’s obligation to redeem 100% of the public shares if VGAC II does not complete a business combination by March 25, 2023, or (iii) the redemption of all of the public shares if VGAC II is unable to complete a business combination by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents), subject to applicable law.
VGAC II’s units, public shares, and public warrants are currently listed on NYSE under the symbols “VGII.U,” “VGII,” and “VGII.W,” respectively.
 
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VGAC II’s principal executive office is located at 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10012, and its telephone number is (212)
497-9050.
VGAC II’s corporate website address is https://www.vgacquisition.com/. VGAC II’s website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. The website address is included as an inactive textual reference only.
Grove
Grove is a Delaware public benefit corporation.
Grove’s principal executive office is located at 1301 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, and its telephone number is (800) 231-8527. Grove’s corporate website address is https://www.grove.co. The information on, or that can be accessed through, Grove’s website is not part of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. The website address is included as an inactive textual reference only.
VGAC II Merger Sub
VGAC II Merger Sub is a Delaware corporation and wholly owned direct subsidiary of VGAC II formed for the purpose of effecting the Business Combination. VGAC II Merger Sub owns no material assets and does not operate any business.
VGAC II Merger Sub’s principal executive office is located at 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10012, and its telephone number is (212)
497-9050.
Proposals to be Put to the Shareholders of VGAC II at the Extraordinary General Meeting
The following is a summary of the proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting and certain transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, the Charter Amendment Proposal, the Governing Documents Proposals, NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal and the Director Election Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on any other proposal. The transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement will be consummated only if the Condition Precedent Proposals are approved at the extraordinary general meeting.
As discussed in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, VGAC II is asking its shareholders to approve by ordinary resolution the Merger Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, on the date of Closing, VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove, with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove shall be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove. In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion, at the Effective Time, (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of
 
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Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of Company Unvested 2021 Options.
In addition, in connection with the Domestication, New Grove will amend and restate the Existing Governing Documents to be the Proposed Governing Documents and adopt a dual-class structure, as described in the section of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus titled “
Description of New Grove Securities
.”
After consideration of the factors identified and discussed in the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—The VGAC II Board’s Reasons for the Business Combination
,” the VGAC II Board concluded that the Business Combination met all of the requirements disclosed in the prospectus for the initial public offering, including that the businesses of Grove had a fair market value of at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account at the time of execution of the Merger Agreement. For more information about the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, see “
Business Combination Proposal
.”
Conditions to Closing of the Business Combination
The consummation of the Business Combination is conditioned upon, among other things, (i) the approval by VGAC II shareholders of the Condition Precedent Proposals; (ii) the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act relating to the Merger Agreement; (iii) VGAC II having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing; (iv) the Minimum Available Cash Condition; (v) the approval by the NYSE of VGAC II’s initial listing application in connection with the Business Combination; and (vi) the consummation of the Domestication. Therefore, unless these conditions are waived by the applicable parties to the Merger Agreement, the Merger Agreement could terminate and the Business Combination may not be consummated. For further details, see “
Business Combination Proposal— Conditions to Closing of the Business Combination
.”
Domestication Proposal
As discussed in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, VGAC II will ask its shareholders to approve by special resolution the Domestication Proposal. As a condition to closing the Business Combination pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, the VGAC II Board has approved the Domestication Proposal. The Domestication Proposal, if approved, will authorize a change of VGAC II’s jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware. Accordingly, while VGAC II is currently incorporated as an exempted company under the Cayman Islands Companies Act, upon Domestication, New Grove will be governed by the DGCL. There are differences between Cayman Islands corporate law and Delaware corporate law, as well as the Existing Governing Documents and the Proposed Governing Documents. The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Accordingly, VGAC II encourages shareholders to carefully consult the information set out below under “
Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
.”
 
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For further details, see “
Domestication Proposal” and “Governing Documents Proposals
.”
Charter Amendment and Governing Documents Proposals
VGAC II will ask its shareholders to approve by special resolution, the Charter Amendment Proposal and, in addition, the Governing Documents Proposals in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents, under Cayman Islands law, with the Proposed Governing Documents, under the DGCL.
The approval of the Charter Amendment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. The approval of the Governing Documents Proposals requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Because the votes on the Governing Documents Proposals are advisory only, they will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
The VGAC II Board has approved each of the Charter Amendment Proposal and the Governing Documents Proposals and believes such proposals are necessary to adequately address the needs of New Grove after the Business Combination. Approval of each of the Governing Documents Proposals is a condition to the consummation of the Business Combination. A brief summary of each of the Governing Documents Proposals is set forth below. These summaries are qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of the Proposed Governing Documents.
 
   
Charter Amendment Proposal
—to approve by special resolution the adoption and approval of the proposed new certificate of incorporation and bylaws of New Grove copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annexes C and D, respectively.
 
   
Governing Documents Proposal A
—to authorize the change in the authorized share capital of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share, to (ii) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock.
 
   
Governing Documents Proposal B
—to amend and restate the Existing Governing Documents and authorize all other immaterial changes necessary or, as mutually agreed in good faith by VGAC II and Grove, desirable in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Governing Documents as part of the Domestication, including (i) changing the post-Business Combination corporate name from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (which is expected to occur after the consummation of the Domestication), (ii) making New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual, (iii) adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act and (iv) removing certain provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company that will no longer be applicable upon consummation of the Business Combination, all of which the VGAC II Board believes is necessary to adequately address the needs of New Grove after the Business Combination.
 
   
Governing Documents Proposal C
—to authorize the issuance of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will allow holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock.
 
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The Proposed Governing Documents differ in certain material respects from the Existing Governing Documents, and VGAC II encourages VGAC II shareholders to carefully consult the information set out in the section entitled “
Governing Documents Proposals
” and the full text of the Proposed Governing Documents of New Grove, copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annexes B and C.
NYSE Proposal
VGAC II shareholders are being asked to approve, by ordinary resolution, the NYSE Proposal. VGAC II units, public shares, and public warrants are listed on NYSE and, as such, VGAC II is seeking shareholder approval for issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing pursuant to NYSE Listing Rule 312.03.
For additional information, see “
NYSE Proposal
.”
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
VGAC II shareholders are being asked to approve, by ordinary resolution, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal. A total number of New Grove Class A Common Stock equal to 15% of the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock outstanding as of immediately following the Closing of the Business Combination, on an
as-converted
basis, will be reserved for issuance under the Incentive Equity Plan. The Incentive Equity Plan provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the Incentive Equity Plan will automatically increase each January 1, beginning on January 1, 2023, and continuing until (and including) the fiscal year ending December 31, 2032, by 5% of the outstanding number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock on the immediately preceding December 31, or such lesser amount as determined by the New Grove Board. For additional information, see “
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
.” The full text of the Incentive Equity Plan is attached hereto as Annex I.
ESPP Proposal
VGAC II shareholders are being asked to approve, by ordinary resolution, the ESPP Proposal. The number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance under the ESPP will initially be limited to [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. The ESPP provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance thereunder will automatically increase on January 1, 2023 and each January 1 thereafter, continuing until (and including) the fiscal year ending December 31, 2032, by an amount equal to 1% of the aggregate number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31; provided, however, in no event will any annual increase exceed [●] shares or such lesser number of shares determined by the New Grove Board in its discretion.] For additional information, see “ESPP Proposal.” The full text of the ESPP is attached hereto as Annex J.
Director Election Proposal
VGAC II shareholders are being asked to approve, by ordinary resolution, the Director Election Proposal, which would elect Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●], [●] and [●], to serve as directors of the New Grove Board until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, disqualification, resignation, or removal. The New Grove Board will consist of three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year. Each class of directors will generally serve for a three-year term. For additional information, see “
Director Election Proposal
.”
 
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Adjournment Proposal
If, based on the tabulated vote, there are not sufficient votes at the time of the extraordinary general meeting to authorize VGAC II to consummate the Business Combination, the VGAC II Board may submit a proposal to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates. For additional information, see “
Adjournment Proposal
.”
The VGAC II Board’s Reasons for the Business Combination
VGAC II was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Although VGAC II may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector, or geographical location for purposes of consummating an initial business combination, VGAC II has focused on companies in the travel & leisure, financial services, health & wellness, technology & internet-enabled, music & entertainment, media & mobile, and renewable energy/resource efficiency sectors.
Before reaching its decision to approve the Merger Agreement and the Business Combination, the VGAC II Board considered the advice of its legal and financial advisors and the following positive factors:
 
   
Grove’s sustainability-first mindset and ability to innovate quickly;
 
   
scale of the addressable market for home and personal care in the U.S.;
 
   
the proven ability to drive growth of Grove;
 
   
Grove’s strong and increasing margins;
 
   
Grove’s strong and loyal
direct-to-consumer
(“
DTC
”) customer base;
 
   
the financial condition of Grove;
 
   
the proven track record of Grove’s management team, which will remain in place following the Business Combination;
 
   
the continued ownership of Grove equity holders and the significant investments from PIPE Investors in the PIPE Financing;
 
   
the terms of the Merger Agreement;
 
   
the results of its review of several alternative transactions;
 
   
the results of due diligence conducted by VGAC II’s management and its legal and financial advisors; and
 
   
Grove’s attractive valuation.
The VGAC II Board also considered a variety of uncertainties, risks and other potentially negative reasons relevant to the transaction, including, among others, the following:
 
   
risks associated with the Business Combination, including the possibility that the Business Combination may not be completed;
 
   
risks associated with sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and logistics to third-party providers;
 
   
risks associated with being subject to increased derivative litigation concerning duty to balance stockholder and public benefit interests as a public benefit corporation;
 
   
risks related to the post-Business Combination corporate governance of New Grove;
 
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the limited review undertaken by the VGAC II Board; and
 
   
the interests of the VGAC II Board and VGAC II’s executive officers.
For more information about the VGAC II Board’s decision-making process concerning the Business Combination, please see the section entitled “
The Business Combination Proposal—the VGAC II Board’s Reasons for the Business Combination
.”
Opinion of the Financial Advisor to VGAC II
On December 6, 2021, Houlihan Lokey orally rendered its opinion to the VGAC II Board (which was subsequently confirmed in writing by delivery of Houlihan Lokey’s written opinion addressed to the VGAC II Board dated December 6, 2021), as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the merger consideration to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
Houlihan Lokey’s opinion was directed to the VGAC II Board (in its capacity as such) and only addressed the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the merger consideration to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement and did not address any other aspect or implication of the Merger or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding. The summary of Houlihan Lokey’s opinion in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of its written opinion, which is attached as Annex L to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and describes the procedures followed, assumptions made, qualifications and limitations on the review undertaken and other matters considered by Houlihan Lokey in connection with the preparation of its opinion. However, neither Houlihan Lokey’s opinion nor the summary of its opinion and the related analyses set forth in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus are intended to be, and do not constitute, advice or a recommendation to the VGAC II Board, VGAC II, any security holder or any other person as to how to act or vote or make any election with respect to any matter relating to the Merger or otherwise, including, without limitation, whether holders of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares should redeem their shares or whether any party should participate in the PIPE Financing.
Related Agreements
This section describes certain additional agreements entered into or to be entered into in connection with the Merger Agreement. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements
.”
PIPE Financing
VGAC II entered into Subscription Agreements with the PIPE Investors to consummate the PIPE Financing, pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and VGAC II agreed to issue and sell to the PIPE Investors, on the Closing Date, an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $87,075,000. One of the PIPE Investors is an affiliate of the Sponsor that has agreed to subscribe for 5,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. In addition, the other PIPE Investors include existing equityholders of Grove that have agreed to subscribe for 3,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the aggregate. The shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Subscription Agreements have not been registered under the Securities Act in reliance upon the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. VGAC II will grant the PIPE Investors certain customary registration rights in connection with the PIPE Financing. The PIPE Financing is contingent upon, among other things, the substantially concurrent closing of the Business Combination. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—PIPE Financing
.”
 
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Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement
At the Closing, VGAC II and the Sponsor will enter into an Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “
Registration Rights Agreement
”), which will terminate and replace the existing registration rights agreement between VGAC II and the Sponsor, dated March 22, 2021 (the “
VGAC II Registration Rights Agreement
”), and pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor will be granted certain customary registration rights with respect to its shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Registration Rights Agreement
.”
Grove Stockholder Support Agreement
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, certain Grove Stockholders entered into a Support Agreement (the “
Grove Stockholder Support Agreement
”) with VGAC II, pursuant to which such Grove Stockholders have agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, and (ii) be bound by certain other covenants and agreements related to the Business Combination. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Support Agreement
.”
Sponsor Agreement
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Grove, the Sponsor, VGAC II, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC as the underwriter, the Insiders (as defined therein), and the Holders (as defined therein) entered into a Sponsor Letter Agreement (the “
Sponsor Agreement
”) pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger) and (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement.
In addition, the Sponsor has agreed that the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement, with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement). If, upon the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
.”
Certain Engagements in Connection with the Business Combination and Related Transactions
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) was engaged by Grove as financial advisor to Grove. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) was engaged by VGAC II as a financial advisor and an
 
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equity capital markets advisor to VGAC II. The aggregate fees payable to Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley or their respective affiliates upon the closing of the Business Combination is approximately $1,293,250 for their roles as financial and equity capital markets advisors, as applicable.
In addition, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse are acting as co-placement agents to VGAC II (the Placement Agents) with respect to the portion of the PIPE Financing raised from qualified institutional buyers and institutional accredited investors, and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are not acting as agents or participating in any role with respect to, and will not earn any fees from, the portion of the PIPE Financing raised from individual investors.. The aggregate fees payable to the Placement Agents is approximately $1,293,250, in addition to any expense reimbursement, for their roles as placement agents. Morgan Stanley also provided VGAC II and Grove with disclosure letters describing its respective roles with VGAC II and Grove and any other material relationships that it had with VGAC II and Grove. After carefully considering with their respective boards and legal counsel the potential benefits of engaging Morgan Stanley for both roles, VGAC II and Grove each consented to Morgan Stanley’s roles as financial advisor to Grove in connection with the Business Combination and as placement agent to VGAC II in connection with the PIPE Financing and waived any potential conflicts in connection with such dual roles.
In addition, Morgan Stanley (together with its affiliates) is a full service financial institution engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, wealth management, investment research, principal investing, lending, financing, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. In addition, Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may provide investment banking and other commercial dealings to VGAC II, Grove and their respective affiliates in the future, for which they would expect to receive customary compensation. In addition, in the ordinary course of its business activities, Morgan Stanley and its affiliates, officers, directors and employees may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of VGAC II, Grove or their respective affiliates. Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Ownership and Voting Power of New Grove
As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are 50,312,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, which includes an aggregate of 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there is outstanding an aggregate of 14,750,000 warrants, comprised of 6,700,000 private placement warrants held by Sponsor and 8,050,000 public warrants. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share and, following the Domestication, will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock.
 
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The following table illustrates varying estimated ownership levels and voting power in New Grove immediately following the consummation of the Business Combination, based on the varying levels of redemptions by the public shareholders and the following additional assumptions:
 
    
Share Ownership in New Grove(1)
   
Voting Power in New Grove
 
    
No Redemptions
   
Maximum
redemptions(2)
   
No Redemptions
   
Maximum
redemptions(2)
 
    
Percentage of
Outstanding
Shares
   
Percentage of
Outstanding
Shares
   
Percentage of
Voting Power of
Outstanding
Shares
   
Percentage of
Voting Power of
Outstanding
Shares
 
VGAC II Shareholders
     22.4     5.9     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
Sponsor
     3.7     4.4     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
PIPE Investors
     4.8     5.9     [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
Grove Class A Stockholders(3)
     [● ]%      [● ]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
Grove Class B Stockholders(3)
     [● ]%      [● ]%      [ ●]%      [ ●]% 
 
(1)
As of [●], 2022. Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(2)
Assumes that 31,459,600 of VGAC II’s Class A ordinary share are redeemed for an aggregate payment of $314.6 million (which is the maximum number of redemptions that would still allow the Minimum Cash Condition to be satisfied).
(3)
Excludes equity awards issued at Closing upon rollover of vested and unvested Grove equity awards under the proposed New Grove Incentive Equity Plan.
(4)
Each share of New Grove Class B Common Stock will have ten (10) votes per share, while each share of New Grove Class A Common Stock will have one (1) vote per share.
For further details, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Consideration to Grove Equityholders in the Business Combination
.”
Date, Time, and Place of Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II Shareholders
The extraordinary general meeting will be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and virtually via the Internet at [●], Eastern Time, on [●], 2022, to consider and vote upon the proposals to be put to the extraordinary general meeting, including if necessary, the Adjournment Proposal, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies if, based upon the tabulated vote at the time of the extraordinary general meeting, each of the Condition Precedent Proposals have not been approved.
Voting Power; Record Date
VGAC II shareholders will be entitled to vote or direct votes to be cast at the extraordinary general meeting if they owned ordinary shares at the close of business on [●], 2022, which is the “record date” for the extraordinary general meeting. Shareholders will have one vote for each ordinary share owned at the close of business on the record date. If your shares are held in “street name” or are in a margin or similar account, you should contact your broker to ensure that votes related to the shares you beneficially own are properly counted. VGAC II warrants do not have voting rights. As of the close of business on the record date, there were 50,312,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, of which 40,250,000 were issued and outstanding public shares.
Quorum and Vote of VGAC II Shareholders
A quorum of VGAC II shareholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. A quorum will be present at the extraordinary general meeting if one or more VGAC II shareholders who together hold not less than a majority of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares as of the record date entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting are represented in person or by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting. As of the record date for the extraordinary general meeting, [●] ordinary shares would be required to achieve a quorum.
 
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The Sponsor has, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger), (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, and (iii) be bound by certain
earn-out
provisions with respect to its shares in VGAC II following the Closing, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
The proposals presented at the extraordinary general meeting require the following votes:
 
  (i)
Business Combination Proposal
: The approval of the Business Combination Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (ii)
Domestication Proposal
: The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (iii)
Charter Amendment Proposal
:
The approval of the Charter Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (iv)
Governing Documents Proposals
:
The approval of the Governing Documents Proposals requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Because the votes on the Governing Documents Proposals are advisory only, they will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
 
  (v)
NYSE Proposal
: The approval of the NYSE Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (vi)
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
: The approval of the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (vii)
ESPP Proposal
: The approval of the ESPP Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (viii)
Director Election Proposal
: Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, until the Closing, only holders of Class B ordinary shares can appoint or remove directors. Therefore, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote on the Director Election Proposal. The approval of the Director Election Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of Class B ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (ix)
Adjournment Proposal
: The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary
 
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  shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
Redemption Rights
Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, a public shareholder may request of VGAC II that New Grove redeem all or a portion of its public shares for cash if the Business Combination is consummated. As a holder of public shares, you will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:
 
  (i)
(a) hold public shares, or (b) if you hold public shares through units, you elect to separate your units into the underlying public shares and warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares;
 
  (ii)
submit a written request to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, in which you (a) request that New Grove redeem all or a portion of your public shares for cash, and (b) identify yourself as the beneficial holder of the public shares and provide your legal name, phone number, and address; and
 
  (iii)
deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental physically or electronically through DTC.
Holders must complete the procedures for electing to redeem their public shares in the manner described above prior to [
], Eastern Time, on [
], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order for their shares to be redeemed.
Holders of units must elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its own name, the holder must contact Continental directly and instruct them to do so. The redemption rights include the requirement that a holder must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide its legal name, phone number, and address to Continental in order to validly redeem its shares. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of the public shares held by them regardless of if or how they vote in respect of the Business Combination Proposal. If the Business Combination is not consummated, the public shares will be returned to the respective holder, broker, or bank.
If the Business Combination is consummated, and if a public shareholder properly exercises its right to redeem all or a portion of the public shares that it holds and timely delivers its shares to Continental, New Grove will redeem such public shares for a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the pro rata portion of the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination. For illustrative purposes, as of [●], 2022, this would have amounted to approximately $[●] per issued and outstanding public share. If a public shareholder exercises its redemption rights in full, then it will be electing to exchange its public shares for cash and will no longer own public shares. The redemption takes place following the Domestication and accordingly, it is shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be redeemed immediately after consummation of the Business Combination. See “
Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II—Redemption Rights
” in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for a detailed description of the procedures to be followed if you wish to redeem your public shares for cash.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such public shareholder or any other person with whom such public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its public shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash and such excess public shares would be converted into the merger consideration in connection with the Business Combination.
The Sponsor has, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger), (ii) waive any adjustment
 
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to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, and (iii) be bound by certain
earn-out
provisions with respect to its shares in VGAC II following the Closing, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. Such shares will be excluded from the pro rata calculation used to determine the
per-share
redemption price. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
Holders of the warrants will not have redemption rights with respect to the warrants.
Appraisal Rights
Neither VGAC II shareholders nor VGAC II warrantholders have appraisal rights in connection with the Business Combination or the Domestication under the Cayman Islands Companies Act or under the DGCL.
Proxy Solicitation
Proxies may be solicited by mail, telephone, or in person. VGAC II has engaged [●] to assist in the solicitation of proxies.
If a shareholder grants a proxy, it may still vote its shares in person if it revokes its proxy before the extraordinary general meeting. A shareholder also may change its vote by submitting a later-dated proxy as described in the section entitled “
Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II—Revoking Your Proxy
.”
Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
When you consider the recommendation of the VGAC II Board in favor of approval of the Business Combination Proposal, you should keep in mind that the Sponsor, VGAC II’s directors, and executive officers, have interests in such proposal that are different from, or in addition to, those of VGAC II shareholders and VGAC II warrantholders generally. These interests include, among other things, the interests listed below:
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor has agreed not to redeem any Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares, of which the Sponsor currently owns 9,972,500 Class B ordinary shares and each of the three independent directors owns 30,000 Class B ordinary shares, and such securities will have a significantly higher value at the time of the Business Combination; as described further below:
 
    
Shares of Class B
ordinary shares(1)
    
Value of Class B
ordinary shares
implied by the
Business
Combination(3)
    
Value of Class B
ordinary shares based
on recent trading
price(4)
 
Sponsor(2)
     9,972,500      $ 99,725,000      $                    
Chris Burggraeve
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
Elizabeth Nelson
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
Latif Peracha
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
 
(1)
Interests shown consist solely of founder shares. Such shares will automatically convert into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock upon Domestication on a
one-for-one
basis.
(2)
VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC is the record holder of the shares reported herein.
 
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(3)
Assumes a value of $10.00 per share, the deemed value of the Class B ordinary shares in the Business Combination.
(4)
Assumes a value of $                 per share, the closing price of the Class B ordinary shares on
 
   
the fact that each of Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Lovell invested $300,000 in the Sponsor and hold interests in the Sponsor that represent an indirect interest in 1,246,600 Class B ordinary shares and 197,939 private placement warrants, and the fact that Mr. Burggraeve, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Peracha each invested $100,000, in the Sponsor indirectly through an investment in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, and each holds interests in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC that represent an indirect interest in 70,216 Class B ordinary shares, and 66,550 private placement warrants, and all of such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents);
 
   
the fact that given the differential in the purchase price that the Sponsor paid for the founder shares as compared to the price of the public shares sold in the initial public offering, the Sponsor and its affiliates may earn a positive rate of return on their investment even if the Class A ordinary shares trades below the price initially paid for the public shares in the initial public offering and the public shareholders experience a negative rate of return following the completion of the Business Combination;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor will benefit from the completion of a business combination and may be incentivized to complete an acquisition of a less favorable target company or on terms less favorable to shareholders rather than liquidate;
 
   
the fact that if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents), our Sponsor and VGAC II’s officers and directors will lose their entire investment in VGAC II, which investment included a capital contribution of $25,000 for the Sponsor’s Class B ordinary shares and $10,050,000 for the Sponsor’s private placement warrants, and will not be reimbursed for any
out-of-pocket
expenses from any amounts held in the trust account;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor and VGAC II’s other current officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any ordinary shares (other than public shares) held by them if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023;
 
   
the fact that the Registration Rights Agreement will be entered into by the Sponsor;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor transferred 30,000 Class B ordinary shares to each of VGAC II’s three independent directors prior to the initial public offering, and such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents);
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor entered into the Sponsor Agreement pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed that the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement, with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement). If, upon the
 
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expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove;
 
   
the continued indemnification of VGAC II’s directors and officers and the continuation of VGAC II’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance after the Business Combination (
i.e.
, a “tail policy”);
 
   
the fact that if the trust account is liquidated, including in the event VGAC II is unable to complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify VGAC II to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per public share, or such lesser per public share amount as is in the trust account on the liquidation date, by the claims of prospective target businesses with which VGAC II has entered into an acquisition agreement or claims of any third party for services rendered or products sold to VGAC II, but only if such a vendor or target business has not executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account;
 
   
the fact that [●], [●] of the Sponsor is expected to be director of New Grove after the consummation of the Business Combination and as such, in the future, he may receive cash fees, stock options, stock awards or other remuneration that the New Grove Board determines to pay to him and any other applicable compensation; and
 
   
the fact that the Virgin Group and the Sponsor will collectively own 6,572,125 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which collectively will represent up to approximately 4.4% outstanding shares of New Grove Common Stock and approximately [●]% of the voting power of New Grove Common Stock assuming that 100% of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares are redeemed.
The Sponsor has, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger), (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, and (iii) be bound by certain
earn-out
provisions with respect to its shares in VGAC II following the Closing, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. Such shares will be excluded from the pro rata calculation used to determine the
per-share
redemption price. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
Approval of each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Governing Documents Proposals, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal, and the Adjournment Proposal, requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. As a result, approval of each of the foregoing proposals would require 15,093,751, or 37.5%, of the 40,250,000 public shares sold in the initial public offering would need to be voted in favor of each of the foregoing proposals in addition to the founder shares held by the Sponsor (assuming all outstanding shares are voted).
Approval of each of the Domestication Proposal and the Charter Amendment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. As a result, approval of each of the foregoing proposals would require 23,479,167, or 58.3%, of the 40,250,000 public shares sold in the initial public offering would need to be voted in favor of each of the foregoing proposals in addition to the founder shares held by the Sponsor and the directors (assuming all outstanding shares are voted).
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he or she or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he or she or they may believe is best for himself or
 
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herself or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder.
Recommendation to Shareholders of VGAC II
The VGAC II Board believes that the Business Combination Proposal and the other proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting are in the best interest of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and unanimously recommends that its shareholders vote “FOR” the Business Combination Proposal, “FOR” the Domestication Proposal, “FOR” the Charter Amendment Proposal, “FOR” each of the Governing Documents Proposals, “FOR” the NYSE Proposal, “FOR” the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, “FOR” the ESPP Proposal, “FOR” the Director Election Proposal, and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal, in each case, if presented to the extraordinary general meeting.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he or she or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he or she or they may believe is best for himself or herself or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
Sources and Uses of Funds for the Business Combination
The following tables summarize the sources and uses for funding the Business Combination assuming a Closing Date of September 30, 2021, and (i) assuming that none of VGAC II’s outstanding public shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination and (ii) assuming 100% of the Class A ordinary shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination.
No Redemption
 
Source of Funds(1) (in thousands)
       
Uses(1) (in thousands)
     
Existing Cash held in trust account(2)
  $ 402,521    
Merger Consideration to Grove Equityholders(3)
  $ 1,400,000  
Merger Consideration to Grove
Equityholders(3)
  $ 1,400,000    
Transaction Fees and Expenses
  $ 50,000  
PIPE Financing(3)
  $ 87,075    
Remaining Cash to Balance Sheet
  $ 439,596  
   
 
 
       
 
 
 
Total Sources
 
$
1,889,596
 
 
Total Uses
 
$
1,889,596
 
   
 
 
       
 
 
 
 
(1)
Totals might be affected by rounding.
(2)
As of September 30, 2021.
(3)
Shares issued to Grove Equityholders and PIPE Investors are at a deemed value of $10.00 per share.
 
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Maximum Redemption
 
Source of Funds(1) (in thousands)
       
Uses(1) (in thousands)
     
Existing Cash held in trust account(2)
  $ 402,521    
Merger Consideration to Grove Equityholders(3)
  $ 1,400,000  
Merger Consideration to Grove
         
Transaction Fees and Expenses
  $ 50,000  
Equityholders(3)
  $ 1,400,000    
VGAC II public shareholder redemptions
  $ 314,596  
Pipe Financing(3)
  $ 87,075    
Remaining Cash to Balance Sheet
  $ 125,000  
   
 
 
       
 
 
 
Total Sources
 
$
1,889,596
 
 
Total Uses
 
$
1,889,596
 
   
 
 
       
 
 
 
 
(1)
Totals might be affected by rounding.
(2)
As of September 30, 2021.
(3)
Shares issued to Grove Equityholders and PIPE Investors are at a deemed value of $10.00 per share.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
For a discussion summarizing the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Domestication and exercise of redemption rights, please see “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
.”
Expected Accounting Treatment
The Domestication
There will be no accounting effect or change in the carrying amount of the assets and liabilities of VGAC II as a result of the Domestication. The business, capitalization, assets and liabilities, and financial statements of New Grove immediately following the Domestication will be the same as those of VGAC II immediately prior to the Domestication.
The Business Combination
The Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“
GAAP
”). Under this method of accounting, VGAC II has been treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. This determination was primarily based on the following factors: (i) the business of Grove will comprise the ongoing operations of New Grove; (ii) Grove’s senior management will comprise the senior management of New Grove; (iii) the
pre-Business
Combination stockholders of Grove will have the largest ownership of New Grove and the right to appoint the highest number of board members relative to other stockholders; and (iv) the headquarters of Grove will be that of New Grove. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of the combined entity will represent a continuation of the financial statements of Grove with the Business Combination being treated as the equivalent of Grove issuing stock for the net assets of VGAC II, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of VGAC II will be stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.
Regulatory Matters
Under the HSR Act and the rules that have been promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“
FTC
”), certain transactions may not be consummated unless information has been furnished to the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“
Antitrust Division
”) and the FTC and certain waiting period
 
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requirements have been satisfied. The Business Combination is subject to these requirements and may not be completed until the expiration of a
30-day
waiting period following the filing of the required Notification and Report Forms with the Antitrust Division and the FTC or until early termination is granted. VGAC II and Grove filed the required forms under the HSR Act with the Antitrust Division and the FTC within ten business days following the date of the Merger Agreement.
At any time before or after consummation of the Business Combination, notwithstanding termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act, the applicable competition authorities in the United States or any other applicable jurisdiction could take such action under applicable antitrust laws as such authority deems necessary or desirable in the public interest, including seeking to enjoin the consummation of the Business Combination, conditionally approving the Business Combination upon divestiture of New Grove’s assets, subjecting the completion of the Business Combination to regulatory conditions, or seeking other remedies. Private parties may also seek to take legal action under the antitrust laws under certain circumstances. VGAC II cannot assure you that the Antitrust Division, the FTC, any state attorney general, or any other government authority will not attempt to challenge the Business Combination on antitrust grounds, and, if such a challenge is made, VGAC II cannot assure you as to its result.
Neither VGAC II nor Grove is aware of any material regulatory approvals or actions that are required for completion of the Business Combination other than the expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act. It is presently contemplated that if any such additional regulatory approvals or actions are required, those approvals or actions will be sought. There can be no assurance, however, that any additional approvals or actions will be obtained.
Emerging Growth Company
VGAC II is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “
JOBS Act
”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in VGAC II’s periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation, and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to
non-emerging
growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. VGAC II has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, VGAC II, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of VGAC II’s financial statements with certain other public companies difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
New Grove will qualify as an “emerging growth company.” New Grove will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of: (i) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the closing of the initial public offering, (b) in which New Grove has total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which New Grove is deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of the common
 
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equity of New Grove that is held by
non-affiliates
exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter; and (ii) the date on which New Grove has issued more than $1.00 billion in
non-convertible
debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act. Following the Business Combination, VGAC II expects that New Grove will remain an emerging growth company until [●].
Smaller Reporting Company
Additionally, VGAC II is a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation
S-K.
Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced or scaled disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. Following the Business Combination, VGAC II expects that New Grove will no longer be a smaller reporting company.
Risk Factors
In evaluating the proposals to be presented at the VGAC II extraordinary general meeting, a VGAC II shareholder should carefully read this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus in its entirety and especially consider the factors discussed in the section entitled “
Risk Factors
.”
 
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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF VGAC II
VGAC II is providing the following selected historical financial data to assist you in your analysis of the financial aspects of the Business Combination. VGAC II’s condensed balance sheet data as of September 30, 2021 and the statement of operations data and cash flow data for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) through September 30, 2021 are derived from VGAC II’s unaudited interim condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. In VGAC II’s management’s opinion, the unaudited interim condensed financial statements include all adjustments necessary to state fairly VGAC II’s financial position as of September 30, 2021 and the results of operations for the the period from January 13, 2021 (date of inception) to September 30, 2021.
The information is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with VGAC II’s financial statements and related notes and “
VGAC II’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
” contained elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. VGAC II’s historical results are not necessarily indicative of future results, and the results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full fiscal year.
 
    
For the Period from
January 13, 2021 to
September 30, 2021
 
Statement of Operations Data
  
Formation and operating costs
   $ 1,485,953  
  
 
 
 
Loss from operations
     (1,485,953
Other income (expense):
  
Interest earned on investments held in trust account
     20,541  
Offering costs allocated to warrants
     (570,496
Change in fair value of warranty liability
     6,496,009  
  
 
 
 
Total other income (expense)
     5,946,054  
  
 
 
 
Net Loss
  
$
4,460,101
 
  
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class A redeemable ordinary shares
     28,918,582  
  
 
 
 
Basic and diluted net income per share, Class A
  
$
0.12
 
  
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding of Class B
non-redeemable
ordinary shares
     9,640,625  
  
 
 
 
Basic and diluted net loss per share, Class B
  
$
0.12
 
  
 
 
 
 
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As of
September 30, 2021
 
Balance Sheet Data
        
Total Current Assets
   $ 687,978  
Prepaid
expenses—non-current
portion
     299,902  
Cash and investments held in trust account
     402,520,541  
    
 
 
 
Total Assets
     403,508,421  
    
 
 
 
Total Liabilities
     28,786,992  
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 40,250,000 shares subject to possible redemption at a redemption value of $10.00 per share
     402,500,000  
Shareholders’ Deficit:
        
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 10,062,500 shares issued and outstanding
     1,006  
Additional
paid-in
capital
     —    
Accumulated deficit
     (27,779,577
    
 
 
 
Total Shareholders’ deficit
     (27,778,571
    
 
 
 
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ deficit
     403,508,421  
    
 
 
 
 
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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF GROVE
The following tables show selected historical financial data of Grove for the periods ended and as of the dates indicated. The selected historical statements of operations data of Grove for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 and the historical balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 are derived from Grove’s audited financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. The selected historical statement of operations data of Grove for 2018 is derived from audited financial statements that are not included in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. The selected historical condensed statements of operations data of Grove for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2021 and the historical balance sheet data as of September 30, 2021 are derived from Grove’s unaudited interim condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. In the opinion of Grove’s management, the unaudited interim condensed financial statements include all adjustments necessary to state fairly Grove’s financial position as of September 30, 2021 and the results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2021.
The financial information contained in this section relates to Grove, prior to and without giving pro forma effect to the impact of the Merger. The results reflected in this section may not be indicative of the results of the post-combination company going forward. See “
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
”.
The following selected historical financial information should be read together with the financial statements and accompanying notes and
 “Grove Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
” appearing elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. The selected historical financial information in this section is not intended to replace Grove’s financial statements and the related notes. Grove’s historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future and Grove’s results for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2021 or any other period.
 
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Grove is providing the following selected historical financial information to assist you in your analysis of the financial aspects of the Merger.
 
   
Year Ended

December 31,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 
2018
   
2019
   
2020
   
2020
   
2021
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Statement of Operations Data:
                                       
Revenue, net
  $ 104,928     $ 233,116     $ 364,271     $ 271,233     $ 296,421  
Cost of goods sold
    68,502       149,681       188,267       141,683       147,179  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Gross profit
    36,426       83,435       176,004       129,550       149,242  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Operating expenses:
                                       
Advertising
    32,095       77,842       55,547       43,816       90,611  
Product development
    5,581       13,604       18,655       13,855       16,436  
Selling, general and administrative
    79,486       155,158       168,295       126,427       140,609  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Operating loss
    (80,736     (163,169     (66,493     (54,548     (98,414
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Interest expense
    619       2,052       5,607       4,568       3,272  
Loss on extinguishment of debt
    —         —         —         —         1,027  
Other expense (income), net
    339       (3,763     119       (204     1,157  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Interest and other expense (income), net
    958       (1,711     5,726       4,364       5,456  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Loss before provision for income taxes
    (81,694     (161,458     (72,219     (58,912     (103,870
Provision for income taxes
    1       12       41       31       39  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net loss
  $ (81,695   $ (161,470   $ (72,260   $ (58,943   $ (103,909
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Deemed dividend due to the exchange of Series Seed convertible preferred stock and Series A convertible preferred stock for Series D convertible preferred stock
    —         (1,801     —         —         —    
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
  $ (81,695   $ (163,271   $ (72,260   $ (58,943   $ (103,909
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
  $ (21.13   $ (43.37   $ (15.82   $ (14.29   $ (14.61
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
    3,865,812       3,764,374       4,568,540       4,125,470       7,114,091  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
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December 31,
    
September 30,

2021
 
    
2019
    
2020
 
    
(in thousands)
 
Balance Sheet Data:
                          
Cash and cash equivalents
   $ 36,829      $ 176,523      $ 109,217  
Working capital (deficit)
(1)
     (14,345      164,793        101,177  
Total assets
     87,703        269,718        216,929  
Debt, current
     18,800        1,918        1,265  
Debt, noncurrent
     2,463        29,782        55,981  
Total liabilities
     90,843        121,441        157,729  
Convertible preferred stock
     273,412        487,918        487,918  
Accumulated deficit
     (281,987      (354,247      (458,156
Total stockholders’ deficit
     (276,552      (339,641      (428,718
 
(1)
Working capital (deficit) is defined as current assets less current liabilities. See the financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement for further details regarding Grove’s current assets and current liabilities.
 
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SELECTED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial data (the “selected pro forma information”) gives effect to the Merger and other events contemplated by the Merger Agreement as described in the section entitled “
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
” included in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. The Merger will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Under this method of accounting, VG Acquisition Corp. II (“
VGII
”) will be treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of New Grove will represent a continuation of the financial statements of Grove with the Merger treated as the equivalent of Grove issuing stock for the net assets of VGII, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of VGII will be stated at historical cost and no goodwill or other intangible assets will be recorded. Operations prior to the Merger will be presented as those of Grove in future reports of New Grove.
The selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet data as of September 30, 2021 gives pro forma effect to the Merger and other events contemplated by the Merger Agreement as if they had occurred on September 30, 2021. The selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations data for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 gives pro forma effect to the Merger and other events contemplated by the Merger Agreement as if they had occurred on January 1, 2020.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation
S-X
as amended by the final rule, Release
33-10786
“Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses.” The adjustments reflected in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been identified and presented to provide relevant information necessary for an accurate understanding of the Combined Company upon consummation of the Merger and the related PIPE Investment.
The selected pro forma information has been derived from, and should be read in conjunction with, the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of New Grove appearing elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement and the accompanying notes, in the section titled “
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information.
” The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is derived from, and should be read in conjunction with, the historical financial statements of VGII and Grove and related notes included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. The selected pro forma information has been presented for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of what New Grove’s financial position or results of operations actually would have been had the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement been completed as of the dates indicated. In addition, the selected pro forma information does not purport to project the future financial position or operating results of New Grove. VGII and Grove have not had any historical relationship prior to the Merger. Accordingly, no pro forma adjustments were required to eliminate activities between the companies.
The following table presents selected pro forma information after giving effect to the Merger and other events contemplated by the Merger Agreement, presented under two scenarios:
 
   
No Redemption Scenario:
 This scenario assumes that no shares of VGII Class A ordinary shares are redeemed..
 
   
Maximum Redemption Scenario:
 This scenario assumes 31,459,600 public shares of VGII’s Class A common stock are redeemed for an aggregate payment of $314.6 million, which is derived from the number of shares that could be redeemed in connection with the Business Combination at an assumed redemption price of approximately $10.00 per share based on funds held in the trust account as of September 30, 2021 and still satisfy the Minimum Cash Condition required to consummate the Business Combination of at least $175.0 million, after giving effect to the proceeds from the PIPE Investment.
 
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The following summarizes the pro forma New Grove Class A and Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately after the Business Combination, after giving effect to the Exchange Ratio, presented under the two redemption scenarios:
 
    
No Redemption
   
Maximum Redemption
 
    
Number of
Shares
    
%
Ownership
   
Number of
Shares
    
%
Ownership
 
Former VGII shareholders
     40,250,000        22.4     40,250,000        22.4
Less: VGII Class A shares redeemed
     —          —       (31,459,600      (16.5 )% 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total held by former VGII shareholders
     40,250,000        22.4     8,790,400        5.9
Sponsor
     6,572,125        3.7     6,572,125        4.4
Grove Shareholders
     124,056,114        69.1     124,056,114        83.8
PIPE Investors
     8,707,500        4.8     8,707,500        5.9
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
 
Pro forma shares outstanding
     179,585,739        100.0     148,126,139        100.0
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
 
If the actual facts are different than these assumptions, then the amounts and shares outstanding in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information will be different and those changes could be material.
 
    
Pro Forma Combined
 
    
No

Redemption
    
Maximum

Redemption
 
    
(in thousands, except per share data)
 
Selected Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statement of Operations Data—Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
                 
Revenue
   $ 296,421      $ 296,421  
Operating loss
     (99,900      (99,900
Net loss
     (97,943      (97,943
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
   $ (0.55    $ (0.67
Weighted average shares, basic and diluted
     178,598,507        147,138,907  
     
Selected Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statement of Operations Data—Year Ended December 31, 2020
                 
Revenue
   $ 364,271      $ 364,271  
Operating loss
     (68,640      (68,640
Net loss
     (73,443      (73,443
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
   $ (0.47    $ (0.58
Weighted average shares, basic and diluted
     157,126,637        125,667,037  
     
Selected Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet Data—As of September 30, 2021
                 
Total current assets
   $ 624,534      $ 309,938  
Total assets
     664,879        350,283  
Total current liabilities
     74,445        74,445  
Total liabilities
     314,134        314,134  
Total stockholders’ equity
     350,745        36,149  
 
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RISK FACTORS
You should carefully review and consider the following risk factors and the other information contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Annexes and the accompanying financial statements of Grove and VGAC II, in evaluating the Business Combination and the proposals to be voted on at the extraordinary general meeting. You should carefully consider the following risk factors in addition to the other information included in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including matters addressed in the section entitled “
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
.” Grove or VGAC II may face additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known to Grove or VGAC II, or that Grove or VGAC II currently deems immaterial, which may also impair Grove’s or VGAC II’s business or financial condition.
Risks Related to Grove and New Grove’s Business Following the Business Combination
Our significant growth may not be indicative of our future growth and, if we continue to grow rapidly, we may not be able to effectively manage our growth or evaluate our future prospects. If we fail to effectively manage our future growth, our business could be adversely affected.
We have experienced significant growth since our launch in 2012. For example, our revenue grew from approximately $7 million in 2016 to $389 million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021. This growth has placed significant demands on our management, financial, operational, technological and other resources. The anticipated growth and expansion of our business depends on a number of factors, including our ability to increase awareness of our brand and successfully compete with other companies; price our products effectively so that we are able to attract new consumers and expand sales to our existing consumers; expand distribution to new retail partners; continue to innovate and introduce new products; maintain and improve our technology platform supporting our
e-commerce
business; expand our supplier and fulfillment capacities; expand internationally; and maintain quality control over our product offerings.
Such growth and expansion of our business places significant demands on our management and operations teams and requires significant additional resources, financial and otherwise, to meet our needs, which may not be available in a cost-effective manner, or at all. We expect to continue to expend substantial resources on marketing efforts to increase brand awareness; product innovation and development; technology platform maintenance and improvements to support sales; and general administration, including increased finance, legal, and accounting expenses associated with being a public company.
These investments may not result in the growth of our business. Even if these investments do result in the growth of our business, if we do not effectively manage our growth, we may not be able to execute on our business plan, respond to competitive pressures, take advantage of market opportunities, satisfy consumer requirements or maintain high-quality product offerings, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. You should not rely on our historical rate of revenue growth as an indication of our future performance or the rate of growth which we may experience in any new category or from international expansion.
In addition, to support continued growth, we must effectively integrate, develop and motivate a large number of new employees while maintaining our corporate culture. We face significant competition for personnel. To attract top talent, we must offer competitive compensation and benefits packages before we can validate the productivity of new employees. We may also need to increase our employee compensation levels to remain competitive in attracting and retaining talented employees. Additionally, we may not be able to hire new employees quickly enough to meet our needs. The risks associated with a rapidly growing workforce will be particularly acute to the extent we expand into new product categories and markets outside of the United States. If we fail to effectively manage our hiring needs or successfully integrate new hires, our efficiency, ability to meet forecasts and employee morale, productivity and retention could suffer, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
 
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We are also required to manage numerous relationships with vendors and other third parties. Further growth of our operations, vendor base, fulfillment centers, information technology systems or internal controls and procedures may not be adequate to support our operations. If we are unable to manage the growth of our organization effectively, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.
Our quarterly operating results fluctuate, which could cause our stock price to decline.
Our quarterly operating results fluctuate for a variety of reasons, many of which are beyond our control. Our revenue has fluctuated for a variety of reasons, including as a result of adverse market conditions due to the
COVID-19
pandemic and the associated imposition and easing of restrictions on retail and travel opportunities; the seasonality of market transactions; our success in attracting new and maintaining relationships with existing retail and ecommerce partners; our success in executing on our strategy and the impact of any changes in our strategy; the timing and success of product launches, including new products that we may introduce; the success of our marketing efforts; general market conditions; disruptions or defects in our technology platform, such as privacy or data security breaches, errors in our software or other incidents that impact the availability, reliability, or performance of our platform; the impact of competitive developments and our response to those developments; supply chain issues; and our ability to recruit and retain employees. Historically, we have realized a higher portion of our net revenues in the first quarter when customers are focused on improving their lifestyle and quality of living, which we believe makes our products and marketing messages particularly appealing, and a lower portion of our net revenues in the fourth quarter when many customers are focused on holiday shopping. In addition, our operating expenses fluctuate from period to period, in part in anticipation of their seasonality.
Fluctuations in our quarterly operating results may cause those results to fall below our financial guidance or other projections, or the expectations of analysts or investors, which could cause the price of our common stock to decline. Fluctuations in our results could also cause other problems, including, for example, analysts or investors changing their models for valuing our common stock, particularly post-pandemic. We could experience short-term liquidity issues, our ability to retain or attract key personnel may diminish, and other unanticipated issues may arise.
We believe that our quarterly operating results may vary in the future and that
period-to-period
comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful. For example, our overall historical growth rate and the impacts of the
COVID-19
pandemic may have overshadowed the effect of seasonal variations on our recent historical operating results. Any seasonal effects may change or become more pronounced over time, which could also cause our operating results to fluctuate. You should not rely on the results of any given quarter as an indication of future performance.
We may not be able to compete successfully.
The markets in which we compete are evolving rapidly and intensely competitive, and we face a broad array of competitors from many different industry sectors.
Our business includes a variety of product types and delivery channels. Our current and potential competitors include: (1) companies that sell household and personal care products online and in physical stores; (2) physical,
e-commerce,
and omnichannel retailers, vendors, distributors, and manufacturers of the products we offer and sell to consumers; and (3) web search engines, comparison shopping websites, social networks, and other online and
app-based
means of discovering, using, or acquiring goods, either directly or in collaboration with other retailers. We compete based on various product attributes, including sustainability, price, and quality.
We compete with producers of household and personal care products and
e-commerce
and traditional sales outlets for these products. Some of our competitors, like Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyers, are also our partners and we distribute their products. In addition, there is a risk that our emerging retail distribution
 
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partnerships will erode the success of our DTC
e-commerce
business Some of our current and potential competitors have longer histories, larger fulfillment infrastructures, better established wholesale and retail distribution networks, faster shipping times, lower-cost shipping, lower operating costs, larger consumer bases, and greater control over inputs critical to our business such as financial, marketing, institutional and other resources, and larger consumer bases than we do. They may secure better terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing, pursue restrictive distribution agreements that restrict our access to supply, direct consumers to their own offerings instead of ours, and devote more resources to research and development, technology, infrastructure, fulfillment, and marketing and develop products or services that are similar to ours or that achieve greater market acceptance. The Internet facilitates competitive entry and comparison shopping, which enhances the ability of new, smaller, or lesser-known businesses to compete against us. Our businesses is subject to rapid change and the development of new business models and the entry of new and well-funded competitors. Other companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions.
Competition in the natural and sustainable consumer products market presents an ongoing threat to the success of our business.
The number of companies entering the natural and sustainable consumer products market with offerings similar to ours continues to increase. We believe that our ability to compete depends upon many factors both within and beyond our control, including the size of our customer base; the timing and market acceptance of products, including the developments and enhancements to those products and services that we or our competitors offer; customer service and support efforts, selling and marketing efforts, ease of use, performance, price and reliability of the products and services that we and our competitors develop, and our brand strength relative to our competitors. Some of our current and potential competitors have longer operating histories and greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do. These factors may allow our competitors to respond more quickly or efficiently than we can to new or emerging technologies. These competitors may engage in more extensive research and development efforts, undertake more
far-reaching
marketing campaigns and adopt more aggressive pricing policies, which may allow them to build larger customer bases than ours or greater market acceptance than us.
We must find sustainable solutions that support our brand and long-term growth.
Our vision to grow our business will require us to innovate and develop more sustainable ways of doing business. In a world where resources are scarce and demand for them continues to increase, it is critical that we succeed in reducing our resource consumption and converting to sustainably sourced supplies. In doing this, we are dependent on the efforts of partners and various certification bodies. There can be no assurance that we will be successful developing sustainable business solutions and our failure to do so could limit our growth and profit potential and damage our corporate reputation.
Today, Grove is completely plastic neutral, which means that for every ounce of plastic that we ship to our customers, we, through our partner rePurpose Global, collect and retire the same amount of nature bound plastic pollution. To quantify the amount of plastic we ship to our customers, we weigh and record the amount of plastic in every Grove Brand product we sell, and receive data on plastic weight from the makers of third-party products sold on our platform. Using these numbers, we calculate how much plastic we send in each order. Furthermore, Grove has a stated goal of our products being plastic-free by 2025. If Grove is unable to remain plastic neutral or unable to meet our goal of our products being plastic-free by 2025, our brand reputation may suffer. Not only is there a risk around finding appropriate replacement materials, but due to high demand the cost of alternative packaging materials could significantly increase in the foreseeable future and this could impact our business performance. Similarly, the cost associated with collecting and recycling nature bound plastic could significantly increase in the foreseeable future and this could impact our business performance.
 
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If we fail to cost-effectively acquire new consumers or retain our existing consumers, our business could be adversely affected.
Our success depends on our ability to attract new customers and engage existing customers cost-effectively. To acquire and engage customers, we must, among other things, promote and sustain our platform, provide high-quality products, user experiences, and customer service. If customers do not perceive our
e-commerce
service or products to be reliable, sustainable and of high quality, if we fail to introduce new and improved products and services, or if we introduce new products or services that are not favorably received by the market, we may not be able to attract or retain customers.
We have historically acquired a significant number of our customers through digital advertising on social media channels owned by Facebook that may, along with other social media platforms we may engage in the future, terminate their agreements with us at any time or introduce factors beyond our control, such as such as adjustments to algorithms that may decrease user engagement or negatively affect our ability to reach a broad audience; increases in pricing; and changes in policies that may delay or prevent our advertising through these channels, all of which could impact our ability to attract new customers.
We have recently introduced marketing initiatives designed to acquire customers through increased search engine optimization, streaming digital video services, and linear television. These new acquisition channels may not perform as well as our historical social media advertising channels. Our efforts to diversify customer acquisition channels may not be effective, which could negatively affect our results of operations.
Customer acquisition costs may fluctuate and rise on the channels that have been successful for us historically and on new channels that we are introducing. Rising costs may limit our ability to expand or maintain or acquisition efforts which could negatively affect our results of operations.
Changes to our DTC business designed to attract new customers and retain existing customers, including, but not limited to expanded shopping personalization, non-subscription options, and user generated and editorial content may not perform as well as our historical DTC platform which could negatively impact our results of operations.
Other factors may reduce our ability to acquire, maintain and further engage with customers, including the effectiveness of our marketing efforts and other expenditures we make to continue to acquire new customers and maintain and increase engagement with existing customers; system updates to app stores and advertising platforms; changes in search algorithms by search engines; the development of new search engines or social media sites that reduce traffic on existing search engines and social media sites; and consumer behavior changes as a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic, or otherwise.
In addition, we believe that many of our new customers originate from
word-of-mouth
and other
non-paid
referrals from existing customers, including referral discounts and gift giving, so we must ensure that our existing customers remain loyal and continue to derive value from our products and services in order to continue receiving those referrals. Consequently, if our efforts to satisfy our existing customers are not successful, we may not be able to attract new customers.
Moreover, consumer preferences may change, and customers may not purchase through our marketplace as frequently or spend as much with us as historically has been the case. As a result of these potential changes, the revenue generated from customer transactions may not be as high as revenue generated from transactions historically.
 
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We must expend resources to maintain consumer awareness of our brand, build brand loyalty and generate interest in our products. Our marketing strategies and channels will evolve and our efforts may or may not be successful.
To remain competitive and expand and keep market share for our products across our various channels, we need to increase our marketing and advertising spending. Substantial advertising and promotional expenditures may be required to maintain or improve our brand’s market position or to introduce new products to the market, and we are increasingly engaging with more traditional media, such as television and
web-based
streaming services, which may not prove successful. An increase in our marketing and advertising efforts may not maintain our current reputation, lead to increased brand awareness, or attract new customers. If we are unable to maintain and promote a favorable perception of our brand and products on a cost-effective basis, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
Our brand and reputation may be diminished due to real or perceived quality, safety, efficacy or environmental impact issues with our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We believe our consumers rely on us to provide them with clean, sustainable, well-designed, and effective products. Any loss of confidence on the part of consumers in our products or the ingredients used in our products, whether related to actual or perceived product contamination or product safety or quality failures, environmental impacts, or inclusion of prohibited ingredients, or ingredients that are perceived to be “toxic”, could tarnish the image of our brand and could cause consumers to choose other products. Allegations of contamination or other adverse effects on product safety or efficacy or suitability for use by a particular consumer or on the environment, even if untrue, may require us to expend significant time and resources responding to such allegations and could, from time to time, result in a recall of a product from any or all of the markets in which the affected product was distributed. Any such issues or recalls could negatively affect our ability to achieve or maintain profitability and brand image.
If our products are found to be, or perceived to be, defective or unsafe, or if they otherwise fail to meet our consumers’ expectations, our relationships with consumers could suffer, the appeal of our brand could be diminished, we may need to recall some of our products and/or become subject to regulatory action, and we could lose sales or market share or become subject to boycotts or liability claims. In addition, safety or other defects in our competitors’ products or products using the Grove name in other consumer categories, could reduce consumer confidence in or demand for our own products if consumers view them to be similar. Any such adverse effect could be exacerbated by our market positioning as a purveyor of clean, sustainable, well-designed, and effective products and may significantly reduce our brand value. Issues regarding the safety, efficacy, quality or environmental impact of any of our products, regardless of the cause, may have an adverse effect on our brand, reputation and operating results.
Further, our customers may engage with us online through social media platforms by providing feedback and public commentary about all aspects of our business. Information concerning us, whether accurate or not, may be posted on social media platforms at any time and may have a disproportionately adverse impact on our brand, reputation, or business. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.
Failure to introduce new products that meet the expectations of our customers may adversely affect our ability to continue to grow.
We have a limited history introducing new products and services to our customers. New potential products and services may fail at any stage of development or commercialization, including after launch, and if we determine that any of our current or future products are unlikely to succeed, we may abandon them without any
 
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return on our investment. In addition, any unsuccessful effort may adversely affect our brand and reputation. If our efforts to attract new customers and engage existing customers with new and enhanced products are unsuccessful or if such efforts are more costly than we expect, our business may be harmed and our potential for growth may be impaired.
The
COVID-19
global pandemic and related government, private sector and individual consumer responsive actions may adversely affect our business operations, employee availability, financial performance, liquidity and cash flow for an unknown period of time.
The outbreak of
COVID-19
has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and continues to spread in the U.S., Canada, and in many other countries globally. Related government and private sector responsive actions have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business operations. It is impossible to predict the effect and ultimate impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic, as the situation continues to evolve and variant strains of the virus have led to increased uncertainty. The
COVID-19
pandemic has disrupted the global supply chain and may cause disruptions to our operations if a significant number of employees are quarantined or if they are otherwise limited in their ability to work at our locations or travel. Any worsening of the
COVID-19
pandemic, including the unknown potential impact of variant strains, and any future actions in response to the
COVID-19
pandemic by federal, state or local authorities, including those that order the shutdown of
non-essential
businesses or limit the ability of our employees to travel to work, could impact our ability to take or fulfill our customers’ orders and operate our business. If surges related to the
COVID-19
pandemic or any future pandemics outpace our capacity or occur at unexpected times, we may be unable to fully meet our customers’ demands for our products.
As a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic, many of our personnel are working remotely and it is possible that this could have a negative impact on the execution of our business plans and operations. If a natural disaster, power outage, connectivity issue, or other event occurred that impacted our employees’ ability to work remotely, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. The increase in remote working may also result in consumer privacy, IT security and fraud concerns, increase our exposure to potential wage and hour issues, and decrease the cohesiveness of our teams and our ability to maintain our corporate culture. We may experience increased costs as we prepare our facilities for a safe return to work environment and experiment with hybrid work models.
Plans to open new fulfillment centers or to expand the capacity of our existing fulfillment centers over the next few years may also be delayed or made more costly by the continuing spread of
COVID-19
and variant strains. Disruptions to the operations of our fulfillment centers and delays or increased costs in the expansion of our fulfillment center capacity may negatively impact our financial performance and slow our future growth.
At the same time, the
COVID-19
pandemic has driven a surge of demand for
direct-to-consumer
businesses such as ours. Early in the pandemic, we saw substantial growth in our customer base and orders, particularly for certain cleaning products, as consumers have opted for ecommerce solutions rather than in person shopping, but the pandemic also caused many customers to over-purchase and cancel their subscriptions. As and to the extent the
COVID-19
pandemic and restrictions related thereto end, we may experience a softening of demand as consumers retain to “normal” shopping activities.
The uncertainty around the duration of business disruptions and the extent of the spread of the virus in the U.S. and to other areas of the world will likely continue to adversely impact the national or global economy and negatively impact consumer spending. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and ability to execute and capitalize on our strategies. The full extent of the
COVID-19
pandemic’s impact on our operations and financial performance depends on future developments that are uncertain and unpredictable, including the duration and spread of the pandemic, its impact on capital and financial markets and any new information that may emerge concerning the severity of the virus, its spread to other regions as well as the actions taken to contain it, among others. The
COVID-19
pandemic has
 
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adversely affected our business operations, costs of doing business, availability of labor, access to inventory, supply chain operations and financial results for a period of time that is currently unknown.
We pursue acquisitions to expand our business, and if any of those acquisitions are unsuccessful, our business may be harmed.
Our strategy includes the expansion of our business through the acquisition of other businesses, products or technologies, or through strategic alliances. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including the possibility that we will pay more than the value we derive from the acquisitions which could result in future
non-cash
impairment charges, and incremental operating losses; difficulties in integration of the operations, technologies and products of the acquired companies, which may require significant attention of our management that otherwise would be available for the ongoing development of our business; the assumption of certain known and unknown liabilities of the acquired companies; difficulties in retaining key relationships with employees, customers, collaborators, vendors and suppliers of the acquired company; and in the case of acquisitions outside of the jurisdictions where we currently operates, the need to address the particular economic, currency, political, and regulatory risks associated with specific countries, particularly those related to our collection of sensitive data, regulatory approvals, and tax management, which may result in significant additional costs or management overhead for our business. Failure to successfully address any of these or other unforeseen challengers would adversely affect our business.
We may experience damage or destruction to our distribution centers, which may harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our distribution centers, as well as our headquarters, are located in areas that have a history of natural disasters, including severe weather events, rendering our distribution centers vulnerable to damage. Any large-scale damage to or catastrophic loss of products stored in our distribution centers, due to natural disasters or
man-made
disasters such as arson, theft, power disruptions, computer viruses, data security breaches or terrorism, could result in the reduction in value of our inventory and a significant disruption in our business. Further, natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods and other adverse weather and climate conditions; unforeseen health crisis, such as pandemics and epidemics, political crises, such as terrorist attacks, war and other political instability; or other catastrophic events, could disrupt our operations in any of our offices and distribution centers. For example, in March 2020, due to the progression of
COVID-19,
we temporarily closed our corporate offices to slow the spread of
COVID-19
and protect our employees. Such closures have slowed and may in the future slow or temporarily halt our operations and harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We are dependent on our management team, and the loss of one or more key employees or groups could harm our business and prevent us from implementing our business plan in a timely manner.
Our success depends substantially upon the continued services of our executive officers and other key members of management, particularly our Chief Executive Officer. From time to time, there may be changes in our executive management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives. Such changes in our executive management team may be disruptive our business. We do not have employment agreements with any our executive officers or key management personnel and, therefore, they could terminate their employment with us at any time. We do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employee. The loss of one or more of our key employees or groups could seriously harm our business.
Labor-related matters, including labor disputes, may adversely affect our operations.
None of our employees are currently represented by a union. If our employees decide to form or affiliate with a union, we cannot predict the negative effects such future organizational activities will have on our business and operations. If we were to become subject to work stoppages, we could experience disruption in our
 
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operations, including delays in merchandising operations and shipping, and increases in our labor costs, which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we cannot successfully manage the unique challenges presented by international markets, we may not be successful in expanding our operations outside of the United States.
We offer our products and services in the contiguous United States. Although international expansion is part of our strategy, we may never pursue international expansion and may not be successful if we do so. We would be subject to a variety of risks inherent in doing business internationally, including political, social and/or economic instability; risks related to governmental regulations in foreign jurisdictions and unexpected changes in regulatory requirements and enforcement; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; higher levels of credit risk and payment fraud; enhanced difficulties of integrating any foreign acquisitions; burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws; lesser protection for intellectual property rights in some countries; difficulties in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure and legal compliance costs associated with operation from international locations and subsidiaries; different regulations and practices with respect to employee/employer relationships, existence of workers’ councils and labor unions, and other challenges caused by distance, language, and cultural differences, making it harder to do business in certain international jurisdictions; compliance with statutory equity requirements; and management of tax consequences and compliance.
Our business, including our costs and supply chain, is subject to risks associated with sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, infrastructure and logistics to third-party providers, and the loss of any of our key suppliers or logistical service providers could negatively impact our business.
All of the products we offer are supplied or manufactured by a limited number of third-party suppliers and manufacturers, and as a result we may be subject to price fluctuations or supply disruptions. Our operating results would be negatively impacted by increases in the costs of our products, and we have no guarantees that costs will not rise. In addition, as we expand into new categories and product types, we expect that we may not have strong purchasing power in these new areas, which could lead to higher costs than we have historically seen in our current categories. We may not be able to pass increased costs on to consumers, which could adversely affect our operating results. Moreover, in the event of a significant disruption in the supply of the materials used in the manufacture of the products we offer, we and the vendors that we work with might not be able to locate alternative suppliers of materials of comparable quality at an acceptable price. Furthermore, our reliance on suppliers and manufacturers outside of the United States, the number of third parties with whom we transact and the number of jurisdictions to which we sell complicates our efforts to comply with customs duties and excise taxes; any failure to comply could adversely affect our business.
In addition, products and merchandise we receive from manufacturers and suppliers may not be of sufficient quality or free from damage, or such products may be damaged during shipping, while stored in our warehouse fulfillment centers or with third-party ecommerce or retail customers or when returned by consumers. We may incur additional expenses and our reputation could be harmed if consumers and potential consumers believe that our products do not meet their expectations, are not properly labeled or are damaged. Quality control problems could also result in regulatory action, such as FDA Warning Letters, restrictions on importation, product liability litigation, product seizures, products of inferior quality or product stock outages or shortages, harming our sales and creating inventory write-downs for unusable products.
We purchase significant amounts of product from a limited number of suppliers with limited supply capabilities. There can be no assurance that our current suppliers will be able to accommodate our anticipated growth or continue to supply current quantities at preferential prices. In the past, we have experienced supply shortage of certain goods that has resulted in lost sales. We generally do not maintain long-term supply contracts with any of our suppliers and any of our suppliers could discontinue selling to us at any time. An inability of our existing suppliers to provide materials in a timely or cost-effective manner could impair our growth and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
 
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We rely or may rely on SaaS technologies from third parties in order to operate critical functions of our business, including financial management services, payment processing, customer relationship management services, website platform services, ecommerce services, email services, supply chain services and data storage services. If these services become unavailable due to extended outages or interruptions or because they are no longer available on commercially reasonable terms or prices or for any other reason, or if we fail to migrate successfully to new services, our expenses could increase, our ability to manage our finances could be interrupted, our processes for managing sales of our offerings and supporting our consumers could be impaired, our ability to communicate with our suppliers could be weakened and our ability to access or save data stored to the cloud may be impaired until equivalent services, if available, are identified, obtained and implemented, all of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We utilize cloud services from third-party data center facilities operated by AWS. Any damage to, failure of or interference with our cloud service that is hosted by us, AWS or by third-party providers we may utilize in the future, whether as a result of our actions, actions by the third-party data centers, actions by other third parties, or acts of God, could result in interruptions in our cloud service and/or the loss of our or our customers’ data, including personal information. Impairment of, or interruptions in, our cloud services may subject us to claims and litigation and adversely affect our ability to attract new customers. Our business will also be harmed if our customers and potential customers believe our services are unreliable. Additionally, any limitation of the capacity of our data centers could impede our ability to scale, onboard new customers or expand the usage of existing customers, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we have some disaster recovery arrangements in place, our preparations may not be adequate to account for disasters or similar events that may occur in the future and may not effectively permit us to continue operating in the event of any problems with respect to our systems or those of our third-party data centers or any other third-party facilities. Our disaster recovery and data redundancy measures may be inadequate, and our business interruption insurance may not be sufficient to compensate us for the losses that could occur.
If any of our key suppliers becomes insolvent, ceases or significantly reduces its operations or experiences financial distress or if any environmental, economic or other outside factors impact their operations, our operations could be substantially disrupted. If we are unable to identify or enter into distribution relationships with new suppliers or to replace the loss of any of our existing suppliers, we may experience a competitive disadvantage, our business may be disrupted and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
If our third-party suppliers and manufacturers do not comply with ethical business practices or with applicable laws and regulations, our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be harmed.
We continually seek to expand our base of suppliers, especially as we identify new products that necessitate new or additional materials. We also require our new and existing suppliers to meet our ethical and business partner standards. Suppliers may also have to meet governmental and industry standards and any relevant standards required by our consumers, which may require additional investment and time on behalf of suppliers and us.
Our reputation and our consumers’ willingness to purchase our products depend in part on our suppliers’, manufacturers’, and retail partners’ compliance with ethical employment practices, such as with respect to child labor, wages and benefits, forced labor, discrimination, safe and healthy working conditions, and with all legal and regulatory requirements relating to the conduct of their businesses. We do not exercise control over our suppliers, manufacturers, and retail partners and cannot guarantee their compliance with ethical and lawful business practices. If our suppliers, manufacturers, or retail partners fail to comply with applicable laws, regulations, safety codes, employment practices, human rights standards, quality standards, environmental standards, production practices, or other obligations, norms, or ethical standards, our reputation and brand image could be harmed, and we could be exposed to litigation, investigations, enforcement actions, monetary liability,
 
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and additional costs that would harm our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we or our distribution partners do not successfully optimize, operate and manage the expansion of the capacity of our warehouse fulfillment centers, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
We operate warehouse fulfillment centers located in Reno, Nevada, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and St. Peters, Missouri. If we do not optimize and operate our warehouse fulfillment centers successfully and efficiently, it could result in excess or insufficient fulfillment capacity, an increase in costs or impairment charges or harm our business in other ways. In addition, if we do not have sufficient fulfillment capacity or experience a problem fulfilling orders in a timely manner, our consumers may experience delays in receiving their purchases, which could harm our reputation and our relationship with our consumers.
We have designed and established our own fulfillment center infrastructure, including customizing inventory and package handling software systems, which is tailored to meet the specific needs of our business. If we continue to add fulfillment and warehouse capabilities, add new businesses or categories with different fulfillment requirements or change the mix in products that we sell, our fulfillment network will become increasingly complex and operating it will become more challenging. Failure to successfully address such challenges in a cost-effective and timely manner could impair our ability to timely deliver purchases to our consumers and merchandise inventory to our retail and ecommerce partners, and could have an adverse effect on our reputation and ultimately, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we grow faster than we anticipate, we may exceed our fulfillment center capacity sooner than we anticipate, we may experience problems fulfilling orders in a timely manner or our consumers may experience delays in receiving their purchases, which could harm our reputation and our relationships with our consumers. In such event, we would need to increase our capital expenditures more than anticipated and in a shorter time frame than we currently anticipate. Our ability to expand our fulfillment center capacity, including our ability to secure suitable facilities and recruit qualified employees, have been and may in the future be adversely affected by the
COVID-19
pandemic and related governmental orders. Many of the expenses and investments with respect to our fulfillment centers are fixed, and any expansion of such fulfillment centers will require additional investment of capital. We expect to incur higher capital expenditures in the future for our fulfillment center operations as our business continues to grow.
Shipping is a critical part of our business and any changes in our shipping arrangements or any interruptions in shipping could adversely affect our operating results.
We rely on several vendors for our shipping requirements. If we are not able to negotiate acceptable pricing and other terms with these vendors or if they experience performance problems or other difficulties, it could negatively impact our operating results and our consumer experience. Rising shipping costs and the imposition of surcharges from time to time could negatively impact our operating results. In addition, our ability to receive inbound inventory and ship products to consumers and retailers may be negatively affected by inclement weather, fire, flood, power loss, earthquakes, labor disputes, acts of war or terrorism, trade embargoes, customs and tax requirements and similar factors. We are also subject to risks of damage or loss during delivery by our shipping vendors. If our products are not delivered in a timely fashion or are damaged or lost during delivery, our consumers could become dissatisfied and cease shopping on our site or retailer or third-party ecommerce sites that carry our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Risks associated with the outsourcing of our fulfillment process and other technology-related functions could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We have also outsourced portions of our fulfillment process, as well as certain technology-related functions, to third-party service providers. Specifically, we rely on third parties in a number of foreign countries and
 
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territories, we are dependent on third-party vendors for credit card processing, and we use third-party hosting and networking providers to host our sites. The failure of one or more of these entities to provide the expected services on a timely basis, or at all, or at the prices we expect, or the costs and disruption incurred in changing these outsourced functions to being performed under our management and direct control or that of a third party, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We are not party to long-term contracts with some of our retail and ecommerce partners, and upon expiration of these existing agreements, we may not be able to renegotiate the terms on a commercially reasonable basis, or at all.
We are subject to risks related to online payment methods, including third-party payment processing-related risks.
We currently accept payments using a variety of methods, including credit card, debit card, and gift cards. As we offer new payment options to consumers, we may be subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements, fraud and other risks. We also rely on third parties to provide payment processing services, and for certain payment methods, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time and raise our operating costs and affect our ability to achieve or maintain profitability. We are also subject to payment card association operating rules and certification requirements, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or
PCI-DSS,
and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we (or a third party processing payment card transactions on our behalf) suffer a security breach affecting payment card information, we may have to pay onerous and significant fines, penalties and assessments arising out of the major card brands’ rules and regulations, contractual indemnifications or liability contained in merchant agreements and similar contracts, and we may lose our ability to accept payment cards for payment for our goods and services, which could materially impact our operations and financial performance.
Furthermore, as our business changes, we may be subject to different rules under existing standards, which may require new assessments that involve costs above what we currently pay for compliance. As we offer new payment options to consumers, including by way of integrating emerging mobile and other payment methods, we may be subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements and fraud. If we fail to comply with the rules or requirements of any provider of a payment method we accept, if the volume of fraud in our transactions limits or terminates our rights to use payment methods we currently accept, or if a data breach occurs relating to our payment systems, we may, among other things, be subject to fines or higher transaction fees and may lose, or face restrictions placed upon, our ability to accept credit card payments from consumers or facilitate other types of online payments. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in certain payment types, which may result in a shift to other payment types or potential changes to our payment systems that may result in higher costs.
We also occasionally receive orders placed with fraudulent data and we may ultimately be held liable for the unauthorized use of a cardholder’s card number in an illegal activity and be required by card issuers to pay charge-back fees. Charge-backs result not only in our loss of fees earned with respect to the payment, but also leave us liable for the underlying money transfer amount. If our charge-back rate becomes excessive, card associations also may require us to pay fines or refuse to process our transactions. In addition, we may be subject to additional fraud risk if third-party service providers or our employees fraudulently use consumer information for their own gain or facilitate the fraudulent use of such information. Overall, we may have little recourse if we process a criminally fraudulent transaction. If we fail to adequately control fraudulent credit card transactions, we may face civil liability, diminished public perception of our security measures, and significantly higher credit card-related costs, each of which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We have only recently expanded to offer our own branded products in retail stores and our inability to secure, maintain and increase our presence in retail stores could adversely impact our revenue.
Our omnichannel strategy includes selling our products through third-party ecommerce and retail partners (including their websites). Our retail operations were established in 2021 and include sales to retail stores and
 
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their related websites. The success of our business is largely dependent on our continuing development of strong relationships with major retail chains. To date, our only retail partnership has been with Target, and our experience operating through the retail channel is extremely limited. Factors that could affect our ability to maintain or expand our sales to Target or any future retail distribution partner include: (a) failure to accurately identify the needs of our customers; (b) a lack of customer acceptance of new products or product expansions; (c) unwillingness of our retail distribution partners and customers to attribute premium value to our new or existing products or product expansions relative to competing products; (d) failure to obtain floor space from retail distribution partners; (e) new, well-received product introductions by competitors; (f) damage to our relationships with our retail distribution partners due to brand or reputational harm; (g) delays or defaults on our retail distribution partners’ payment obligations to us; and (h) store closures, decreased foot traffic, recession or other adverse effects resulting from public health crises such as the current COVID-19 pandemic (or other future pandemics or epidemics).
The loss of our relationship with Target or any other future large retail partner could have a significant impact on our revenue. In addition, we may be unable to secure adequate shelf space in new markets, or any shelf space at all, until we develop relationships with the retailers that operate in such markets. We may not be successful in developing those relationships. Consequently, growth opportunities through our retail operations may be limited and our revenue, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected if we are unable to successfully establish relationships with other retailers in new or current markets. To date, our retail sales have not comprised a significant percentage of our total revenue.
We also face competition to display our products on store shelves and obtain optimal presence on those shelves. Due to the intense competition for limited shelf space, retailers are in a position to negotiate favorable terms of sale, including price discounts, allowances and product return policies. To the extent we increase discounts or allowances in an effort to secure shelf space, our operating results could be adversely affected. We may not be able to increase or sustain our volume of retail shelf space or offer retailers price discounts sufficient to overcome competition. As a result our retail distribution channels may not continue to grow and may shrink and our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, marketing, management and other resources than we do and may have greater name recognition, a more established distribution network and a larger base of wholesale customers and distributors. Furthermore, our retail sales, to the extent successful, may compete with and erode our DTC business. If we are unable to address these challenges, our business may be adversely affected.
We may be unable to adequately obtain, maintain, protect, defend and enforce our intellectual property rights.
Our ability to compete effectively is dependent in part upon our ability to obtain, maintain, protect, defend and enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, including our proprietary technology. We establish and protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights, including our proprietary information and technology, through a combination of confidentiality procedures and other contractual provisions, as well as through patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and other intellectual property laws in the United States and similar laws in certain other jurisdictions. However, the steps we take to obtain, maintain, protect, defend and enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights may be inadequate. There can be no assurance that these protections will be available in all cases or will be adequate to prevent our competitors or other third parties from copying, reverse engineering, accessing or otherwise obtaining and using our technology, intellectual property or proprietary rights or solutions without our permission.
We pursue the registration of certain aspects of our intellectual property in the U.S. and other countries. We are seeking to protect certain aspects of our intellectual property in an increasing number of jurisdictions, a process that is expensive and time-consuming and may not be successful or which we may not pursue in every jurisdiction in which we conduct business. As we apply to register our unregistered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries, our applications may not be allowed for registration in a timely fashion or at all, and our registered trademarks may not be maintained or enforced. In addition, third parties may oppose our trademark
 
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and service mark applications or trademark registrations, or otherwise challenge our use of the trademarks and service marks. In certain countries outside of the U.S., trademark registration is required to enforce trademark rights. If we do not secure registrations for our trademarks, we may encounter more difficulty in enforcing them against third parties than we otherwise would. We also may not be able to acquire or maintain appropriate domain names in all countries in which we do business. Furthermore, regulations governing domain names may not protect our trademarks and similar proprietary rights. We may be unable to prevent third parties from acquiring domain names that are similar to, infringe upon, or diminish the value of our intellectual property.
As of September 30, 2021, we had four issued U.S. patents, five pending U.S. patent applications, 11 issued foreign patents and two patent applications pending through the Patent Cooperation Treaty. We cannot offer any assurances about which, if any, patents will issue from our applications, the breadth of any such patents, or whether any issued patents will be found invalid and unenforceable or will be threatened by third parties. Any successful opposition to these patents or any other patents owned by or, if applicable in the future, licensed to us could deprive us of rights necessary for the successful commercialization of products that we may develop. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file on the technologies covered in several of the patent applications related to our technologies or products. Furthermore, a derivation proceeding can be provoked by a third party, or instituted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by the patent claims of our applications.
Enforcement of our intellectual property rights may be difficult and may require considerable resources. We are not always able to discover or determine the extent of any unauthorized use of our intellectual property. Moreover, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property do not always adequately protect our rights or prevent third parties from infringing or misappropriating our proprietary rights. We also cannot be certain that others will not independently develop or otherwise acquire equivalent or superior technology or other intellectual property rights. In addition, any of our intellectual property rights may be challenged or circumvented by others or invalidated or held unenforceable through administrative process or litigation in the U.S. or in foreign jurisdictions.
In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same level of protection as the laws of the U.S., and we may encounter difficulties in protecting and defending such rights in foreign jurisdictions. To the extent we expand our international activities, our exposure to unauthorized copying and use of our intellectual property and proprietary information may increase. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing on our intellectual property in all countries outside the U.S., or from selling or importing products made using our intellectual property in and into the U.S. or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and may also export infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement of patents and other intellectual protection is not as strong as that in the U.S. These products may compete with our products and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
As we move into new markets and expand our products or services offerings, incumbent participants in such markets may assert their intellectual property and other proprietary rights against us as a means of slowing our entry into such markets or as a means to extract substantial license and royalty payments from us. In addition, our agreements with some of our customers, suppliers or other entities with whom we do business requires us to defend or indemnify these parties to the extent they become involved in infringement claims, including the types of claims described above. As a result, we could incur significant costs and expenses that could adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.
Third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our intellectual property and proprietary rights, third parties may challenge our intellectual property and proprietary rights, pending and future patent, copyright, trademark and other applications may not be approved and we may not be able to prevent infringement without
 
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incurring substantial expense. If the protection of our proprietary rights is inadequate to prevent use or appropriation by third parties, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished and competitors may be able to more effectively mimic our service and methods of operations. With respect to any intellectual property rights claim, we may have to seek a license to continue practices found to be in violation of a third parties rights, which may not be available on reasonable terms and may significantly increase our operating expenses. A license to continue such practices may not be available to us at all.
Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, protect our trade secrets, or determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. Any litigation of this nature, regardless of outcome or merit, may be time-consuming and could incur substantial costs and expenses, substantial liability for damages, or could require us to stop our development and commercialization efforts for our products and services. Our efforts to enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights might be met with defenses, counterclaims and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property and proprietary rights, and if such defenses, counterclaims or countersuits are successful, we could lose valuable intellectual property and proprietary rights. Furthermore, many of our current and potential competitors may be in a position to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce their intellectual property and proprietary rights than us. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property and proprietary rights. Additionally, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation.
Moreover, the outcome of any such litigation might not be favorable to us, even when our rights have been infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated. If we do not prevail, we may be required to pay significant money damages, suffer losses of significant revenues, be prohibited from using the relevant systems, processes, technologies or other intellectual property (temporarily or permanently), be required to cease offering certain products or services, incur significant license, royalty or technology development expenses, or be required to comply with other unfavorable terms. Even if we were to prevail, such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. We may also be required to enter into license agreements that may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. In addition, although in some cases a third party may have agreed to indemnify us for such costs, such an indemnifying party may refuse or be unable to uphold its contractual obligations. In other cases, insurance may not cover potential claims of this type adequately or at all, and we may be required to pay monetary damages, which may be significant.
We rely on trademark, copyright, and patent law, trade secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with our employees, customers, and others to protect our proprietary rights.
We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality, invention assignment and other agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties with whom we have relationships and who may have access to confidential or patentable aspects of our research and development output, as well as trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret protection laws, to protect our proprietary rights. However, any of these parties may breach their agreements with us and disclose information improperly. In addition, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that has or may have had access to our proprietary information, know-how and trade secrets or each party that has developed intellectual property on our behalf. Moreover, no assurance can be given that these agreements will be effective in controlling access to, distribution, use, misuse, misappropriation, reverse engineering or disclosure of our proprietary information, know-how and trade secrets, platform or confidential information. Further, these agreements may not prevent our competitors from independently developing technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our offerings. These agreements may be insufficient or breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. Additionally, such agreements may not effectively prevent unauthorized access to or unauthorized use, disclosure, misappropriation or reverse engineering of, our confidential information, intellectual property, or technology. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret or know-how is
 
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difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, trade secrets and
know-how
can be difficult to protect and some courts inside and outside the U.S. are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets and know-how. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us, and our competitive position would be materially and adversely harmed.
Additionally, individuals not subject to invention assignment agreements may make adverse ownership claims to our current and future intellectual property. For example, we may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our owned or
in-licensed
patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property as an inventor or
co-inventor.
Ownership disputes may arise, for example, from conflicting obligations of employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our future products and services.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties or that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.
We employ, and expect to employ in the future, individuals who were previously employed at universities or other companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers or other third parties, or to claims that we have improperly used or obtained such trade secrets. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. In defending such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or key personnel, which could adversely impact our business. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.
Indemnity provisions in various agreements to which we are party potentially expose us to substantial liability for infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property rights.
Our agreements with our customers and other third parties may include indemnification provisions under which we agree to indemnify or otherwise be liable to them for losses suffered or incurred as a result of claims of infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property rights or other liabilities relating to or arising from our products, our acts or omissions under such agreements or other contractual obligations. Some of these indemnity agreements provide for uncapped liability and some indemnity provisions survive termination or expiration of the applicable agreement. As we continue to grow, the possibility of infringement claims and other intellectual property rights claims against us may increase. For any intellectual property rights indemnification claim against us or our customers, we will incur significant legal expenses and may have to pay damages, settlement fees, license fees or stop using products or technology found to be in violation of the third party’s rights. Large indemnity payments could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although we attempt to contractually limit our liability with respect to such indemnity obligations, we are not always successful and we may still incur substantial liability related to them. We may be required to cease use of certain functions of our platform or cease selling certain products as a result of any such claims. Any dispute with a customer or other third party with respect to such indemnification obligations could have adverse effects on our relationship with such customer or other third party and other existing or current and prospective customers, subject us to costly and time-consuming litigation, expensive remediation and licenses, divert management attention and financial resources, reduce demand for our products and adversely affect our brand, reputation, business, financial conditions and results of operations. In addition, although we carry general liability insurance, our insurance may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed or otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages with respect to claims alleging compromises of customer data, and any such coverage may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.
 
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We must successfully maintain, scale and upgrade our information technology systems, and our failure to do so could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We have identified the need to significantly expand, scale and improve our information technology systems and personnel to support recent and expected future growth. As such, we are in the process of implementing, and will continue to invest in and implement, significant modifications and upgrades to our information technology systems and procedures, including replacing legacy systems with successor systems, making changes to legacy systems or acquiring new systems with new functionality, hiring employees with information technology expertise and building new policies, procedures, training programs and monitoring tools. There are inherent costs and risks associated with replacing and changing these systems, including impairment of our ability to fulfill customer orders, potential disruption of our internal control structure, substantial capital expenditures, additional administration and operating expenses, the need to acquire and retain sufficiently skilled personnel to implement and operate the new systems, demands on management time, the introduction of errors or vulnerabilities and other risks and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to or integrating new systems into our current systems. These implementations, modifications and upgrades may not result in productivity improvements at a level that outweighs the costs of implementation, or at all. Additionally, difficulties with implementing new technology systems, delays in our timeline for planned improvements, significant system failures, or our inability to successfully modify our information systems to respond to changes in our business needs may cause disruptions in our business operations and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we (or our vendors) are unable to protect against or adequately respond to mitigate the impacts of a service interruption, data corruption, or cybersecurity attack, our operations could be disrupted, our reputation may be harmed and we could face significant costs to remediate the incident and defend against claims by business partners, customers, or regulators. Such security breaches or other cybersecurity incidents may harm our reputation and expose us to loss of consumers and business.
We rely on information technology networks and systems and data processing (some of which are managed by third-party service providers) to market, sell and deliver our products and services, to fulfill orders, to collect, receive, store, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, share and otherwise process personal information, confidential or proprietary information, financial information and other information, to manage a variety of business processes and activities, for financial reporting purposes, to operate our business, process orders and to comply with regulatory, legal and tax requirements. These information technology networks and systems, and the processing they perform, may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns, software or hardware vulnerabilities, security incidents, ransomware attacks, unauthorized activity and access, malicious code (such as malware, viruses and worms), acts of vandalism, employee or contractor theft, misplaced or lost data, fraud, misconduct or misuse, social engineering attacks and denial of service attacks,
supply-side
attacks, phishing and spearphishing attacks, organized cyberattacks, programming or human errors, failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components, power outages, fires, natural disasters, hardware failures, telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events, any of which could result in the loss or disclosure of confidential customer information or our own proprietary information, software, methodologies and business information.
In addition, due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, our personnel are temporarily working remotely and relying on their own computers, routers and other equipment, which may pose additional data security risks to networks, systems and data. Any material disruption of our networks, systems or data processing activities, or those of our third-party service providers, could disrupt our ability to undertake, and cause a material adverse impact to our business, reputation and financial condition. If our information technology networks and systems or data processing (or of our third-party service providers) suffers damage, security breaches, vulnerabilities, disruption or shutdown, and we do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, they could cause a material adverse impact to our business, reputation and financial condition. Our DTC and ecommerce operations are critical to our business and our financial performance. Our website serves as an effective extension of our marketing strategies
 
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by exposing potential new consumers to our brand, product offerings and enhanced content. Due to the importance of our website and DTC operations, any material disruption of our networks, systems or data processing activities related to our websites and DTC operations could reduce DTC sales and financial performance, damage our brand’s reputation and materially adversely impact our business.
The recovery systems, security protocols, network protection mechanisms and other security measures that we have integrated into our systems, networks and physical facilities, which are designed to protect against, detect and minimize security breaches, may not be adequate to prevent or detect service interruption, system failure data loss or theft, or other material adverse consequences. We and our third-party service providers regularly defend against and respond to cybersecurity incidents. No security solution, strategy, or measures can address all possible security threats or block all methods of penetrating a network or otherwise perpetrating a security incident, and our incident response procedures may be inadequate to fully contain, mitigate, or remediate a data security incident. Moreoever, notwithstanding any contractual rights or remedies we may have, because we do not control our third-party service providers, including their security measures and their processing of data, we cannot ensure the integrity or security of measures they take to protect customer information and prevent data loss.
The risk of unauthorized circumvention of our security measures or those of our third-party providers, has been heightened by the increased use of the Internet and telecommunications technologies (including mobile and other connected devices) to conduct financial and other business transactions, advances in computer and software capabilities and the increasing sophistication of hackers who employ complex techniques, including without limitation, the theft or misuse of personal and financial information, counterfeiting, “phishing” or social engineering incidents, ransomware, extortion, publicly announcing security breaches, account takeover attacks, denial or degradation of service attacks, malware, fraudulent payment and identity theft. Because the techniques used by hackers change frequently, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventive measures. Our applications, systems, networks, software and physical facilities could have material vulnerabilities, be breached or personal or confidential information could be otherwise compromised due to employee error or malfeasance, such as where third parties fraudulently induce our personnel or our consumers to disclose information or user names and/or passwords, or otherwise compromise the security of our networks, systems and/or physical facilities. Third-party criminals regularly attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in, or obtain unauthorized access to, platforms, software, applications, systems, networks, sensitive information, and/or physical facilities utilized by us or our vendors. Improper access to our systems or databases could result in the theft, publication, deletion or modification of personal information, confidential or proprietary information, financial information and other information. An actual or perceived breach of our security systems or those of our third-party service providers may require notification under applicable data privacy regulations or contractual obligations, or for consumer relations or publicity purposes, which could result in reputational harm, costly litigation (including class action litigation), material contract breaches, liability, settlement costs, loss of sales, regulatory scrutiny, actions or investigations, a loss of confidence in our business, systems and processing, a diversion of management’s time and attention, and significant fines, penalties, assessments, fees and expenses.
As is common in the digital world we operate in, we and our third-party service providers have experienced occasional security incidents involving unauthorized access to our account credentials, however, all such incidents have been remediated and we are not aware of any of significant impact resulting from such incidents. While we regularly defend against and respond to cybersecurity threats and attacks, our efforts to contain, mitigate and remediate a data security incident may not be successful, resulting in unexpected interruptions, delays, cessation of service, negative publicity, and other harm to our business and our competitive position. The costs to respond to a significant security breach or security vulnerability, including to provide breach notification where required, can be substantial. We may have to notify stakeholders of security breaches, which may harm our reputation and expose us to loss of consumers and business. Breach notification can lead to negative publicity, may cause our consumers to lose confidence in the effectiveness of our security measures, and could require us to expend significant capital and other resources to respond to and/or alleviate problems caused by the actual or perceived security breach. A security breach could lead to claims by our consumers or ecommerce or
 
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retail customers, or other relevant stakeholders that we have failed to comply with our legal or contractual obligations. As a result, we could be subject to legal action or our consumers or ecommerce or retail customers could end their relationships with us. There can be no assurance that any limitations of liability in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages. We could be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices in response to a security breach or related regulatory actions or litigation, which could have an adverse effect on our business. We may not have, or in the future be able to obtain, adequate insurance coverage for security incidents or breaches, including fines, judgments, settlements, penalties, costs, attorney fees and other impacts that arise out of incidents or breaches. Any incidents may result in loss of, or increased costs of, our cybersecurity insurance. We also cannot ensure that our existing insurance coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims related to a security incident or breach, or that the insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. If the impact of a security incident or breach or the successful assertion of one or more large claims against us exceeds our available insurance coverage or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or
co-insurance
requirements), it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, reputation and results of operations.
We use open source software in our platform, which may subject us to additional risks and harm our intellectual property.
We use open source software in our platform and expect to continue to use open source software in the future. There are risks and uncertainties regarding the proper interpretation of and compliance with open source software licenses. Some open source software licenses require those who distribute open source software as part of their own software product to publicly disclose all or part of the source code to such software product or to make available any derivative works of the open source code on unfavorable terms or at no cost, and we may be subject to such terms. Consequently, there is a risk that the owners of the copyrights in such open source software may claim that the open source licenses governing their use impose certain conditions or restrictions on our ability to use the software that we did not anticipate. Such owners may seek to enforce the terms of the applicable open source license, including by demanding release of the source code for the open source software, derivative works of such software, or, in some cases, our proprietary source code that uses or was developed using such open source software. These claims could also result in litigation, subject us to significant damages, require us to purchase costly third-party licenses, require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our products or discontinue the sale of our proprietary products, any of which could result in reputational harm and would be disruptive to our business. In addition, if the license terms for the open source software we utilize change, we may be forced to re engineer our platform or incur additional costs to comply with the changed license terms or to replace the affected open source software. Furthermore, if we were to combine our proprietary platform with open source software in a certain manner, we could, under certain of the open source licenses, be required to release the source code of our proprietary platform to the public or offer our platform to users at no cost. This could allow our competitors to create similar platforms with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of sales for us.
In addition to risks related to license requirements, usage of open source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or assurance of title or controls on origin of the software. There is typically no support available for open source software, and we cannot ensure that the authors of such open source software will implement or push updates to address security risks or will not abandon further development and maintenance.
Although we have implemented policies and tools to regulate the use and incorporation of open source software into our platform, we cannot be certain that we have not incorporated open source software in our platform in a manner that is inconsistent with such policies. Therefore, we may inadvertently use open source in a manner that we do not intend or that could expose us to claims for breach of contract or intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
 
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The actual or perceived failure by us or our vendors to comply with applicable privacy and data protection laws, regulations or industry standards could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We collect, store, share, use, retain, safeguard, transfer, analyze and otherwise process, and our vendors process on our behalf, personal information, confidential information and other information necessary to provide and deliver our products through our
e-commerce
channel to operate our business, for legal and marketing purposes, and for other business-related purposes. Collection and use of this information might raise privacy and data protection concerns, which could negatively impact our business. Data privacy and information security has become a significant issue in the United States, countries in Europe, and in many other countries. The legal and regulatory framework for privacy and security issues is rapidly evolving and is expected to increase our compliance costs and exposure to liability. There are numerous federal, state, local, and international laws, orders, codes, rules, regulations and regulatory guidance regarding privacy, information security and processing (which we collectively refer to as “
Data Protection Laws
”), the number and scope of which is changing, subject to differing applications and interpretations, and which may be inconsistent among jurisdictions, or in conflict with other rules, laws or obligations (which we collectively refer to as “
Data Protection Obligations
”). Therefore, the regulatory framework for privacy and data protection worldwide is, and is likely to remain, uncertain and complex for the foreseeable future, and our actual or perceived failure to address or comply with applicable Data Protection Laws and Data Protection Obligations could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We also expect that there will continue to be new Data Protection Laws and Data Protection Obligations, and we cannot yet determine the impact such future Data Protection Laws and Data Protection Obligations may have on our business. Any significant change to Data Protection Laws and Data Protection Obligations, including without limitation, regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of consumers for processing is obtained, could increase our costs and require us to modify our operations, possibly in a material manner, which we may be unable to complete and may limit our ability to store and process consumer data and operate our business.
We are or may also be subject to the terms of our external and internal privacy and security policies, codes, representations, certifications, industry standards, publications and frameworks (which we collectively refer to as “
Privacy Policies
”) and contractual obligations to third parties related to privacy, information security and processing, including contractual obligations to indemnify and hold harmless third parties from the costs or consequences of
non-compliance
with Data Protection Laws or Data Protection Obligations.
We may not be successful in achieving compliance if our employees, partners or vendors do not comply with applicable Data Protection Laws, Privacy Policies and Data Protection Obligations. If we or our vendors fail (or are perceived to have failed) to comply with applicable Data Protection Laws, Privacy Policies and Data Protection Obligations, or if our Privacy Policies are, in whole or part, found to be inaccurate, incomplete, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our actual practices, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
In the United States, our obligations include rules and regulations promulgated under the authority of the Federal Trade Commission, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “
CCPA
”) and other state and federal laws relating to privacy and data security. The CCPA, which took effect on January 1, 2020, requires companies that process information of California residents to make new disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices, allows consumers to opt out of the sale of personal information with third parties and prohibits covered businesses from discriminating against California residents (for example, charging more for services) for exercising any of their rights under the CCPA. The law also provides a private right of action and statutory damages for certain data breaches that result in the loss of personal information. This private right of action is expected to increase the likelihood of, and risks associated with, data breach litigation. However, it remains unclear how various provisions of the CCPA will be interpreted and enforced. Therefore, the CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability.
 
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In addition, California voters recently approved the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (the “
CPRA
”) that goes into effect on January 1, 2023. The CPRA will significantly modify the CCPA, and will impose additional data protection obligations on companies doing business in California, potentially resulting in further complexity. The law will, among other things, give California residents the ability to limit the use of their sensitive information, provide for penalties for CPRA violations concerning California residents under the age of 16, and establish a new California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the law. The effects of this legislation are potentially far-reaching and may impact our business. Some observers have noted that the CCPA could mark the beginning of a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States, which could increase our potential liability and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Other jurisdictions in the United States have already passed or are considering laws similar to the CCPA, with potentially greater penalties and more rigorous compliance requirements relevant to our business. Many state legislatures have already adopted legislation that regulates how businesses operate online, including measures relating to privacy, data security, data breaches and the protection of sensitive and personal information. For example, on March 2, 2021, Virginia enacted the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (the “
CDPA
”), a comprehensive privacy statute that shares similarities with the CCPA, CPRA, and legislation proposed in other states. The CDPA will require us to incur additional costs and expenses in an effort to comply with it before it becomes effective on January 1, 2023. June 2021, Colorado also enacted a similar law, the Colorado Privacy Act (the “
CPA
”), which becomes effective on July 1, 2023. Many other states are currently considering proposed comprehensive data privacy legislation and all 50 states have passed at least some form of data privacy legislation (for example, all 50 states have enacted laws requiring disclosure of certain personal data breaches). At the federal level, the United States Congress is also considering various proposals for comprehensive federal data privacy legislation and, while no comprehensive federal data privacy law currently exists, we are subject to applicable existing federal laws and regulations, such as the rules and regulations promulgated under the authority of the Federal Trade Commission, which regulates unfair or deceptive acts or practices, including with respect to data privacy and security. These state statutes, and other similar state or federal laws, may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and incur substantial compliance-related costs and expenses.
We rely on a variety of marketing techniques and practices, including email and social media marketing, online targeted advertising, cookie-based processing, and postal mail to sell our products and services and to attract new consumers, and we, and our vendors, are subject to various current and future Data Protection Laws and Data Protection Obligations that govern marketing and advertising practices. Governmental authorities continue to evaluate the privacy implications inherent in the use of third-party “cookies” and other methods of online tracking for behavioral advertising and other purposes, such as by regulating the level of consumer notice and consent required before a company can employ cookies or other electronic tracking tools or the use of data gathered with such tools. Additionally, some providers of consumer devices, web browsers and application stores have implemented, or announced plans to implement, means to make it easier for Internet users to prevent the placement of cookies or to block other tracking technologies, require additional consents, or limit the ability to track user activity, which could if widely adopted result in the use of third-party cookies and other methods of online tracking becoming significantly less effective. Laws and regulations regarding the use of these cookies and other current online tracking and advertising practices or a loss in our ability to make effective use of services that employ such technologies could increase our costs of operations and limit our ability to acquire new consumers on cost-effective terms, which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Government regulation of the Internet and ecommerce is evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by us to comply with these regulations could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We are subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the Internet and ecommerce, including consumer protection regulations that regulate retailers and
 
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govern the promotion and sale of merchandise. Existing and future regulations and laws could impede the growth of the Internet, ecommerce or mobile commerce, which could in turn adversely affect our growth. These regulations and laws may involve taxes, tariffs, privacy and data security, anti-spam, content protection, electronic contracts and communications, consumer protection, sales practices and Internet neutrality. It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, sales and other taxes and consumer privacy apply to the Internet as the vast majority of these laws were adopted prior to the advent of the Internet and do not contemplate or address the unique issues raised by the Internet or ecommerce. It is possible that general business regulations and laws, or those specifically governing the Internet or ecommerce, may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. We cannot be sure that our practices have complied, comply or will comply fully with all such laws and regulations. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with any of these laws or regulations could result in damage to our reputation, a loss in business and proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities, customers, suppliers or others. Any such proceeding or action could hurt our reputation, force us to spend significant amounts in defense of these proceedings, distract our management, increase our costs of doing business, decrease the use of our website and mobile applications by customers and suppliers and may result in the imposition of monetary liabilities and burdensome injunctions. We may also be contractually liable to indemnify and hold harmless third parties from the costs or consequences of noncompliance with any such laws or regulations. As a result, adverse developments with respect to these laws and regulations could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Advertising inaccuracies or product mislabeling may have an adverse effect on our business by exposing us to lawsuits, product recalls or regulatory enforcement actions, increasing our operating costs and reducing demand for our product offerings.
Many products that we sell are labeled and advertised with claims as to their origin, ingredients or health, wellness, environmental or other benefits, including, by way of example, the use of the term “natural”, “organic”, “clean conscious”, or “sustainable”, or similar synonyms or implied statements relating to such benefits. Grove’s brand as a whole is marketed using similar environmental language. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Guides For The Use Of Environmental Marketing Claims, or the “Green Guides,” or “Green Guides,” provide guidance on how to use environmental marketing claims, provide specific guidance for certain terms (e.g. “recyclable”), and recommend against using unqualified statements about environmental benefits such as
“eco-friendly”.
Although the FDA and the USDA each have issued statements regarding the appropriate use of the word “natural,” there is no single, U.S. government regulated definition of the term “natural” for use in the consumer and personal care industry. This is also true for many other claims common in the clean conscious product industry.
Consumer class actions, actions from industry groups such as the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau, and public enforcement actions have been brought against numerous companies that market “natural,” “sustainable,” or other ecologically conscious products or ingredients, asserting false, misleading and deceptive advertising and labeling claims. These suits often identify ingredients or components of a product for which certain marketing claims may not be fully accurate, and claim that their presence in the product renders the statements false and deceptive. For example, some actions concerning “natural” claims have focused on the presence of genetically modified and/or synthetic ingredients or components in products, including synthetic forms of otherwise natural ingredients.
Many of our products are subject to regulatory enforcement:
 
   
The FDA regulates product labels and other product claims for the consumer products subject to its jurisdiction and has the authority to challenge product labels and claims that it believes are
non-compliant
or false or misleading, through the use of a variety of enforcement tools (e.g., Warning Letters, untitled letters, and seizure actions). In limited circumstances, the FDA has taken regulatory action against products labeled “natural” but that nonetheless contain synthetic ingredients or components.
 
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The FTC has the authority to challenge claims made in product advertising and requires that such claims are adequately substantiated prior to use. The FTC similarly has enforcement tools that it uses to challenge advertising claims that it deems
non-compliant
with the law.
 
   
The USDA enforces federal standards for organic production and use of the term “organic” on product labeling. These laws prohibit a company from selling or labeling products as organic unless they are produced and handled in accordance with the applicable federal law. Failure to comply with these requirements may subject us to liability or regulatory enforcement. Consumers may also pursue state law claims challenging use of the organic label as being intentionally mislabeled or misleading or deceptive to consumers.
 
   
In addition, certain products, including the disinfectant products, we sell may require approval from and registration with the EPA and state regulatory agencies prior to sale. Products that expressly or impliedly claim to control microorganisms that pose a threat to human health may be subject by additional regulatory scrutiny and need to be supported by additional efficacy data. Should we advertise or market these regulated products with claims that are not permitted by the terms of their registration or are otherwise false or misleading, the EPA and states may be authorized to take enforcement action to prevent the sale or distribution of disinfectant products.
State and local enforcers also have the authority to prosecute false advertising cases, including relating to environmental marketing claims.
Should we become subject to actions regarding our branding or product marketing, consumers may avoid purchasing products from us or seek alternatives, even if the basis for the claim is unfounded. Moreover, any regulatory or government enforcement actions may trigger class action lawsuits under state consumer protection laws.
Adverse publicity about these matters may discourage consumers from buying our products. The cost of defending against any such claims could be significant and we may incur substantial costs remediating product claims in labeling and advertising if we are unsuccessful in defending such actions. Any loss of confidence on the part of consumers in the truthfulness of our labeling, advertising or ingredient claims would be difficult and costly to overcome and may significantly reduce our brand value. Any of these events could adversely affect our reputation and brand and decrease our sales, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
False or misleading marketing claims concerning a product’s registration or its efficacy may also create the risk for challenges under federal or state law.
We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our reputation, financial condition, and liquidity if Grove is not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.
Selling consumer product goods and personal care products involves inherent legal and other risks, and there is increasing governmental scrutiny of and public awareness regarding product safety. Such products are highly regulated by numerous government agencies.
Some of the products we sell or manufacture expose us to product liability claims relating to personal injury or illness, death, or environmental or property damage, and can require product recalls or other actions. Third parties who sell products using our services also expose us to product liability claims. Although we maintain liability insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred or that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all. In addition, some of our agreements with our vendors and sellers do not indemnify us from product liability.
Adverse reactions, including illnesses, injury or death related to ingredients, allergens, or foreign material contamination in our products or other product safety incidents or efficacy failures with our products, or
 
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involving our suppliers, could result in the disruption or discontinuance of sales of these products or our relationships with such suppliers, or otherwise result in increased operating costs, regulatory enforcement actions (e.g., seizure), and harm to our reputation.
Shipment of adulterated, misbranded or expired products, even if inadvertent or the fault of a third-party supplier, can result in criminal or civil liability. Such incidents could also expose us to product liability, negligence or other lawsuits, including consumer class action lawsuits. Any claims brought against us may exceed or be outside the scope of our existing or future insurance policy coverage or limits. Any judgment against us that is more than our policy limits or not covered by our policies or not subject to insurance would have to be paid from our cash reserves, which would reduce our capital resources.
The occurrence of adverse reactions, ineffectiveness or other safety incidents associated with our products could also adversely affect the price and availability of affected ingredients or products, resulting in higher costs, disruptions in supply and a reduction in our sales. Furthermore, any safety, contamination, defects, or regulatory noncompliance issues, whether or not caused by our actions, could compel us, our suppliers, our retail or ecommerce customers, or our consumers, depending on the circumstances, to conduct a recall in accordance with requests from the FDA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, the USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, or other federal, state or local authorities. Product recalls could result in significant losses due to their costs, the destruction of product inventory, lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time and potential loss of existing retail or ecommerce partners or consumers, negative publicity and a potential negative impact on our ability to attract new consumers due to negative consumer experiences or because of an adverse impact on our brand and reputation. The costs of a recall could be outside the scope of our existing or future insurance policy coverage or limits.
Companies that sell consumer and personal care products have also been subject to targeted, large-scale tampering as well as to opportunistic, individual product tampering, and we, like any such company, could be a target for product tampering. Forms of tampering could include the introduction of foreign material, chemical contaminants and pathological organisms into products, as well as product substitution. Governmental regulations require companies like us to analyze, prepare and implement mitigation strategies specifically to address tampering designed to inflict widespread public health harm. If we do not adequately address the possibility, or any actual instance, of product tampering, we could face possible seizure or recall of our products and the imposition of civil or criminal sanctions, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We are subject to a number of other laws and regulations, which could impact our business.
We are subject to a broad range of federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations intended to protect public and worker health and safety, natural resources, the environment and consumers. Our operations are subject to regulation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, the FDA, the CPSC, the USDA, the FTC, EPA, and by various other federal, state, local and foreign authorities regarding the manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, sale, order fulfillment, advertising, labeling, import and export of our products. In addition, we and our manufacturing partners are subject to additional regulatory requirements, including environmental, health and safety laws and regulations administered by the EPA, state, local and foreign environmental, health and safety legislative and regulatory authorities and the National Labor Relations Board, covering such areas as discharges and emissions to air and water, the use, management, disposal and remediation of, and human exposure to, hazardous materials and wastes, and public and worker health and safety, and Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements, or GMPs, enforced by the FDA.
In addition, as the provider of products with a subscription-based element, a variety of laws and regulations govern the ability of users to cancel subscriptions and auto-payment renewals. California’s automatic renewal law in particular has been the basis for both consumer class actions and government enforcement.
 
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Violations of or liability under any of these laws and regulations may result in administrative, civil or criminal fines, penalties or sanctions against us, revocation or modification of applicable permits, licenses or authorizations, environmental, health and safety investigations or remedial activities, voluntary or involuntary product recalls, warning or untitled letters or cease and desist orders against operations that are not in compliance, among other things. Such laws and regulations generally have become more stringent over time and may become more so in the future, and we may incur (directly, or indirectly through our manufacturing partners) material costs to comply with current or future laws and regulations or in any required product recalls. For example, in just the last year or so, California, New York, Illinois, Delaware, and Colorado all enacted more robust requirements for subscription programs.
Liabilities under, and/or costs of compliance, and the impacts on us of any
non-compliance,
with or investigations under any such laws and regulations could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. For example, the Consumer Protection Division of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with other county and city prosecutors, is currently investigating our automatic renewal practices, and we may be subject to future claims under auto-payment renewal laws and regulations that could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, changes in the laws and regulations to which we are subject, or in the prevailing interpretations of such laws and regulations by courts and enforcement authorities, could impose significant limitations and require changes to our business, which may increase our compliance expenses, make our business more costly and less efficient to conduct, and compromise our growth strategy, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our products are also subject to state laws and regulations, such as California’s Proposition 65, or Prop 65, which requires a specific warning on any product that causes an exposure to a substance listed by the State of California as known to cause cancer or birth defects, unless the exposure is below the warning level. We have in the past been subject to lawsuits brought under Prop 65, and if we fail to comply with Prop 65 in the future, it may result in lawsuits and regulatory enforcement that could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Further, the inclusion of warnings on our products to comply with Prop 65 could also reduce overall consumption of our products or leave consumers with the perception (whether or not valid) that our products do not meet their health and wellness needs, all of which could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
These developments, depending on the outcome, could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Changes in existing laws or regulations or related official guidance, or the adoption of new laws or regulations or guidance, may increase our costs and otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The regulatory environment in which we operate has changed in the past and could change significantly and adversely in the future. For example, in December 2009, the FTC substantially revised its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, or “Endorsement Guides,” to eliminate a safe harbor principle that formerly recognized that advertisers could publish consumer testimonials that conveyed truthful but extraordinary results from using the advertiser’s product as long as the advertiser clearly and conspicuously disclosed that the endorser’s results were not typical. Similarly, in 2012, the FTC announced revisions to its Green Guides discussed above, which assist advertisers in avoiding the dissemination of false or deceptive environmental claims for their products. The Green Guides revisions introduced new and proscriptive guidance regarding advertisers’ use of product certifications and seals of approval, “recyclable” claims, “renewable materials” claims, “carbon offset” claims and other environmental benefit claims. In October 2021, California passed a new environmental marketing law banning recyclability claims unless a product and/or its packaging meets specifically enumerated benchmarks focused on the practical realities of the recycling process; the benchmarks, which have not yet been enumerated, may be more stringent than those currently imposed by the FTC’s Green Guides.
 
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Although we strive to adapt our marketing efforts to evolving legal and regulatory requirements and related guidance, we may not always anticipate or timely identify changes in regulation or official guidance that could impact our business, with the result that we could be subjected to litigation and enforcement actions that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Future changes in laws, regulations, and related official agency guidance, such as the Endorsement Guides and Green Guides (or state automatic renewal laws, discussed above), could also introduce new restrictions that impair our ability to market our products effectively and place us at a competitive disadvantage with competitors who, for example, depend less than we do on environmental marketing claims and social media influencer relationships.
Moreover, any change in laws, regulations or guidance relating to manufacturing, advertising, labeling or packaging for our products may lead to an increase in costs or interruptions in production, either of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. New or revised government laws, regulations or guidelines could result in additional compliance costs and, in the event of
non-compliance,
civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, withdrawals, recalls or seizures and confiscations, as well as potential criminal sanctions, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Failure by our network of retail and ecommerce partners, suppliers or manufacturers to comply with product safety, environmental or other laws and regulations, or with the specifications and requirements of our products, may disrupt our supply of products and adversely affect our business.
If our network of retail and ecommerce partners, suppliers or manufacturers fail to comply with environmental, health and safety or other laws and regulations, or face allegations of
non-compliance,
their operations may be disrupted and our reputation could be harmed. Additionally, our retail and ecommerce partners, suppliers and manufacturers are required to maintain the quality of our products and to comply with our standards and specifications. In the event of actual or alleged
non-compliance,
we might be forced to find alternative retail or ecommerce partners, suppliers or manufacturers and we may be subject to lawsuits and/or regulatory enforcement actions related to such
non-compliance
by the suppliers and manufacturers. As a result, our supply of products could be disrupted or our costs could increase, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The failure of any partner or manufacturer to produce products that conform to our standards could adversely affect our reputation in the marketplace and result in product recalls, product liability claims, government or third-party actions and economic loss. For example, a manufacturer’s failure to meet cGMPs, could result in the delivery of a product that is subject to a product recall, product liability litigation, or government investigations and enforcement. Additionally, actions we may take to mitigate the impact of any disruption or potential disruption in our supply of materials or finished inventory, including increasing inventory in anticipation of a potential supply or production interruption, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our status as a public benefit corporation and a Certified B Corporation may not result in the benefits that we anticipate.
We are a public benefit corporation incorporated under Delaware law. As a public benefit corporation we are required to balance the financial interests of our stockholders with the best interests of those stakeholders materially affected by our conduct, including particularly those affected by the specific benefit purposes set forth in our certificate of incorporation. In addition, there is no assurance that the expected positive impact from being a public benefit corporation will be realized. Accordingly, being a public benefit corporation and complying with our related obligations could negatively impact our ability to provide the highest possible return to our stockholders.
As a public benefit corporation, we are required to disclose to stockholders a report at least biennially on our overall public benefit performance and on our assessment of our success in achieving our specific public benefit purpose. If we are not timely or are unable to provide this report, or if the report is not viewed favorably by
 
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parties doing business with us or regulators or others reviewing our credentials, our reputation and status as a public benefit corporation may be harmed.
While not required by Delaware law or the terms of our certificate of incorporation, we have elected to have our social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency assessed against the proprietary criteria established by an independent
non-profit
organization. As a result of this assessment, we have been designated as a “Certified B Corporation,” which refers to companies that are certified as meeting certain levels of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. The standards for Certified B Corporation certification are set by an independent organization and may change over time. Currently, we are required to recertify as a Certified B Corporation once every three years, with our next certification required by October 20, 2023. Our reputation could be harmed if we lose our status as a Certified B Corporation, whether by our choice or by our failure to continue to meet the certification requirements, if that failure or change were to create a perception that we are more focused on financial performance and are no longer as committed to the values shared by Certified B Corporations. Likewise, our reputation could be harmed if our publicly reported Certified B Corporation score declines.
As a public benefit corporation, our duty to balance a variety of interests may result in actions that do not maximize stockholder value.
As a public benefit corporation, our board of directors has a duty to balance (i) the pecuniary interest of our stockholders, (ii) the best interests of those materially affected by our conduct and (iii) specific public benefits identified in our charter documents. In balancing these interests our board of directors may take actions that do not maximize stockholder value. Any benefits to stockholders resulting from our public benefit purposes may not materialize within the timeframe we expect or at all and may have negative effects. For example: we may choose to revise our policies in ways that we believe will be beneficial to our stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, employees and local communities, even though the changes may be costly; we may be influenced to pursue programs and services to demonstrate our commitment to the communities to which we serve and bringing ethically produced food to the table even though there is no immediate return to our stockholders; or in responding to a possible proposal to acquire the company, our board of directors may be influenced by the interests of our stakeholders, including farmers, suppliers, crew members and local communities, whose interests may be different from the interests of our stockholders.
We may be unable or slow to realize the benefits we expect from actions taken to benefit our stakeholders, including farmers, suppliers, crew members and local communities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.
As a public benefit corporation, we may be subject to increased derivative litigation concerning our duty to balance stockholder and public benefit interests, the occurrence of which may have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
As a Delaware public benefit corporation, our stockholders (if they, individually or collectively, own at least 2% of our outstanding capital stock or shares having at least $2 million in market value (whichever is less)) are entitled to file a derivative lawsuit claiming that our directors failed to balance stockholder and public benefit interests. This potential liability does not exist for traditional corporations. Therefore, we may be subject to the possibility of increased derivative litigation, which would require the attention of management and, as a result, may adversely impact management’s ability to effectively execute our strategy. Any such derivative litigation may be costly and have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
We and our directors and executive officers may be subject to litigation for a variety of claims, which could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In the ordinary course of business, we may face allegations, lawsuits, and regulatory inquiries, audits, and investigations regarding labor and employment, wage and hour, consumer protection, commercial, antitrust,
 
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alleged securities law violations or other investor claims, claims that our employees or independent contractors have wrongfully disclosed or we have wrongfully used proprietary information of our employees’ or independent contractors’ former employers and other matters, data privacy, security, consumer protection, and intellectual property infringement, acquisitions, or business practices. The number and significance of these potential claims and disputes may increase as our business expands. Further, our general liability insurance may not cover all potential claims made against us or be sufficient to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed. Any claim against us, regardless of its merit, could be costly, divert management’s attention and operational resources, and harm our reputation.
Our directors and executive officers may also be subject to litigation. The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions that are included in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and indemnification agreements that we entered into with our directors and executive officers provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law and may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and executive officers for breach of their fiduciary duties. Such provisions may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and executive officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and other stockholders. Further, a stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent that we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our directors and executive officers as required by these indemnification provisions. We have obtained insurance policies under which, subject to the limitations of the policies, coverage is provided to our directors and executive officers against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of fiduciary duty or other wrongful acts as a director or executive officer, including claims relating to public securities matters, and to us with respect to payments that may be made by us to these directors and executive officers pursuant to our indemnification obligations or otherwise as a matter of law. These insurance policies may not cover all potential claims made against our directors and executive officers, may not be available to us in the future at a reasonable rate and may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed. As litigation is inherently unpredictable, we cannot assure you that any potential claims or disputes will not harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The results of regulatory proceedings, litigation, claims, and audits cannot be predicted with certainty, and determining reserves for pending litigation and other legal, regulatory and audit matters requires significant judgment. Regardless of the outcome of any litigation, the litigation itself can have an adverse impact on us because of legal costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
Risks Related to the Business Combination and Integration of Businesses
Each of VGAC II and Grove have incurred and will incur substantial costs in connection with the Business Combination and related transactions, such as legal, accounting, consulting, and financial advisory fees.
As part of the Business Combination, each of VGAC II and Grove are utilizing professional service firms for legal, accounting, and financial advisory services. Although the parties have been provided with estimates of the costs for each advisory firm, the total actual costs may exceed those estimates.
Risks Related to the Business Combination and VGAC II
Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in this section of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus to “VGAC II,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to VGAC II prior to the Business Combination and to New Grove and its subsidiaries following the Business Combination.
The Sponsor has entered into a letter agreement with VGAC II to vote in favor of the Business Combination, regardless of how VGAC II public shareholders vote.
Unlike some other blank check companies in which the initial shareholders agree to vote their shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by the public shareholders in connection with an initial business
 
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combination, the Sponsor, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, has agreed, among other things, to vote in favor of all the proposals being presented at the extraordinary general meeting, including the Business Combination Proposal and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger). As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement warrants).
The
COVID-19
pandemic triggered an economic crisis which may delay or prevent the consummation of the Business Combination.
In December 2019, the
COVID-19
outbreak was reported in China, and, in March 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic. Since being initially reported in China,
COVID-19
has spread throughout the world and has resulted in unprecedented restrictions and limitations on operations of many businesses and governmental entities, including in the United States and the United Kingdom. Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the
COVID-19
crisis, it is difficult to predict the impact on the businesses of VGAC II, Grove, and New Grove, and there is no guarantee that efforts by VGAC II, Grove, and New Grove to address the adverse impact of
COVID-19
will be effective. If VGAC II or Grove are unable to recover from a business disruption on a timely basis, the Business Combination and New Grove’s business and financial conditions and results of operations following the completion of the Business Combination could be adversely affected. The Business Combination may also be delayed and adversely affected by
COVID-19,
and become more costly. Each of VGAC II and Grove may also incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions, which could adversely affect their respective financial condition and results of operations.
Since the Sponsor and VGAC II’s directors and executive officers have interests that are different, or in addition to (and which may conflict with), the interests of VGAC II shareholders, a conflict of interest may have existed in determining whether the Business Combination with Grove is appropriate as VGAC II’s initial business combination. Such interests include that the Sponsor, as well as VGAC II’s executive officers and directors, will lose their entire investment in VGAC II if VGAC II’s business combination is not completed.
When you consider the recommendation of the VGAC II Board in favor of approval of the Business Combination Proposal, you should keep in mind that the Sponsor, VGAC II’s directors, and executive officers, have interests in such proposal that are different from, or in addition to, those of VGAC II shareholders and VGAC II warrantholders generally. These interests include, among other things, the interests listed below:
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor has agreed not to redeem any Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares, of which the Sponsor currently owns 9,972,500 Class B ordinary shares and each of the three independent directors owns 30,000 Class B ordinary shares, and such securities will have a significantly higher value at the time of the Business Combination; as described further below:
 
    
Shares of Class B
ordinary shares
(1)
    
Value of Class B
ordinary shares
implied by the
Business
Combination
(3)
    
Value of Class B
ordinary shares
based on recent
trading price
(4)
 
Sponsor(2)
     9,972,500      $ 99,725,000      $                    
Chris Burggraeve
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
Elizabeth Nelson
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
Latif Peracha
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
 
(1)
Interests shown consist solely of founder shares. Such shares will automatically convert into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock upon Domestication on a
one-for-one
basis.
(2)
VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC is the record holder of the shares reported herein.
 
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(3)
Assumes a value of $10.00 per share, the deemed value of the Class B ordinary shares in the Business Combination.
(4)
Assumes a value of $                 per share, the closing price of the Class B ordinary shares on
 
   
the fact that each of Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Lovell invested $300,000 in the Sponsor and hold interests in the Sponsor that represent an indirect interest in 1,246,600 Class B ordinary shares and 197,939 private placement warrants, and the fact that Mr. Burggraeve, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Peracha each invested $100,000, in the Sponsor indirectly through an investment in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, and each holds interests in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC that represent an indirect interest in 70,216 Class B ordinary shares, and 66,550 private placement warrants, and all of such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents);
 
   
the fact that given the differential in the purchase price that the Sponsor paid for the founder shares as compared to the price of the public shares sold in the initial public offering, the Sponsor and its affiliates may earn a positive rate of return on their investment even if the Class A ordinary shares trades below the price initially paid for the public shares in the initial public offering and the public shareholders experience a negative rate of return following the completion of the Business Combination;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor will benefit from the completion of a business combination and may be incentivized to complete an acquisition of a less favorable target company or on terms less favorable to shareholders rather than liquidate;
 
   
the fact that if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents), our Sponsor and VGAC II’s officers and directors will lose their entire investment in VGAC II, which investment included a capital contribution of $25,000 for the Sponsor’s Class B ordinary shares and $10,050,000 for the Sponsor’s private placement warrants, and will not be reimbursed for any
out-of-pocket
expenses from any amounts held in the trust account;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor and VGAC II’s other current officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any ordinary shares (other than public shares) held by them if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023;
 
   
the fact that the Registration Rights Agreement will be entered into by the Sponsor;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor transferred 30,000 Class B ordinary shares to each of VGAC II’s three independent directors prior to the initial public offering, and such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents);
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor entered into the Sponsor Agreement pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed that the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement, with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization,
 
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assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement). If, upon the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove;
 
   
the continued indemnification of VGAC II’s directors and officers and the continuation of VGAC II’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance after the Business Combination (
i.e.
, a “tail policy”);
 
   
the fact that if the trust account is liquidated, including in the event VGAC II is unable to complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify VGAC II to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per public share, or such lesser per public share amount as is in the trust account on the liquidation date, by the claims of prospective target businesses with which VGAC II has entered into an acquisition agreement or claims of any third party for services rendered or products sold to VGAC II, but only if such a vendor or target business has not executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account;
 
   
the fact that [●], [●] of the Sponsor is expected to be director of New Grove after the consummation of the Business Combination and as such, in the future, he may receive cash fees, stock options, stock awards or other remuneration that the New Grove Board determines to pay to him and any other applicable compensation; and
 
   
the fact that the Virgin Group and the Sponsor will collectively own 6,572,125 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which collectively will represent up to approximately 4.4% outstanding shares of New Grove Common Stock and approximately [●]% of the voting power of New Grove Common Stock assuming that 100% of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares are redeemed.
See “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for additional information on interests of VGAC II’s directors and executive officers.
The exercise of VGAC II’s directors’ and executive officers’ discretion in agreeing to changes or waivers in the terms of the Business Combination may result in a conflict of interest when determining whether such changes to the terms of the Business Combination or waivers of conditions are appropriate and in VGAC II shareholders’ best interest.
In the period leading up to the closing of the Business Combination, events may occur that, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, would require VGAC II to agree to amend the Merger Agreement, to consent to certain actions taken by Grove, or to waive rights that VGAC II is entitled to under the Merger Agreement. Such events could arise because of changes in the course of Grove’s business, a request by Grove to undertake actions that would otherwise be prohibited by the terms of the Merger Agreement, or the occurrence of other events that would have a material adverse effect on Grove’s business and would entitle VGAC II to terminate the Merger Agreement. In any of such circumstances, it would be at VGAC II’s discretion, acting through the VGAC II Board, to grant its consent or waive those rights. The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of the directors described in the preceding risk factors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he or she or they may believe is best for VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he or she or they may believe is best for himself or herself or themselves in determining whether or not to take the requested action. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, VGAC II does not believe there will be any changes or waivers that VGAC II’s directors and executive officers would be likely to make after shareholder approval of the Business Combination Proposal has been obtained. While certain changes could be made without further shareholder approval, VGAC II will circulate a new or amended proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and resolicit VGAC II shareholders if changes to the terms of the transaction that would have a material impact on VGAC II shareholders are required prior to the vote on the Business Combination Proposal.
 
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The dual-class structure of New Grove’s common stock will have the effect of concentrating voting power with the current Grove stockholders, which will limit an investor’s ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control.
Shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock will have ten votes per share, while shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will have one vote per share. Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock will hold all of the issued and outstanding shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock. Accordingly, upon the consummation of the Business Combination, holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock will hold, directly or indirectly, and assuming 100% redemptions by the public shareholders, approximately [●]% of the voting power of New Grove’s capital stock on a fully-diluted basis and will be able to control matters submitted to New Grove stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, amendments of New Grove’s organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of New Grove’s assets, or other major corporate transactions. The current holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests. This concentrated control may have the effect of delaying, preventing, or deterring a change in control of New Grove, could deprive VGAC II shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their capital stock as part of a sale of New Grove, and might ultimately affect the market price of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. For information about New Grove’s dual-class structure, see the section titled “
Description of New
Grove
Securities.
VGAC II cannot predict the impact New Grove’s dual-class structure may have on the stock price of New Grove Class A Common Stock.
VGAC II cannot predict whether New Grove’s dual-class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of New Grove Class A Common Stock or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indices. In July 2017, FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones announced that they would cease to allow most newly-public companies utilizing dual or multi-class capital structures to be included in their indices. Affected indices include the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, and S&P SmallCap 600, which together make up the S&P Composite 1500. Beginning in 2017, MSCI, a leading stock index provider, opened public consultations on their treatment of
no-vote
and multi-class structures and temporarily barred new multi-class listings from certain of its indices. However, in October 2018, MSCI announced its decision to include equity securities “with unequal voting structures” in its indices and to launch a new index that specifically includes voting rights in its eligibility criteria. Under the announced policies, New Grove’s dual-class capital structure would make New Grove ineligible for inclusion in certain indices, and as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track those indices will not invest in New Grove Class A Common Stock. These policies are still fairly new and it is unclear what effect, if any, they will have on the valuations of publicly traded companies excluded from the indices, but it is possible that they may depress these valuations compared to those of other similar companies that are included. Because of New Grove’s dual-class structure, New Grove will likely be excluded from certain of these indices and VGAC II cannot assure you that other stock indices will not take similar actions. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indices, exclusion from stock indices would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and could make shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock less attractive to other investors. As a result, the market price of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock could be adversely affected.
 
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Subsequent to consummation of the Business Combination, VGAC II may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment, or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on VGAC II’s financial condition, results of operations, and the share price of VGAC II’s securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
VGAC II cannot assure you that the due diligence conducted in relation to Grove has identified all material issues or risks associated with Grove, its business, or the industry in which it competes. As a result of these factors, VGAC II may incur additional costs and expenses and VGAC II may be forced to later write-down or
write-off
assets, restructure VGAC II’s operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in VGAC II reporting losses. Even if VGAC II’s due diligence has identified certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with VGAC II’s preliminary risk analysis. If any of these risks materialize, this could have a material adverse effect on VGAC II’s financial condition and results of operations and could contribute to negative market perceptions about VGAC II’s securities or New Grove. Accordingly, any VGAC II shareholders who choose to remain New Grove stockholders following the Business Combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares and warrants. Such VGAC II shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by VGAC II officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the registration statement or proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.
Our ability to successfully effect the Business Combination and to be successful thereafter will be dependent upon the efforts of key personnel of New Grove, including those from Grove, and some of whom may join New Grove following the Business Combination. The loss of key personnel or the hiring of ineffective personnel after the Business Combination could negatively impact the operations and profitability of New Grove.
Our ability to successfully effect the Business Combination and be successful thereafter will be dependent upon the efforts of VGAC II’s key personnel. VGAC II expects Grove’s current management to remain in place. VGAC II cannot assure you that VGAC II will be successful in integrating and retaining such key personnel, or in identifying and recruiting additional key individuals VGAC II determines may be necessary following the Business Combination.
The unaudited pro forma financial information included elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may not be indicative of what New Grove’s actual financial position or results of operations would have been.
The unaudited pro forma financial information in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is presented for illustrative purposes only and has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including Grove being considered the accounting acquirer in the Business Combination, the debt obligations and the cash and cash equivalents of Grove at the Closing, and the number of public shares that are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination. Accordingly, such pro forma financial information may not be indicative of VGAC II’s future operating or financial performance and VGAC II’s actual financial condition and results of operations may vary materially from VGAC II’s pro forma results of operations and balance sheet contained elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including as a result of such assumptions not being accurate. Additionally, the final acquisition accounting adjustments could differ materially from the unaudited pro forma adjustments presented in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information does not give effect to any operating efficiencies or cost savings that may be associated with the Business Combination. See “
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information
.”
 
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The ability of the public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of VGAC II public shares may not allow VGAC II to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize the capital structure of New Grove.
At the time of entering into the Merger Agreement, VGAC II did not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore, VGAC II needed to structure the transaction based on its expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. The consummation of the Business Combination is conditioned upon, among other things: (i) the approval by VGAC II shareholders of the Condition Precedent Proposals; (ii) the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act relating to the Merger Agreement; (iii) VGAC II having at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing; (iv) the Minimum Available Cash Condition; (v) the approval by the NYSE of VGAC II’s initial listing application in connection with the Business Combination; and (vi) the consummation of the Domestication. Therefore, unless these conditions are waived by the applicable parties to the Merger Agreement, the Merger Agreement could terminate and the Business Combination may not be consummated.
If third parties bring claims against VGAC II, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per share redemption amount received by VGAC II shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share (which was the offering price in the initial public offering).
VGAC II’s placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against VGAC II. Although VGAC II will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than VGAC II’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses, or other entities with which VGAC II does business execute agreements with VGAC II waiving any right, title, interest, or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case, in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against VGAC II’s assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, VGAC II’s management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to VGAC II and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of the company under the circumstances.
Examples of possible instances where VGAC II may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, VGAC II’s independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of VGAC II’s initial public offer have not executed agreements with VGAC II waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts, or agreements with VGAC II and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to VGAC II if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than WithumSmith+Brown, PC, VGAC II’s independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which VGAC II has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality, or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the
 
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monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under VGAC II’s indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, VGAC II has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has VGAC II independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, and VGAC II believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of VGAC II. Therefore, VGAC II cannot assure you that the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for an initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, VGAC II may not be able to complete an initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of VGAC II’s officers or directors will indemnify VGAC II for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Additionally, if VGAC II is forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy case is filed against VGAC II which is not dismissed, or if VGAC II otherwise enters compulsory or court supervised liquidation, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in VGAC II’s bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of VGAC II shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, VGAC II may not be able to return to the public shareholders $10.00 per share (which was the offering price in the initial public offering).
If, after VGAC II distributes the proceeds in the trust account to the public shareholders, VGAC II files a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and VGAC II and the VGAC II Board may be exposed to claims of punitive damages.
If, after VGAC II distributes the proceeds in the trust account to the public shareholders, VGAC II files a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, any distributions received by public shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by VGAC II shareholders. In addition, the VGAC II Board may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to VGAC II’s creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing it and VGAC II to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. VGAC II cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against VGAC II for these reasons.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to the public shareholders, VGAC II files a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of VGAC II shareholders and the per share amount that would otherwise be received by VGAC II shareholders in connection with VGAC II’s liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to the public shareholders, VGAC II files a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in VGAC II’s bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of public shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per share amount that would otherwise be received by VGAC II shareholders in connection with VGAC II’s liquidation may be reduced.
VGAC II shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against VGAC II to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
If VGAC II is forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by VGAC II shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on
 
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which the distribution was made, VGAC II was unable to pay VGAC II’s debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover all amounts received by VGAC II shareholders. Furthermore, VGAC II directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to VGAC II or VGAC II’s creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing themselves and VGAC II’s company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. Claims may be brought against VGAC II for these reasons.
VGAC II is an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if VGAC II takes advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to “emerging growth companies” or “smaller reporting companies,” this could make VGAC II’s securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare VGAC II’s performance with other public companies.
VGAC II is an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and VGAC II may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in VGAC II’s periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, VGAC II shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. VGAC II could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause VGAC II to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of Class A ordinary shares or, after the Domestication, the New Grove Class A Common Stock held by
non-affiliates
exceeds $700 million as of any June 30th (or, if after the Business Combination, September 30th) before that time, in which case VGAC II would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31st (or, if after the Business Combination, March 31st). Following the Business Combination, VGAC II expects that New Grove will remain an emerging growth company until [●]. VGAC II cannot predict whether investors will find VGAC II’s securities less attractive because VGAC II will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find VGAC II’s securities less attractive as a result of VGAC II’s reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of VGAC II’s securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for VGAC II’s securities and the trading prices of VGAC II’s securities may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to
non-emerging
growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. VGAC II has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, VGAC II, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of VGAC II’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Additionally, VGAC II is a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation
S-K.
Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. Following the Business Combination, VGAC II expects that New Grove will no longer be a smaller reporting company.
 
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Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for VGAC II to effectuate the Business Combination, require substantial financial and management resources and increase the time and costs of completing a business combination.
The fact that VGAC II is a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on VGAC II as compared to other public companies. Grove is not a publicly reporting company required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and New Grove management may not be able to effectively and timely implement controls and procedures that adequately respond to the increased regulatory compliance and reporting requirements that will be applicable to New Grove after the Business Combination. If VGAC II is not able to implement the requirements of Section 404, including any additional requirements once VGAC II is no longer an emerging growth company, in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, VGAC II may not be able to assess whether its internal control over financial reporting are effective, which may subject VGAC II to adverse regulatory consequences and could harm investor confidence and the market price of New Grove Class A Common Stock. Additionally, once VGAC II is no longer an emerging growth company, VGAC II will be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on VGAC II’s internal control over financial reporting.
The price of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove’s warrants may be volatile.
Upon consummation of the Business Combination, the price of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove’s warrants may fluctuate due to a variety of factors, including:
 
   
changes in the industries in which New Grove and its customers operate;
 
   
variations in its operating performance and the performance of its competitors in general;
 
   
any material and adverse impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic on the markets and the broader global economy;
 
   
actual or anticipated fluctuations in New Grove’s quarterly or annual results of operation;
 
   
publication of research reports by securities analysts about New Grove or its competitors or its industry;
 
   
the public’s reaction to New Grove’s press releases, its other public announcements, and its filings with the SEC;
 
   
New Grove’s failure or the failure of its competitors to meet analysts’ projections or guidance that New Grove or its competitors may give to the market;
 
   
additions and departures of key personnel;
 
   
changes in laws and regulations affecting its business;
 
   
commencement of, or involvement in, litigation involving New Grove;
 
   
changes in New Grove’s capital structure, such as future issuances of securities or the incurrence of additional debt;
 
   
the volume of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock available for public sale;
 
   
sales of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock by the PIPE Investors; and
 
   
general economic and political conditions such as recessions, interest rates, fuel prices, foreign currency fluctuations, international tariffs, social, political, and economic risks, and acts of war or terrorism.
These market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove’s warrants regardless of the operating performance of New Grove.
 
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A significant portion of VGAC II’s total outstanding shares are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future. This could cause the market price of New Grove Class A Common Stock to drop significantly, even if New Grove’s business is doing well.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of New Grove Class A Common Stock.
It is anticipated that, upon completion of the Business Combination, based on the assumptions below, (i) the Grove Stockholders will own approximately 69.1% of the outstanding New Grove Class A Common Stock and (ii) the Sponsor will own approximately 3.7% of the outstanding New Grove Class A Common Stock, in each case, assuming that none of VGAC II’s outstanding public shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination, or approximately 83.8% and 4.4%, respectively, assuming that 100% of VGAC II’s outstanding public shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination. These percentages assume that (i) all shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that will be held by existing holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock, including affiliates and permitted transferees thereof, immediately following Closing, have been converted into New Grove Class A Common Stock on a
one-for-one
basis; (ii) 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be issued in the PIPE Financing; (iii) no vested or unvested options to acquire New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be held by Grove Equityholders immediately following Closing have been exercised; and (iv) no restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be held by Grove Equityholders immediately following Closing have been exercised. In addition, the numbers of shares and percentages set forth above do not take into account (i) potential future exercises of warrants to purchase New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be outstanding immediately following the Closing and (ii) the Grove Earnout Shares. If the actual facts are different than these assumptions, the ownership percentages in New Grove will be different.
Although the Sponsor and certain Grove Stockholders will be subject to certain restrictions regarding the transfer of New Grove Class A Common Stock, these shares may be sold after the expiration of the
lock-up
under the Sponsor Agreement. VGAC II intends to file one or more registration statements prior to or shortly after the closing of the Business Combination to provide for the resale of such shares from time to time. As restrictions on resale end and the registration statements are available for use, the market price of New Grove Class A Common Stock could decline if the holders of currently restricted shares sell such shares or are perceived by the market as intending to sell such shares.
The public shareholders will experience immediate dilution as a consequence of the issuance of New Grove Common Stock as consideration in the Business Combination and in the PIPE Financing.
In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the time at which the Merger becomes effective (the “
Effective Time
”), based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a
 
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comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of the Company Unvested 2021 Options.
The issuance of additional New Grove Common Stock will significantly dilute the equity interests of existing holders of VGAC II securities, and may adversely affect prevailing market prices of New Grove Class A Common Stock and/or New Grove warrants.
Warrants will become exercisable for New Grove Class A Common Stock, which would increase the number of shares eligible for future resale in the public market and result in dilution to VGAC II shareholders.
If the Business Combination is completed, outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will become exercisable in accordance with the terms of the warrant agreement governing those securities. These warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Business Combination. The exercise price of these warrants will be $11.50 per share. To the extent such warrants are exercised, additional shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be issued, which will result in dilution to the holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock and increase the number of shares eligible for resale in the public market. Sales of substantial numbers of such shares in the public market or the fact that such warrants may be exercised could adversely affect the prevailing market prices of New Grove Class A Common Stock. However, there is no guarantee that the public warrants will ever be in the money prior to their expiration, and as such, the warrants may expire worthless. See below risk factor, “
Even if the Business Combination is consummated, the public warrants may never be in the money, and they may expire worthless and the terms of the warrants may be amended in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment
.”
Even if the Business Combination is consummated, the public warrants may never be in the money, and they may expire worthless and the terms of the public warrants may be amended in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment.
The public warrants were issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental, as warrant agent, and VGAC II. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the public warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision or correct any mistake, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, VGAC II may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although VGAC II’s ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the public warrants, convert the public warrants into cash, shorten the exercise period, or decrease the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock purchasable upon exercise of a public warrant and private warrant.
VGAC II may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
VGAC II has the ability to redeem outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of the New Grove Class A Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) for any 20 trading days
 
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within a
30-trading-day
period ending on the third trading day prior to the date VGAC II sends the notice of redemption to the warrantholders. If and when the public warrants become redeemable by VGAC II, VGAC II may exercise its redemption right even if VGAC II is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding public warrants could force you to: (i) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so; (ii) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants; or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
In addition, VGAC II may redeem your warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration at a price of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption for a number of Class A ordinary shares determined based on the redemption date and the fair market value of Class A ordinary shares. The value received upon exercise of the public warrants (1) may be less than the value the holders would have received if they had exercised their warrants at a later time where the underlying share price is higher and (2) may not compensate the holders for the value of the warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us, subject to certain circumstances, so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.
NYSE may not list New Grove’s securities on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in New Grove’s securities and subject New Grove to additional trading restrictions.
An active trading market for New Grove’s securities following the Business Combination may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. In connection with the Business Combination, in order to list VGAC II’s securities on NYSE, VGAC II will be required to demonstrate compliance with NYSE’s listing requirements. VGAC II will apply to have New Grove’s securities listed on NYSE upon consummation of the Business Combination. VGAC II cannot assure you that VGAC II will be able to meet all listing requirements. Even if New Grove’s securities are listed on NYSE, New Grove may be unable to maintain the listing of its securities in the future.
If New Grove fails to meet the listing requirements and NYSE does not list its securities on its exchange, Grove would not be required to consummate the Business Combination. In the event that Grove elected to waive this condition, and the Business Combination was consummated without New Grove’s securities being listed on NYSE or on another national securities exchange, New Grove could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
 
   
a limited availability of market quotations for New Grove’s securities;
 
   
reduced liquidity for New Grove’s securities;
 
   
a determination that New Grove Class A Common Stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in New Grove Class A Common Stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for New Grove’s securities;
 
   
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
 
   
a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” If New Grove’s securities were not listed on NYSE, such securities would not qualify as covered securities and VGAC II would be subject to regulation in each state in which VGAC II offers VGAC II’s securities because states are not preempted from regulating the sale of securities that are not covered securities.
 
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Reports published by analysts, including projections in those reports that differ from VGAC II’s actual results, could adversely affect the price and trading volume of New Grove Class A Common Stock.
Securities research analysts may establish and publish their own periodic projections for New Grove following consummation of the Business Combination. These projections may vary widely and may not accurately predict the results New Grove actually achieves. The share price of New Grove Class A Common Stock may decline if New Grove’s actual results do not match the projections of these securities research analysts. Similarly, if one or more of the analysts who write reports on New Grove downgrades New Grove Class A Common Stock or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about its business, the share price of New Grove Class A Common Stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of New Grove or fails to publish reports on New Grove regularly, the share price or trading volume of New Grove Class A Common Stock could decline. While VGAC II expects research analyst coverage following consummation of the Business Combination, if no analysts commence coverage of New Grove, the market price and volume for shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock could be adversely affected.
VGAC II is subject to, and New Grove will be subject to, changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance, and public disclosure that have increased both VGAC II’s costs and the risk of
non-compliance
and will increase both New Grove’s costs and the risk of
non-compliance.
VGAC II is, and New Grove will be, subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which are charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. VGAC II’s efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in, and New Grove’s efforts to comply likely will result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to New Grove’s disclosure and governance practices. If VGAC II fails to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, VGAC II may be subject to penalty and VGAC II’s business may be harmed.
VGAC II’s warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of VGAC II’s warrants could have a material effect on our financial results and thus may have an adverse effect on the market price of VGAC II’s securities.
On April 12, 2021, the staff of the SEC (the “
SEC Staff
”) issued a public statement entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“
SPACs
”) (the “
SEC Staff Statement
”). In the SEC Staff Statement, the SEC Staff expressed its view that certain terms and conditions common to SPAC warrants may require the warrants to be classified as liabilities on the SPAC’s balance sheet as opposed to equity. As a result of the SEC Staff Statement, we reevaluated the accounting treatment of our 7,000,000 public warrants and 6,000,000 private placement warrants, and determined to classify the warrants as derivative liabilities measured at fair value, with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings.
ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, provides for the remeasurement of the fair value of such derivatives at each balance sheet date, with
a resulting non-cash gain or
loss related to the change in the fair value being recognized in earnings in the statement of operations. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly, based on factors, which are outside of our control. Due to the recurring fair value measurement, we expect that we
will recognize non-cash gains or
losses on our warrants each reporting period and that the amount of such gains or losses could be material. The impact of changes in fair value on earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
 
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VGAC II has identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to VGAC II’s accounting and reporting of complex financial instruments, including application of ASC 480-10-S99-3A to its accounting classification of public shares. As a result of this material weakness, our management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2021. We have taken a number of measures to remediate the material weaknesses described herein. However, if we are unable to remediate our material weaknesses in a timely manner or we identify additional material weaknesses, we may be unable to provide required financial information in a timely and reliable manner and we may incorrectly report financial information. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which VGAC II’s ordinary shares are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. The existence of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our reputation or investor perceptions of us, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our shares. We can give no assurance that the measures we have taken and plan to take in the future will remediate the material weakness identified or that any additional material weaknesses or restatements of financial results will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting or circumvention of these controls. Even if we are successful in strengthening our controls and procedures, in the future those controls and procedures may not be adequate to prevent or identify irregularities or errors or to facilitate the fair presentation of our financial statements.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. We continue to evaluate steps to remediate the material weakness. These remediation measures may be time consuming and costly and there is no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.
If we identify any new material weaknesses in the future, any such newly identified material weakness could limit our ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of our accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements. In such case, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and our stock price may decline as a result. We cannot assure you that any measures we may take in the future, will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses.
Risks Related to the Consummation of the Domestication
Certain Holders may be required to recognize gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the Domestication.
As discussed more fully under the section “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,
” the Domestication should constitute a
tax-free
reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code. Assuming that the Domestication so qualifies, U.S. Holders (as defined in such section) of Class A ordinary shares will be subject to Section 367(b) of the Code and, as a result:
 
   
Subject to the discussion below concerning PFICs, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares whose ordinary shares have a fair market value of less than $50,000 on the date of the Domestication and who is not a 10% shareholder (as defined above) will not recognize any gain or loss and will not be required to include any part of VGAC II’s earnings in income.
 
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Subject to the discussion below concerning PFICs, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares whose ordinary shares have a fair market value of $50,000 or more, but who is not a 10% shareholder will generally recognize gain (but not loss) on the deemed receipt of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the Domestication. As an alternative to recognizing gain as a result of the Domestication, such U.S. Holder may file an election to include in income, as a dividend, the “all earnings and profits amount” (as defined in the Treasury Regulations under Section 367 of the Code) attributable to its Class A ordinary shares provided certain other requirements are satisfied.
 
   
Subject to the discussion below concerning PFICs, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares who on the date of the Domestication is a 10% shareholder will generally be required to include in income, as a dividend, the “all earnings and profits amount” (as defined in the Treasury Regulations under Section 367 of the Code) attributable to its VGAC II shares provided certain other requirements are satisfied.
 
   
As discussed further under “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
” below, VGAC II believes that it is (and has been) treated as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the event that VGAC II is (or in some cases has been) treated as a PFIC, notwithstanding the foregoing, proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code (which have a retroactive effective date), if finalized in their current form, generally would require a U.S. Holder to recognize gain as a result of the Domestication unless the U.S. Holder makes (or has made) certain elections discussed further under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations – The Domestication.” The tax on any such gain would be imposed at the rate applicable to ordinary income and an interest charge would apply based on a complex set of rules. It is difficult to predict whether such proposed regulations will be finalized and whether, in what form, and with what effective date, other final Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code will be adopted. Further, it is not clear how any such regulations would apply to the warrants. For a more complete discussion of the potential application of the PFIC rules to U.S. Holders as a result of the Domestication, see the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” Each U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares or warrants is urged to consult its own tax advisor concerning the application of the PFIC rules to the exchange of Class A ordinary shares for New Grove Class A Common Stock and public warrants for New Grove warrants pursuant to the Domestication.
Additionally, the Domestication may cause
Non-U.S.
Holders (as defined in “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
” below) to become subject to U.S. federal income withholding taxes on any dividends in respect of such
Non-U.S.
Holder’s New Grove Class A Common Stock subsequent to the Domestication.
The tax consequences of the Domestication are complex and will depend on a holder’s particular circumstances. All holders are strongly urged to consult their tax advisor for a full description and understanding of the tax consequences of the Domestication, including the applicability and effect of U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income and other tax laws. For a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the Domestication, see the section entitled “
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.
Upon consummation of the Domestication, the rights of holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock arising under the DGCL and the Proposed Governing Documents will differ from and may be less favorable to the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares arising under Cayman Islands law and the Existing Governing Documents.
Upon consummation of the Domestication, the rights of holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be as provided in the Proposed Governing Documents and the DGCL. Those new organizational documents and the DGCL contain provisions that differ in some respects from those in the Existing Governing Documents and Cayman Islands law and, therefore, some rights of holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock could differ from the rights that holders of Class A ordinary shares currently have. For instance, while class actions are generally not available to shareholders under Cayman Islands law, such actions are generally available under the
 
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DGCL. This change could increase the likelihood that New Grove becomes involved in costly litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on New Grove.
In addition, there are differences between the Proposed Governing Documents and the Existing Governing Documents. For a more detailed description of the rights of holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock and how they may differ from the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares, please see “
Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
.” The forms of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws of New Grove are attached as Annex C and Annex D, respectively, to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, and VGAC II urges you to read them.
Delaware law and New Grove’s Proposed Governing Documents contain certain provisions, including anti-takeover provisions, that limit the ability of stockholders to take certain actions and could delay or discourage takeover attempts that stockholders may consider favorable.
The Proposed Governing Documents that will be in effect upon consummation of the Domestication, and the DGCL, contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by the New Grove Board and therefore depress the trading price of New Grove Class A Common Stock. These provisions could also make it difficult for stockholders to take certain actions, including electing directors who are not nominated by the current members of the New Grove Board or taking other corporate actions, including effecting changes in VGAC II’s management. Among other things, the Proposed Governing Documents include provisions regarding:
 
   
a classified board of directors;
 
   
the dual-class structure that provides for New Grove Class B Common Stock being entitled to ten (10) votes per share;
 
   
the ability of the New Grove Board to issue shares of preferred stock, including “blank check” preferred stock and to determine the price and other terms of those shares, including preferences and voting rights, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer;
 
   
the limitation of the liability of, and the indemnification of, New Grove’s directors and officers;
 
   
the requirement that a special meeting of stockholders may only be called by a majority of the entire New Grove Board, the Chairman of the New Grove Board, or the Chief Executive Officer of New Grove, which could delay the ability of stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors;
 
   
controlling the procedures for the conduct and scheduling of board of directors and stockholder meetings;
 
   
the ability of the New Grove Board to amend the bylaws, which may allow the New Grove Board to take additional actions to prevent an unsolicited takeover and inhibit the ability of an acquirer to amend the bylaws to facilitate an unsolicited takeover attempt; and
 
   
advance notice procedures with which stockholders must comply to nominate candidates to the New Grove Board or to propose matters to be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which could preclude stockholders from bringing matters before annual or special meetings of stockholders and delay changes in the New Grove Board, and also may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of New Grove.
These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in the New Grove Board or management, that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests.
 
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New Grove’s Proposed Certificate of Incorporation will designate a state or federal court located within the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between New Grove and its stockholders, which could limit New Grove’s stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with New Grove or its directors, officers, stockholders, employees, or agents.
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, which will be in effect upon consummation of the Domestication, provides that, unless New Grove consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of New Grove, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee, or agent of New Grove to New Grove or New Grove’s stockholders, (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or Proposed Bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim against New Grove governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The foregoing provisions will not apply to any claims arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and, unless New Grove consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
These choice of forum provisions in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with New Grove or any of New Grove’s directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, New Grove may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm New Grove’s business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Risks Related to the Redemption
Public Shareholders who wish to redeem their public shares for a pro rata portion of the trust account must comply with specific requirements for redemption that may make it more difficult for them to exercise their redemption rights prior to the deadline. If VGAC II shareholders fail to comply with the redemption requirements specified in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, they will not be entitled to redeem their public shares for a pro rata portion of the funds held in the trust account.
A public shareholder will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if such public shareholder: (i)(a) holds public shares, or (b) holds public shares through units and elects to separate its units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising its redemption rights with respect to the public shares; (ii) submits a written request to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, in which it (a) requests that New Grove redeem all or a portion of its public shares for cash, and (b) identifies itself as a beneficial holder of the public shares and provides its legal name, phone number, and address; and (iii) delivers its share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental physically or electronically through DTC. Holders must complete the procedures for electing to redeem their public shares in the manner described above prior to 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on [●], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order for their shares to be redeemed. In order to obtain a physical share certificate, a public shareholder’s broker and/or clearing broker, DTC and Continental, will need to act to facilitate this request. It is VGAC II’s understanding that public shareholders should generally allot at least two weeks to obtain physical certificates from the transfer agent. However, because VGAC II does not have any control over this process or over DTC, it may take significantly longer than two weeks to obtain a physical stock certificate. If it takes longer than anticipated to obtain a physical certificate, public shareholders who wish to redeem their public shares may be unable to obtain physical certificates by the deadline for exercising their redemption rights and thus will be unable to redeem their shares.
 
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If the Business Combination is consummated, and if a public shareholder properly exercises its right to redeem all or a portion of the public shares that it holds and timely delivers its share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental, New Grove will redeem such public shares for a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the pro rata portion of the trust account established at the consummation of the initial public offering, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination. Please see the section entitled “
Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II—Redemption Rights
” for additional information on how to exercise your redemption rights.
If a public shareholder fails to receive notice of VGAC II’s offer to redeem public shares in connection with the Business Combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
If, despite VGAC II’s compliance with the proxy rules, a public shareholder fails to receive VGAC II’s proxy materials, such public shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its public shares. In addition, the proxy materials that VGAC II is furnishing to holders of public shares in connection with the Business Combination describes the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly redeem the public shares. In the event that a public shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its public shares may not be redeemed. Please see the section entitled “
Extraordinary General Meeting of VGAC II— Redemption Rights
” for additional information on how to exercise your redemption rights.
VGAC II does not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for VGAC II to complete the Business Combination with which a substantial majority of VGAC II shareholders do not agree.
The Existing Governing Documents do not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that VGAC II will not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause VGAC II’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act).
As a result, VGAC II may be able to complete the Business Combination even though a substantial portion of public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to the Sponsor, its director or officers, or their respective affiliates. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, no agreements with respect to the private purchase of public shares by VGAC II or the persons described above have been entered into with any such investor or holder. VGAC II will file a Current Report on Form
8-K
to disclose any material arrangements entered into or significant purchases made by any of the aforementioned persons that would affect the vote on the proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting or the redemption threshold. Any such report will include descriptions of any arrangements entered into or significant purchases by any of the aforementioned persons.
If you or a “group” of shareholders of which you are a part are deemed to hold an aggregate of more than 15% of the public shares, you (or, if a member of such a group, all of the members of such group in the aggregate) will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of the public shares.
A public shareholder, together with any of his, her or its affiliates or any other person with whom it is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming in the aggregate his, her or its shares or, if part of such a group, the group’s shares, in excess of 15% of the public shares. In order to determine whether a shareholder is acting in concert or as a group with another shareholder, VGAC II will require each public shareholder seeking to exercise redemption rights to certify to VGAC II whether such shareholder is acting in concert or as a group with any other shareholder. Such certifications, together with other public information relating to stock ownership available to VGAC II at that time, such as Section 13D, Section 13G, and Section 16 filings under the Exchange Act, will be the sole basis on which VGAC II makes the above-
 
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referenced determination. Your inability to redeem any such excess shares will reduce your influence over VGAC II’s ability to consummate the Business Combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in VGAC II if you sell such excess shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to such excess shares if VGAC II consummates the Business Combination. As a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares aggregating to more than 15% of the public shares and, in order to dispose of such excess shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss. VGAC II cannot assure you that the value of such excess shares will appreciate over time following the Business Combination or that the market price of the public shares will exceed the
per-share
redemption price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shareholders may challenge VGAC II’s determination as to whether a shareholder is acting in concert or as a group with another shareholder in a court of competent jurisdiction.
However, VGAC II shareholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including such excess shares) for or against the Business Combination is not restricted by this limitation on redemption.
There is no guarantee that a public shareholder’s decision whether to redeem its shares for a pro rata portion of the trust account will put the public shareholder in a better future economic position.
VGAC II can give no assurance as to the price at which a public shareholder may be able to sell its public shares in the future following the completion of the Business Combination or any alternative business combination. Certain events following the consummation of any initial business combination, including the Business Combination, may cause an increase in VGAC II share price, and may result in a lower value realized now than a public shareholder might realize in the future had the public shareholder not redeemed its shares. Similarly, if a public shareholder does not redeem its shares, the public shareholder will bear the risk of ownership of the public shares after the consummation of any initial business combination, and there can be no assurance that a public shareholder can sell its shares in the future for a greater amount than the redemption price set forth in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. A public shareholder should consult the public shareholder’s own financial advisor for assistance on how this may affect his, her, or its individual situation.
Risks if the Adjournment Proposal is Not Approved
If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved, and an insufficient number of votes have been obtained to authorize the consummation of the Business Combination and the Domestication, the VGAC II Board will not have the ability to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates in order to solicit further votes, and, therefore, the Business Combination will not be approved, and the Business Combination may not be consummated.
The VGAC II Board is seeking approval to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates if, at the extraordinary general meeting, based upon the tabulated votes, there are insufficient votes to approve each of the Condition Precedent Proposals. If the Adjournment Proposal is not approved, the VGAC II Board will not have the ability to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates and, therefore, will not have more time to solicit votes to approve the Condition Precedent Proposals. In such event, the Business Combination would not be completed.
Risks if the Domestication and the Business Combination are not Consummated
If VGAC II is not able to complete the Business Combination with Grove nor able to complete another business combination by March 25, 2023, in each case, as such date may be extended pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, VGAC II would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and VGAC II would redeem VGAC II Class A ordinary shares and liquidate the trust account, in which case the public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share and VGAC II warrants will expire worthless.
If VGAC II is not able to complete the Business Combination with Grove nor able to complete another business combination by March 25, 2023, in each case, as such date may be extended pursuant to the Existing
 
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Governing Documents, VGAC II will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of VGAC II’s remaining shareholders and the VGAC II Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to VGAC II’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law. In such case, the public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share and VGAC II warrants will expire worthless.
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or public warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of a business combination (including the closing of the Business Combination), and then only in connection with those Class A ordinary shares that such public shareholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Existing Governing Documents (A) to modify the substance or timing of VGAC II’s obligation to provide holders of Class A ordinary shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with a business combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if VGAC II does not complete VGAC II’s initial business combination by March 25, 2023 or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of Class A ordinary shares; and (iii) the redemption of the public shares if VGAC II has not consummated an initial business combination by March 25, 2023, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. Public shareholders who redeem their public shares in connection with a shareholder vote described in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence will not be entitled to funds from the trust account upon the subsequent completion of an initial business combination or liquidation if VGAC II has not consummated an initial business combination by March 25, 2023, with respect to such public shares so redeemed. In no other circumstances will a VGAC II shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
If VGAC II does not consummate an initial business combination by March 25, 2023, the public shareholders may be forced to wait until after March 25, 2023 before redemption from the trust account.
If VGAC II is unable to consummate an initial business combination by March 25, 2023 (as such date may be extended pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents), VGAC II will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account, if any, (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses) pro rata to the public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of VGAC II’s affairs, as further described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be affected automatically by function of the Existing Governing Documents prior to any voluntary winding up. If VGAC II is required to
wind-up,
liquidate the trust account, and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to the public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation, and distribution must comply with Cayman Islands law. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond March 25, 2023 (as such date may be extended pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents) before the redemption proceeds of the trust account become available to them, and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from the trust account. VGAC II has no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of VGAC II’s redemption or liquidation unless, prior thereto, VGAC II
 
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consummates an initial business combination or amend certain provisions of the Existing Governing Documents, and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their public shares. Only upon VGAC II’s redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if VGAC II does not complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023 and do not amend the Existing Governing Documents. The Existing Governing Documents provide that, if VGAC II winds up for any other reason prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, VGAC II will follow the foregoing procedures with respect to the liquidation of the trust account as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, subject to applicable Cayman Islands law.
If the net proceeds of the initial public offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow VGAC II to operate through March 25, 2023, and VGAC II is unable to obtain additional capital, VGAC II may be unable to complete an initial business combination, in which case the public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and the warrants will expire worthless.
As of September 30, 2021, VGAC II had cash of $58,873 held outside the trust account, which is available for use by VGAC II to cover the costs associated with identifying a target business and negotiating a business combination and other general corporate uses. In addition, as of September 30, 2021, VGAC II had total current liabilities of $1,044,358. The funds available to VGAC II outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow VGAC II to operate until March 25, 2023, assuming that an initial business combination is not completed during that time. Of the funds available to VGAC II, VGAC II could use a portion of the funds available to it to pay fees to consultants to assist VGAC II with VGAC II’s search for a target business. VGAC II could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a
“no-shop”
provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although VGAC II does not have any current intention to do so. If VGAC II entered into a letter of intent where VGAC II paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of VGAC II’s breach or otherwise), VGAC II might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business.
If VGAC II is required to seek additional capital, VGAC II would need to borrow funds from the Sponsor, members of its management team, or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to VGAC II upon completion of an initial business combination. If VGAC II is unable to obtain additional financing, VGAC II may be unable to complete an initial business combination. If VGAC II is unable to complete an initial business combination because it does not have sufficient funds available to it, VGAC II will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, the public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on VGAC II’s redemption of the public shares and the public warrants will expire worthless.
 
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EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF VGAC II
General
VGAC II is furnishing this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus to VGAC II shareholders as part of the solicitation of proxies by the VGAC II Board for use at the extraordinary general meeting to be held on [●], 2022, and at any adjournment thereof. This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is first being furnished to VGAC II shareholders on or about [●], 2022 in connection with the vote on the proposals described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus provides VGAC II shareholders with information they need to know to be able to vote or instruct their vote to be cast at the extraordinary general meeting.
Date, Time and Place
The extraordinary general meeting will be held at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP located at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 and virtually via the Internet at [●], Eastern Time, on [●], 2022, unless the extraordinary general meeting is adjourned. Due to public health concerns regarding the
COVID-19
pandemic, and the importance of ensuring the health and safety of VGAC II directors, officers, employees and VGAC II shareholders, VGAC II encourages VGAC II shareholders to attend the extraordinary general meeting virtually via the Internet. The VGAC II extraordinary general meeting can be accessed virtually by visiting the VGAC II meeting website ([●]), where VGAC II shareholders will be able to listen to the meeting, submit questions and vote online.
Purpose of the VGAC II Extraordinary General Meeting
At the extraordinary general meeting, VGAC II is asking holders of ordinary shares to consider and vote upon:
 
   
a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, and the transactions contemplated thereby;
 
   
a proposal to approve by special resolution the Domestication;
 
   
a proposal to approve by special resolution the adoption and approval of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws;
 
   
the following five separate
non-binding,
advisory proposals to approve by ordinary resolution the following material differences between the Existing Governing Documents and the Proposed Governing Documents:
 
   
to authorize the change in the authorized share capital of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share, to (ii) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock;
 
   
to amend and restate the Existing Governing Documents and authorize all other immaterial changes in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Governing Documents as part of the Domestication, including (i) changing the post-Business Combination corporate name from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (which is expected to occur upon the effectiveness of the Domestication), (ii) making New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual, (iii) adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act and (iv) removing certain provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company that will no longer be applicable upon consummation of the Business Combination, all of which the VGAC II Board believes is necessary to adequately address the needs of New Grove after the Business Combination;
 
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to authorize the issuance of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will allow holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock; and
 
   
a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing pursuant to NYSE Listing Rule 312.03;
 
   
a proposal to approve and adopt by ordinary resolution the Incentive Equity Plan;
 
   
a proposal to approve and adopt by ordinary resolution the ESPP;
 
   
a proposal to elect Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●], [●] and [●], in each case, to serve as directors of New Grove until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation, or removal; and
 
   
a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution the adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to, among other things, permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for the approval of one or more proposals at the extraordinary general meeting.
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
The VGAC II Board believes that the Business Combination Proposal and the other proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting are in the best interest of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and unanimously recommends that its shareholders vote “FOR” the Business Combination Proposal, “FOR” the Domestication Proposal, “FOR” the Charter Amendment Proposal, “FOR” each of the separate Governing Documents Proposals, “FOR” the NYSE Proposal, “FOR” the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, “FOR” the ESPP Proposal, “FOR” the Director Election Proposal, and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal, in each case, if presented at the extraordinary general meeting.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal— Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
Record Date; Who is Entitled to Vote
VGAC II shareholders will be entitled to vote or direct votes to be cast at the extraordinary general meeting if they owned ordinary shares at the close of business on [●], 2022, which is the “record date” for the extraordinary general meeting. Shareholders will have one vote for each ordinary share beneficially owned at the close of business on the record date. If your shares are held in “street name” or are in a margin or similar account, you should contact your broker to ensure that votes related to the shares you beneficially own are properly counted. VGAC II warrants do not have voting rights. As of the close of business on the record date, there were 50,312,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, of which 40,250,000 were issued and outstanding public shares.
Quorum
A quorum of VGAC II shareholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. A quorum will be present at the extraordinary general meeting if one or more shareholders who together hold not less than a majority of the
 
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issued and outstanding ordinary shares as of the record date entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting are represented in person or by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting. As of the record date for the extraordinary general meeting, [●] ordinary shares would be required to achieve a quorum.
Abstentions and Broker
Non-Votes
Brokers who hold shares in “street name” for a beneficial owner of those shares typically have the authority to vote in their discretion on “routine” proposals when they have not received instructions from beneficial owners. However, brokers are not permitted to exercise their voting discretion with respect to the approval of matters that are
“non-routine”
without specific instructions from the beneficial owner. It is expected that all proposals to be voted on at the extraordinary general meeting are
“non-routine”
matters.
Proxies that are marked “abstain” and proxies relating to “street name” shares that are returned to VGAC II but marked by brokers as “not voted” (“
broker
non-votes
”) will be treated as shares present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum on all matters. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on a particular proposal.
Vote Required for Approval
The following votes are required for each proposal at the extraordinary general meeting:
 
  (i)
Business Combination Proposal
: The approval of the Business Combination Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (ii)
Domestication Proposal
: The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (iii)
Charter Amendment Proposal
: The approval of the Charter Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (iv)
Governing Documents Proposals
:
The approval of the Governing Documents Proposals requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Because the votes on the Governing Documents Proposals are advisory only, they will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
 
  (v)
NYSE Proposal
: The approval of the NYSE Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (vi)
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
: The approval of the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (vii)
ESPP Proposal
: The approval of the ESPP Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands Law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being
 
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  present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (viii)
Director Election Proposal
: Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, until the Closing, only holders of Class B ordinary shares can appoint or remove directors. Therefore, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote on the Director Election Proposal. The approval of the Director Election Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of Class B ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
  (ix)
Adjournment Proposal
: The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
Each of the Business Combination Proposal, the Domestication Proposal, the Charter Amendment Proposal, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, and the Director Election Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals. The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on any other proposal.
Voting Your Shares
Shares Held of Record
If you hold shares directly in your name as a stockholder of record, you may submit your proxy to vote such shares via the Internet, by telephone or by mail.
To submit your proxy via Internet or by telephone, follow the instructions provided on your enclosed proxy card. If you vote via the Internet or by telephone, you must do so by no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on [●], 2022.
As an alternative to submitting your proxy via the Internet or by telephone, you may submit your proxy by mail. To submit your proxy by mail, you will need to complete, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope. If you vote by mail, your proxy card must be received by no later than [●], 2022. If you have registered in advance to attend the extraordinary general meeting at the VGAC II meeting website, you may also vote at the extraordinary general meeting via the VGAC II meeting website. You can also attend the extraordinary general meeting and vote in person. You will receive a ballot when you arrive.
Shares Held in Street Name
If you hold your shares in “street name”, which means your shares are held of record by a broker, bank, or nominee, you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or nominee that you must follow in order to submit your voting instructions and have your shares voted at the extraordinary general meeting.
If you want to vote in person virtually at the extraordinary general meeting, you must register in advance at the VGAC II meeting website. You can also attend the extraordinary general meeting and vote in person. You will receive a ballot when you arrive. However, you may be instructed to obtain a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee and to submit a copy in advance of the extraordinary general meeting. Further instructions will be provided to you as part of your registration process.
Please carefully consider the information contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and, whether or not you plan to attend the extraordinary general meeting, submit your proxy via the Internet, by telephone or by mail so that your shares will be voted in accordance with your wishes even if you decide not to attend the extraordinary general meeting.
 
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Revoking Your Proxy
If you are an VGAC II shareholder and you give a proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is exercised by doing any one of the following:
 
   
you may send another proxy card with a later date;
 
   
you may notify VGAC II’s Chief Financial Officer in writing that you have revoked your proxy, such written notification must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on [●], 2022; or
 
   
you may attend the extraordinary general meeting, revoke your proxy, and vote in person, as indicated above.
Who Can Answer Your Questions About Voting Your Shares
If you are a shareholder and have any questions about how to vote or direct a vote in respect of your ordinary shares, you may call [●], VGAC II’s proxy solicitor, by calling [●], or banks and brokers can call collect at [●], or by emailing [●].
Redemption Rights
Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, a public shareholder may request of VGAC II that New Grove redeem all or a portion of its public shares for cash if the Business Combination is consummated. As a holder of public shares, you will be entitled to receive cash for any public shares to be redeemed only if you:
 
  (i)
(a) hold public shares or (b) hold public shares through units and elect to separate your units into the underlying public shares and warrants prior to exercising your redemption rights with respect to the public shares;
 
  (ii)
submit a written request to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, in which you (a) request that New Grove redeem all or a portion of your public shares for cash, and (b) identify yourself as the beneficial holder of the public shares and provide your legal name, phone number, and address; and
 
  (iii)
deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental physically or electronically through DTC.
Holders must complete the procedures for electing to redeem their public shares in the manner described above prior to 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on [
], 2022 (two business days before the extraordinary general meeting) in order for their shares to be redeemed.
Holders of units must elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants prior to exercising redemption rights with respect to the public shares. If holders hold their units in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, holders must notify their broker or bank that they elect to separate the units into the underlying public shares and public warrants, or if a holder holds units registered in its
own name, the holder must contact Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, directly and instruct them to do so. The redemption rights include the requirement that a holder must identify itself in writing as a beneficial holder and provide its legal name, phone number, and address to Continental in order to validly redeem its shares. Public shareholders may elect to redeem all or a portion of the public shares held by them regardless of if or how they vote in respect of the Business Combination Proposal.
If the Business Combination is not consummated, the public shares will be returned to the respective holder, broker or bank. If the Business Combination is consummated, and if a public shareholder properly exercises its right to redeem all or a portion of the public shares that it holds and timely delivers its share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental, New Grove will redeem such public shares for a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the pro rata portion of the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination. For illustrative purposes, as of [●], 2022, this would have amounted
 
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to approximately $[●] per issued and outstanding public share. If a public shareholder exercises its redemption rights in full, then it will be electing to exchange its public shares for cash and will no longer own public shares. The redemption takes place following the Domestication and accordingly, it is shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be redeemed immediately after consummation of the Business Combination.
If you hold the shares in “street name,” you will have to coordinate with your broker to have your shares certificated or delivered electronically along with the other redemption forms (as applicable). Shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that have not been tendered (either physically or electronically) in accordance with these procedures will not be redeemed for cash. There is a nominal cost associated with this tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through DTC’s DWAC system. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $100 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming shareholder. In the event the Business Combination is not consummated, this may result in an additional cost to shareholders for the return of their shares.
Any request for redemption, once made by a holder of public ordinary shares, may not be withdrawn once submitted to VGAC II unless the VGAC II Board determines (in its sole discretion) to permit the withdrawal of such redemption request (which they may do in whole or in part). If you deliver your share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) to Continental, VGAC II’s transfer agent, and later decide prior to the extraordinary general meeting not to elect redemption, you may request that Continental return the share certificates (if any) and the shares (physically or electronically) to you. You may make such request by contacting Continental at the phone number or address listed at the end of this section.
Any corrected or changed written exercise of redemption rights must be received by Continental prior to the vote taken on the Business Combination Proposal at the extraordinary general meeting. No request for redemption will be honored unless the holder’s share certificates (if any) and other redemption forms (as applicable) have been delivered (either physically or electronically) to Continental at least two business days prior to the vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such public shareholder or any other person with whom such public shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its public shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. Accordingly, if a public shareholder, alone or acting in concert or as a group, seeks to redeem more than 15% of the public shares, then any such shares in excess of that 15% limit would not be redeemed for cash and such excess public shares would be converted into the merger consideration in connection with the Business Combination.
The Sponsor has, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger), (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, and (iii) be bound by certain
earn-out
provisions with respect to its shares in VGAC II following the Closing of the Business Combination, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. Such shares will be excluded from the pro rata calculation used to determine the
per-share
redemption price. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
Holders of the warrants will not have redemption rights with respect to the warrants.
The closing price of public shares on [●], 2022, the most recent closing price, was $[●]. For illustrative purposes, as of September 30, 2021, funds in the trust account plus accrued interest thereon totaled approximately $402,520,541 or $10.00 per issued and outstanding public share.
 
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Prior to exercising redemption rights, public shareholders should verify the market price of the public shares as they may receive higher proceeds from the sale of their public shares in the public market than from exercising their redemption rights if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price. VGAC II cannot assure its shareholders that they will be able to sell their public shares in the open market, even if the market price per share is higher than the redemption price stated above, as there may not be sufficient liquidity in its securities when its shareholders wish to sell their shares.
Appraisal Rights
Neither VGAC II shareholders nor VGAC II warrantholders have appraisal rights in connection with the Business Combination or the Domestication under the Cayman Islands Companies Act or under the DGCL.
Proxy Solicitation Costs
VGAC II is soliciting proxies on behalf of the VGAC II Board. This solicitation is being made by mail but also may be made by telephone or in person. VGAC II and its directors, officers, and employees may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone, or by other electronic means. VGAC II will bear the cost of the solicitation.
VGAC II has hired [●] to assist in the proxy solicitation process. VGAC II will pay that firm a fee of $[●] plus disbursements. Such fee will be paid with
non-trust
account funds.
VGAC II will ask banks, brokers and other institutions, nominees, and fiduciaries to forward the proxy materials to their principals and to obtain their authority to execute proxies and voting instructions. VGAC II will reimburse them for their reasonable expenses.
VGAC II Sponsor Agreements
As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are 50,312,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, which includes an aggregate of 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor. In addition, as of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are 14,750,000 warrants outstanding, comprised of 6,700,000 private placement warrants held by Sponsor and the 8,050,000 public warrants.
At any time at or prior to the Business Combination, during a period when they are not then aware of any material nonpublic information regarding VGAC II or its securities, the Sponsor, Grove, and/or their directors, officers, advisors, or respective affiliates may purchase public shares from institutional and other investors who vote, or indicate an intention to vote, against any of the Condition Precedent Proposals, or execute agreements to purchase such shares from such investors in the future, or they may enter into transactions with such investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares or vote their public shares in favor of the Condition Precedent Proposals. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record or beneficial holder of VGAC II shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that the Sponsor, Grove, and/or their directors, officers, advisors, or respective affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholder would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The purpose of such share purchases and other transactions would be to increase the likelihood of satisfaction of the requirements that (i) the Business Combination Proposal, the Governing Documents Proposals, the NYSE Proposal, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal, the ESPP Proposal, the Director Election Proposal, and the Adjournment Proposal are approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares, who being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting, (ii) the Domestication Proposal and the Charter Amendment Proposal are approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
(2/3) of the issued ordinary shares who, being present in person or
 
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represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting, (iii) Minimum Available Cash Condition is satisfied and/or otherwise limit the number of public shares electing to redeem, and (iv) New Grove’s net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule
3a51-1(g)(1)
of the Exchange Act) being at least $5,000,001 after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the PIPE Financing.
If such transactions are effected, the consequence could be to cause the Business Combination to be consummated in circumstances where such consummation could not otherwise occur. Purchases of shares by the persons described above would allow them to exert more influence over the approval of the proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting and would likely increase the chances that such proposals would be approved. VGAC II will file a Current Report on Form
8-K
to disclose any material arrangements entered into or significant purchases made by any of the aforementioned persons that would affect the vote on the proposals to be presented at the extraordinary general meeting or the redemption threshold. Any such report will include descriptions of any arrangements entered into or significant purchases by any of the aforementioned persons.
 
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BUSINESS COMBINATION PROPOSAL
Overview
VGAC II is asking its shareholders to adopt and approve the Merger Agreement, certain related agreements, and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Business Combination). VGAC II shareholders should read carefully this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus in its entirety for more detailed information concerning the Merger Agreement, which is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, and the transactions contemplated thereby. Please see “
—The Merger Agreement
” below for additional information and a summary of certain terms of the Merger Agreement. You are urged to read carefully the Merger Agreement in its entirety before voting on this proposal. The descriptions of the Merger Agreement and the related agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement and the related agreements that are filed with this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Because VGAC II is holding a shareholder vote on the Business Combination, VGAC II may consummate the Business Combination only if it is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting.
The Merger Agreement
On December 7, 2021, VGAC II entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among VGAC II, VGAC II Merger Sub and Grove pursuant to which, among other things, at least one day following the
de-registration
of VGAC II as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and the continuation and domestication of VGAC II as a public benefit corporation in the State of Delaware with the name “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.”, VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove, with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove shall be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove.
The parties will hold the closing of the Merger (the “
Closing
”) on the third business day after the satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of those conditions at such time), or on such other date, time or place as VGAC II and Grove may mutually agree.
Domestication
In connection with the Domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing Date, (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (ii) each issued and outstanding warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II will convert automatically into a warrant to acquire New Grove Class A Common Stock in the same form and on the same terms and conditions as the converted VGAC II warrant, and (iii) each issued and outstanding unit of VGAC II that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary share of VGAC II and underlying VGAC II warrant upon the request of the holder thereof prior to the Domestication will be canceled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock and
one-fifth
of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the VGAC II Warrant Agreement.
Conversion of Securities
At the Effective Time, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove common stock and preferred stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be
 
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canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 B Common Stock
”), as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement (the “
Exchange Ratio
”) and (ii) a number of restricted shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that will vest upon the achievement of certain earnout thresholds prior to the tenth anniversary of the Closing, as more fully described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus (such shares, the “
Grove Earnout Shares
”); (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove common stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of restricted stock units to acquire Grove common stock (collectively, “
Grove RSUs
”) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove common stock or Grove preferred stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove common stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options to purchase Grove common stock granted since January 1, 2021 under Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan that have not yet vested as of immediately prior to the Closing (the “
Company Unvested 2021 Options
”).
Grove Earnout Shares
Pursuant to the rights set forth above, 14,000,000 Grove Earnout Shares will be issued to the holders of (i) Grove Common Stock, (ii) Grove Preferred Stock, (iii) restricted stock units to acquire Grove Common Stock, (iv) options to purchase Grove Common Stock and (v) warrants to purchase Grove Common Stock, in each case, which will vest upon the achievement of the applicable share price thresholds set forth below (each, a “
Grove Earnout Milestone
”):
 
  (a)
If the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and on or prior to the ten year anniversary of the Closing Day (the “Grove Earnout Period”) (the first occurrence of the foregoing being referred to as the “
$12.50 Share Price Milestone
”), 7,000,000 of the Grove Earnout Shares (the “
$12.50 Grove Earnout Shares
”) will automatically vest; and
 
  (b)
If the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 per share for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and on or prior to expiration of the Grove Earnout Period (the first occurrence of the foregoing being referred to as the “
$15.00 Share Price Milestone
”), 7,000,000 of the Grove Earnout Shares (the “
$15.00 Grove Earnout Shares
”) will automatically vest.
In the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (as defined below) (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Grove Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to Grove after the Closing Date and on or prior to the expiration of the Grove Earnout Period, the $12.50 Grove Earnout Shares and/or the $15.00 Grove Earnout Shares that have not vested prior to such occurrence will automatically vest.
 
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For purposes of the Grove Earnout Share provisions, a “
Change of Control
” means the occurrence in a single transaction or as a result of a series of related transactions, of one or more of the following events:
 
  (a)
any person or any “group” of persons acting together which would constitute a “group” for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act or any successor provisions thereto (excluding a corporation or other entity owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of New Grove in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of New Grove) (x) is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of New Grove representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of New Grove’s then outstanding voting securities or (y) has or acquires control of the New Grove Board;
 
  (b)
a merger, consolidation, reorganization or similar business combination transaction involving New Grove, and, immediately after the consummation of such transaction or series of transactions, either (x) the New Grove Board immediately prior to the merger or consolidation does not constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the company surviving the merger or, if the surviving company is a subsidiary, the ultimate parent thereof, or (y) the voting securities of New Grove immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not continue to represent or are not converted into more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the person resulting from such transaction or series of transactions or, if the surviving company is a subsidiary, the ultimate parent thereof; or
 
  (c)
the sale, lease or other disposition, directly or indirectly, by New Grove of all or substantially all of the assets of New Grove and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than such sale or other disposition by VGAC II of all or substantially all of the assets of New Grove and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to an entity at least a majority of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by the stockholders of New Grove.
Representations, Warranties and Covenants
Representations and Warranties
The Merger Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants of (a) Grove and (b) VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub, in each case, relating to, among other things, their ability to enter into the Merger Agreement and their respective outstanding capitalization. These representations and warranties are subject to materiality, knowledge and other similar qualifications in many respects and expire at the Effective Time. These representations and warranties have been made solely for the benefit of the other parties to the Merger Agreement.
The Merger Agreement contains representations and warranties made by Grove to VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub relating to a number of matters, including the following:
 
   
organization and qualification to do business, subsidiaries;
 
   
organizational documents;
 
   
capitalization;
 
   
authority to enter into the Merger Agreement;
 
   
no conflicts and required filings and consents;
 
   
permits and compliance;
 
   
financial statements;
 
   
absence of certain changes or events;
 
   
absence of litigation;
 
   
employee benefit plans;
 
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labor and employment matters;
 
   
real property and title to assets;
 
   
intellectual property and data security;
 
   
regulatory compliance;
 
   
taxes;
 
   
environmental matters;
 
   
material contracts;
 
   
insurance;
 
   
approval of the Grove board and Grove stockholder vote required;
 
   
certain business practices;
 
   
interested party transactions;
 
   
customers and vendors;
 
   
exchange act;
 
   
brokers;
 
   
the information set forth in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; and
 
   
exclusivity of the representations and warranties made by Grove.
The Merger Agreement contains representations and warranties made by VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub relating to a number of matters, including the following:
 
   
corporate organization;
 
   
organizational documents;
 
   
capitalization;
 
   
authority to enter into the Merger Agreement;
 
   
no conflicts and required filings and consents;
 
   
compliance;
 
   
SEC filings, financial statements and Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
 
   
absence of certain changes or events;
 
   
absence of litigation;
 
   
approval of the VGAC II Board and VGAC II shareholder vote required;
 
   
brokers;
 
   
the Fairness Opinion;
 
   
the trust account;
 
   
employees;
 
   
taxes;
 
   
registration and listing of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares, VGAC II warrants and VGAC II units;
 
   
material contracts;
 
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properties;
 
   
affiliate transactions;
 
   
the PIPE Financing;
 
   
certain business practices and anti-corruption;
 
   
the information set forth in the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus;
 
   
investigation and reliance; and
 
   
exclusivity of the representations and warranties made by VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub.
Conduct of Business Pending the Merger
Grove has agreed that, prior to the Effective Time or the earlier termination of the Merger Agreement, it will use commercially reasonable efforts to conduct its business, and cause its subsidiaries to use their commercially reasonable efforts to conduct their respective businesses, in the ordinary course of business. Grove has also agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to preserve substantially intact the current business organizations of Grove and its subsidiaries, to keep available the services of the current officers and key employees and to preserve the current relationships of Grove and its subsidiaries with customers, suppliers and other persons with which Grove or any of its subsidiaries has significant business relations.
In addition to the general covenants above, Grove has agreed that prior to the Effective Time or the earlier termination of the Merger Agreement, subject to specified exceptions, it will not, and will cause its subsidiaries not to, without the written consent of VGAC II:
 
   
amend or otherwise change its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or equivalent organizational documents;
 
   
issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant or encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, grant or encumbrance of, (any shares of any class of capital stock of Grove or any of its subsidiaries, or any options, warrants, restricted stock units, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, or any other ownership interest (including any phantom interest), of Grove or any of its subsidiaries, other than (A) issuances of Grove warrants in connection with drawdowns in the ordinary course of business pursuant to its existing credit agreement, (B) issuances of Grove securities or other equity securities in connection with acquisitions by Grove or any of its subsidiaries of any corporation, partnership, other business organization or any division or assets thereof in the ordinary course of business, (C) issuances or grants made under the Grove’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, (D) the exercise or settlement of any Grove options or Grove warrants or (E) the conversion of any shares of capital stock in accordance with their terms;
 
   
sell, lease, license, sublicense, exchange, mortgage, pledge, create any liens (other than permitted liens or liens created in connection with indebtedness incurred in compliance with the seventh bullet) on, transfer or otherwise dispose of any material tangible assets of Grove or its subsidiaries outside of the ordinary course of business;
 
   
declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital stock, except dividends and distributions by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grove to another wholly-owned subsidiary;
 
   
reclassify, combine, split, subdivide or redeem, or purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of its capital stock, other than (a) redemptions of equity securities from former employees upon the terms set forth in the underlying agreements governing such equity securities, (b) the withholding of equity securities to satisfy the exercise price or the applicable tax withholding requirements upon the exercise or vesting of any equity-based compensation award or (c) transactions between Grove and any wholly-owned subsidiary of Grove or between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Grove;
 
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(a) acquire any equity interest or other interest in any other entity or enter into a joint venture or business association with any other entity or (b) acquire (including by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or substantially all of the assets or any other business combination) any corporation, partnership, other business organization or any division thereof, in each case, if such acquisition exceeds $10,000,000;
 
   
(a) other than drawdowns under its existing credit agreement in the ordinary course of business, incur or assume any indebtedness for borrowed money or indebtedness evidenced by any note, bond, debenture, mortgage or other debt instrument or debt security or similar instrument in excess of $18,000,000 in the aggregate, (B) cancel or forgive any material debts or other material amounts owed to Grove or any of its subsidiaries other than in the ordinary course of business or (C) make any loans, advances to, or guarantees for the benefit of, any person other than any wholly-owned subsidiary of Grove, except for loans and advances to customers, suppliers or vendors in the ordinary course of business;
 
   
merge or consolidate itself with any person or authorize, recommend, propose or announce an intention to adopt, or otherwise effect, a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization, reorganization or similar transaction involving Grove or any of its subsidiaries (other than the Merger);
 
   
hire, terminate (other than for cause) or change the material compensation terms of any officer of Grove or any of its subsidiaries who will become subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement;
 
   
change any of its or its subsidiaries’ accounting methods, policies or procedures, other than reasonable and usual amendments in the ordinary course of business as required by GAAP or applicable law or to obtain compliance with the auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and any division or subdivision thereof;
 
   
(a) make or change any material tax election, (b) adopt or change any material tax accounting method, (c) settle or compromise any material tax liability, (d) enter into any closing agreement within the meaning of Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign tax law), (e) file any amended material tax return, (f) consent to any extension or waiver of the statute of limitations regarding any material amount of taxes, or (g) settle or consent to any claim or assessment relating to any material amount of taxes;
 
   
(a) commence, waive, release, assign, settle, satisfy or compromise any litigation, suit, claim, action, proceeding, audit or investigation by or before any governmental authority, other than waivers, releases, assignments, settlements or compromises that are solely monetary in nature and do not involve an admission of wrongdoing, do not result in any material restriction on Grove or its subsidiaries and do not exceed $10,000,000 individually or in the aggregate or (B) other than in the ordinary course of business, waive, release or assign any claims or rights of Grove or its subsidiaries;
 
   
other than in the ordinary course of business (including, in the case of clause (b) below, upon any expiration of the term of any material contract or as needed to continue conducting its business in the ordinary course of business), (a) modify, voluntarily terminate, permit to lapse, waive, or fail to enforce any material right or remedy under any material contract, (b) materially amend, extend or renew any material contract or (c) enter into any material contract;
 
   
except for
non-exclusive
licenses granted in the ordinary course of business, assign, transfer or dispose of, license, abandon, sell, lease, sublicense, modify, terminate, permit to lapse, create or incur any lien (other than a permitted lien or liens incurred in connection with indebtedness permitted to be incurred under the Merger Agreement) on, or otherwise fail to take any action necessary to maintain, enforce or protect any material intellectual property owned or licensed by Grove or any of its subsidiaries;
 
   
permit any specified insurance policies to be canceled or terminated in a manner that would be adverse or detrimental to Grove or its business, other than if, in connection with such cancellation or
 
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termination, a replacement policy having comparable deductions and providing coverage substantially similar to the coverage under the lapsed policy for substantially similar premiums or less is in full force and effect;
 
   
make any commitments for capital expenditures that would reasonably be expected to require payments during fiscal years 2021 or 2022 in excess of $10,000,000 in the aggregate;
 
   
fail to maintain or timely obtain any franchise, grant, authorization, license, permit, easement, variance, exception, consent, certificate, approval or order that is material to the ongoing operations of Grove and its subsidiaries; or
 
   
enter into any binding formal or informal agreement or otherwise make a binding commitment to do any of the foregoing.
VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub have agreed that prior to the Effective Time or the earlier termination of the Merger Agreement, subject to specified exceptions, they will not, without the written consent of Grove (which may not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed):
 
   
amend or otherwise change (a) the organizational documents of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub or (b) the Trust Agreement or any other agreement related to the Trust Agreement;
 
   
declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital stock, other than redemptions from the trust fund that are required pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents;
 
   
reclassify, combine, split, subdivide or redeem, or purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares or VGAC II warrants other than (A) any redemption from the trust fund] that is required pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents or (B) as otherwise required by the Existing Governing Documents in order to consummate the Business Combination;
 
   
issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant or encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, grant or encumbrance of, any shares of any class of capital stock or other securities of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub, or any options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, or any other ownership interest (including any phantom interest), of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub other than in connection with the exercise of any VGAC II warrants outstanding on the date hereof;
 
   
(a) acquire any equity interest or other interest in any other entity or enter into a joint venture, partnership, alliance or business association with any other entity or (b) acquire (including by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets or any other business combination) any corporation, partnership, other business organization;
 
   
other than working capital loans from the Sponsor to fund operating expenses, incur or assume any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such indebtedness of another person or persons, issue or sell any debt securities or options, warrants, calls or other rights to acquire any debt securities of VGAC II, as applicable, enter into any “keep well” or other agreement to maintain any financial statement condition or enter into any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing;
 
   
make any change in any method of financial accounting or financial accounting principles, policies, procedures or practices, except as required by a concurrent amendment in GAAP or applicable law;
 
   
(a) make or change any material tax election, (b) adopt or change any material tax accounting method, (c) settle or compromise any material tax liability, (d) enter into any closing agreement within the meaning of Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign Tax Law), (e) file any amended material tax return, (f) consent to any extension or waiver of the statute of limitations regarding any material amount of taxes, or (g) settle or consent to any claim or assessment relating to any material amount of Taxes;
 
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merge or consolidate itself with any person or authorize, recommend, propose or announce an intention to adopt, or otherwise effect, a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization, reorganization or similar transaction involving VGAC II or any of its subsidiaries (other than the Merger);
 
   
(a) enter into any material contract or, other than in the ordinary course of business, (1) modify, voluntarily terminate, permit to lapse, waive, or fail to enforce any material right or remedy under any material contract or (2) materially amend, extend or renew any material contract, or (b) amend, modify, terminate, supplement or waive any of the conditions or contingencies to funding set forth in the Subscription Agreements or any other provision of, or remedies under, the Subscription Agreements, other than to reflect any permitted assignments or transfers of the Subscription Agreements by the applicable PIPE Investors pursuant to the Subscription Agreements;
 
   
hire any employees or adopt any benefit plans;
 
   
make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other person;
 
   
(a) waive, release, assign, settle or compromise any litigation, suit, claim, action, proceeding, audit or investigation by or before any governmental authority, other than waivers, releases, assignments, settlements or compromises that are solely monetary in nature and do not involve an admission of wrongdoing, do not result in any material restriction on VGAC II or New Grove, as applicable, or the Surviving Corporation and do not exceed $50,000 individually or in the aggregate or (B) waive, release or assign any claims or rights of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub;
 
   
sell, lease, license, sublicense, exchange, mortgage, pledge, create any liens (other than permitted liens) on, transfer or otherwise dispose of any material tangible or intangible assets of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub;
 
   
change any of VGAC II’s or VGAC II Merger Sub’s accounting policies or procedures, other than as required by GAAP or applicable law;
 
   
pay or make any commitments for capital expenditures; or
 
   
enter into any binding formal or informal agreement or otherwise make a binding commitment to do any of the foregoing.
Additional Agreements
Proxy Statement; Registration Statement
As promptly as practicable after the date of the Merger Agreement, VGAC II (with the assistance and cooperation of Grove as reasonably requested by VGAC II) agreed to prepare and file with the SEC this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus to be sent to the shareholders of VGAC II and to the stockholders of Grove as (x) an information statement relating, with respect to Grove’s stockholders, to the action to be taken by stockholders of Grove pursuant to a written consent or by vote at a meeting of Grove’s stockholders, and (y) as a proxy statement, with respect to VGAC II’s shareholders, in which VGAC II will solicit proxies from VGAC II’s shareholders to vote at the extraordinary general meeting for the purpose of voting on the proposals presented to VGAC II shareholders in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
VGAC II Shareholders Meeting; VGAC II Merger Sub Stockholder Approval; Grove Stockholders’ Requisite Approval
VGAC II has agreed to call and hold the extraordinary general meeting as promptly as practicable after the date on which this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus becomes effective (but in any event no later than 30 days after the date on which this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus
 
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becomes effective). VGAC II has agreed, through the VGAC II Board, to unanimously recommend to its shareholders that they approve the proposals contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and to include the recommendation of the VGAC II Board in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Grove has agreed to solicit the irrevocable written consent, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to VGAC II, of holders of the Requisite Approval (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in favor of the approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement, the Merger and all other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “
Written Consent
”) as soon as promptly as practicable after this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus becomes effective. In the event Grove determines it is not able to obtain the Written Consent, Grove has agreed to call and hold a meeting of holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock for the purpose of voting solely upon the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval of the Merger and the Business Combination (the “
Grove Stockholders Meeting
”) as soon as reasonably practicable after this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus becomes effective. The Requisite Approval of the stockholders of Grove, whether obtained by the Written Consent or at the Grove Stockholders Meeting, is hereinafter referred to as the “
Grove Stockholder Approval
.”
Exclusivity
From the date of the Merger Agreement and ending on the earlier of (a) the Closing and (b) the termination of the Merger Agreement, the parties will not, and will cause their respective subsidiaries and its and their respective representatives not to, directly or indirectly, (i) enter into, solicit, initiate or continue any discussions or negotiations with, or knowingly encourage or respond to any inquiries or proposals by, or participate in any negotiations with, or provide any information to, or otherwise cooperate in any way with, any person or other entity or “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “
Exchange Act
”), concerning any sale of any material assets of such party or any of the outstanding capital stock or any conversion, consolidation, liquidation, recapitalization, dissolution or similar transaction involving such party or any of such party’s subsidiaries other than with the other parties to the Merger Agreement and their respective representatives (an “
Alternative Transaction
”), (ii) enter into any agreement regarding, continue or otherwise participate in any discussions regarding, or furnish to any person any information with respect to, or cooperate in any way that would otherwise reasonably be expected to lead to, any Alternative Transaction or (iii) commence, continue or renew any due diligence investigation regarding any Alternative Transaction.
Each party has agreed to, and agreed to cause their respective subsidiaries and its and their respective affiliates and representatives to, immediately cease any and all existing discussions or negotiations with any person conducted prior to the date of the Merger Agreement with respect to any Alternative Transaction. Each party will (a) promptly request each person (other than the parties to the Merger Agreement and their respective representatives) that has prior to the date thereof been provided with confidential information in connection with its consideration of an Alternative Transaction to return or destroy all such confidential information furnished to such person by or on behalf of it. If a party or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their respective representatives receives any inquiry or proposal with respect to an Alternative Transaction at any time prior to the Closing, then it will promptly (and in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours after such party becomes aware of such inquiry or proposal) notify such person in writing that it is subject to an exclusivity agreement with respect to the Business Combination that prohibits it from considering such inquiry or proposal.
Stock Exchange Listing
VGAC II will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Business Combination to be approved for listing on the NYSE at the Closing. Until the Closing, VGAC II will use its reasonable best efforts to keep the VGAC II units, the VGAC II Class A ordinary shares and the VGAC II warrants listed for trading on the NYSE.
 
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Other Covenants and Agreements
The Merger Agreement contains other covenants and agreements, including covenants related to:
 
   
Grove and VGAC II providing access to books and records and furnishing relevant information to the other party, subject to certain limitations and confidentiality provisions;
 
   
certain employee benefit matters;
 
   
director and officer indemnification;
 
   
prompt notification of certain matters;
 
   
Grove and VGAC II using reasonable best efforts to consummate the Business Combination;
 
   
public announcements relating to the Business Combination;
 
   
agreement relating to the intended tax treatment of the Business Combination;
 
   
cooperation regarding any filings required under the HSR Act; and
 
   
VGAC II making disbursements from the trust account.
Conditions to Closing; Termination
Conditions to Closing
Mutual
The obligations of Grove, VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub to consummate the Business Combination, including the Merger, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible) in writing by all of the parties at or prior to the Closing of the following conditions:
 
  (a)
the Grove Stockholder Approval will have been obtained and such approval shall remain in full force and effect;
 
  (b)
the Condition Precedent Proposals will have been approved and adopted by the requisite affirmative vote of the shareholders of VGAC II in accordance with this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and such approval shall remain in full force and effect;
 
  (c)
VGAC II shall have approved and adopted the Merger Agreement and approved the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement in its capacity as the sole stockholder of VGAC II Merger Sub and such approval shall remain in full force and effect;
 
  (d)
no governmental authority will have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any law, rule, regulation or other judgment which is then in effect and has the effect of making the Business Combination illegal or otherwise prohibits the Business Combination;
 
  (e)
all required filings under the HSR Act, will have been completed and any applicable waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the consummation of the Business Combination under the HSR Act will have expired or been terminated;
 
  (f)
the registration statement, of which this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus forms a part, will have been declared effective under the Securities Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement will be in effect; and no proceedings for purposes of suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement will have been initiated or be threatened by the SEC;
 
  (g)
the Domestication will have been consummated;
 
  (h)
VGAC II will have at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets following the consummation of the PIPE Financing and the closing of the redemption rights in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents; and
 
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  (i)
Grove will have delivered to VGAC II the financial statements required to be included in the Current Report on Form
8-K
to be filed in connection with the Closing.
VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub
The obligations of VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub to consummate the Business Combination are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible) in writing by VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub at or prior to the Closing of the following additional conditions:
 
  (a)
(x) the representations and warranties of Grove contained in (i) the sections of the Merger Agreement titled (A) Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries, (B) Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, (C) Capitalization, (D) Authority Relative to the Merger Agreement and (E) Brokers (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Company Material Adverse Effect” (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or any similar limitation set forth therein) will each be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing as though made on the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such earlier date; and (ii) clause (c) of the section of the Merger Agreement titled Absence of Certain Changes or Events will be true and correct in all respects as of the Closing as though made on the Closing Date; and (y) all other representations and warranties of Grove contained in the Merger Agreement will be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Company Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) in all respects as of the Closing, as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except, in the case of this clause (y), (1) to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such earlier date and (2) where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct (whether as of the Closing Date or such earlier date), taken as a whole, does not result in a Company Material Adverse Effect;
 
  (b)
Grove will have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by the Merger Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Effective Time;
 
  (c)
Grove will have delivered to VGAC II a customary officer’s certificate, dated the Closing Date, certifying as to the satisfaction of certain conditions;
 
  (d)
no Company Material Adverse Effect will have occurred and be continuing since the date of the Merger Agreement;
 
  (e)
other than those persons identified as continuing directors and officers in the Merger Agreement, all members of the board of directors and all officers of Grove, as required pursuant to the Merger Agreement, will have executed written resignations effective as of the Effective Time;
 
  (f)
all parties to the Registration Rights Agreement (other than VGAC II) will have delivered, or cause to be delivered, to VGAC II copies of the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by all such parties; and
 
  (g)
Grove will have delivered to VGAC II a certification satisfying the requirements of Treasury Regulations Sections
1.897-2(h)
and
1.1445-2(c)(3),
that Grove is not, nor has it been within the period described in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code, a “United States real property holding corporation” as defined in Section 897(c)(2) of the Code and an accompanying notice to the Internal Revenue Service satisfying the requirements of Treasury Regulations
Section 1.897-2(h)(2);
provided
, that if Grove fails to deliver such certificate, the Business Combination shall nonetheless be able to be consummated and New Grove shall be entitled to withhold from any consideration paid pursuant to the Merger Agreement the amount required to be withheld under Section 1445 of the Code.
 
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Grove
The obligations of Grove to consummate the Business Combination are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible) in writing by Grove at or prior to the Closing of the following additional conditions:
 
  (a)
(x) the representations and warranties of VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub contained in the sections of the Merger Agreement titled (A) Corporate Organization, (B) Governing Documents, (C) Capitalization, (D) Authority Relative to the Merger Agreement and (E) Brokers (without giving effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Parent Material Adverse Effect” (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or any similar limitation set forth therein) will each be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing as though made on the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date; and (y) all other representations and warranties of VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub contained in the Merger Agreement will be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Parent Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) in all respects as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except, in the case of this clause (y) (1) to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such earlier date and (2) where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct (whether as of the Closing Date or such earlier date), taken as a whole, does not result in a Parent Material Adverse Effect;
 
  (b)
VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub will have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by the Merger Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Effective Time;
 
  (c)
VGAC II will have delivered to Grove a customary officer’s certificate, dated the Closing Date, certifying as to the satisfaction of certain conditions;
 
  (d)
no Parent Material Adverse Effect will have occurred and be continuing since the date of the Merger Agreement;
 
  (e)
the Minimum Available Cash Condition will have been satisfied;
 
  (f)
the Class A ordinary shares will be listed on the NYSE as of the Closing Date and a supplemental listing will have been filed with the NYSE as of the Closing Date to list the shares constituting the merger consideration contemplated to be listed pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and VGAC II will not have received any notice of
non-compliance
with any applicable initial and continuing listing requirements of the NYSE;
 
  (g)
VGAC II will have delivered a copy of the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by VGAC II; and
 
  (h)
other than those persons identified as continuing directors or officers in the Merger Agreement, all members of the VGAC II Board and all officers of VGAC II, as required pursuant to the Merger Agreement, will have executed written resignations effective as of the Effective Time.
Termination
The Merger Agreement may be terminated and the Business Combination may be abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time, notwithstanding any requisite approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement and the Business Combination by the stockholders of Grove or the shareholders of VGAC II, respectively, as follows:
 
  (a)
by mutual written consent of VGAC II and Grove;
 
  (b)
by VGAC II or Grove, if the Effective Time has not occurred prior to July 31, 2022 (the “Outside Date”);
provided
,
however
, that the Merger Agreement may not be terminated by any party that is in
 
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  breach or violation of any representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or obligation contained in the Merger Agreement and such breach or violation is the principal cause of the failure of any of the conditions precedent to the Merger on or prior to the Outside Date;
 
  (c)
by VGAC II or Grove, if any governmental authority has enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any injunction, order, decree or ruling (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) which has become final and nonappealable and has the effect of making consummation of the Business Combination, including the Merger, illegal or otherwise preventing or prohibiting consummation of the Business Combination;
 
  (d)
by VGAC II or Grove, if any of the Conditions Precedent Proposals fail to receive the requisite vote for approval at the extraordinary general meeting (subject to any permitted or required adjournment or postponement of the extraordinary general meeting);
 
  (f)
by VGAC II if there is an occurrence of a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of Grove set forth in the Merger Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of Grove will have become untrue, in either case such that the conditions described in subsections (a) and (b) under the heading “Conditions to Closing; VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub” would not be satisfied (a “
Terminating Grove Breach
”);
provided
that VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub are not then in breach of their representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in the Merger Agreement which breach would constitute a Terminating VGAC II Breach;
provided
,
further
, that, if such Terminating Grove Breach is curable by Grove, VGAC II may not terminate the Merger Agreement under this provision for so long as Grove continues to exercise its reasonable efforts to cure such breach, unless such breach is not cured within 30 days after notice of such breach is provided by VGAC II to Grove; or
 
  (e)
by Grove if there is an occurrence of a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub set forth in the Merger Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of VGAC II or VGAC II Merger Sub will have become untrue, in either case such that the conditions described in subsections (a) and (b) under the heading “
Conditions to Closing; Grove
” would not be satisfied (a “
Terminating VGAC II Breach
”);
provided
that Grove is not then in breach of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in the Merger Agreement which breach constitutes a Terminating Grove Breach;
provided
,
further
, that, if such Terminating VGAC II Breach is curable by VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub, Grove may not terminate the Merger Agreement under this section for so long as VGAC II and VGAC II Merger Sub continue to exercise their reasonable efforts to cure such breach, unless such breach is not cured within 30 days after notice of such breach is provided by Grove to VGAC II.
Effect of Termination
If the Merger Agreement is terminated, the Merger Agreement will become void, and there will be no termination fee payable or any other liability under the Merger Agreement on the part of any party thereto, except as set forth in the Merger Agreement or in the case of termination subsequent to an intentional and willful breach of the Merger Agreement by a party thereto.
Related Agreements
This section describes certain additional agreements entered into or to be entered into pursuant to the Merger Agreement, but does not purport to describe all of the terms thereof. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of each of the agreements. The Sponsor Agreement, the form of Subscription Agreement, the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, and the form of Grove Stockholder Support Agreement are attached hereto as Annex E, Annex F, Annex G and Annex H, respectively. You are urged to read such agreements in their entirety prior to voting on the proposals presented at the extraordinary general meeting.
 
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PIPE Financing
Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, VGAC II entered into the Subscription Agreements with each of the PIPE Investors, pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and VGAC II agreed to issue and sell to the PIPE Investors, on the Closing Date, an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $87,075,000. One of the PIPE Investors is an affiliate of the Sponsor that has agreed to subscribe for 5,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. In addition, the other PIPE Investors include existing equityholders of Grove that have agreed to subscribe for 3,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the aggregate. The shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Subscription Agreements have not been registered under the Securities Act in reliance upon the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
The Subscription Agreements provide for certain registration rights. In particular, VGAC II is required to, no later than 20 business days after the consummation of the Business Combination, submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock purchased in the PIPE Financing. Additionally, VGAC II is required to use commercially reasonable efforts to have the registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, but no later than the earlier of (i) the 60th calendar day (or 90th calendar day if the SEC notifies VGAC II that it will “review” the registration statement) following the Closing Date and (ii) the 5th business day after the date VGAC II is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the registration statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review. The registration rights under the Subscription Agreements are separate and distinct from those provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement. The PIPE Financing is contingent upon, among other things, the closing of the Business Combination.
Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement
At the Closing, New Grove will enter into the Registration Rights Agreement with the Sponsor and certain other initial stockholders (collectively, with each other person who has executed and delivered a joinder thereto, the “
RRA Parties
”), pursuant to which the RRA Parties will be entitled to registration rights in respect of certain shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and certain other equity securities of New Grove that are held by the RRA Parties from time to time. The Registration Rights Agreement is expected to initially cover up to approximately [●] million shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (which amount is exclusive of registration rights a holder may be provided in respect of shares acquired by such holder pursuant to the PIPE Financing).
The Restated Registration Rights Agreement provides that New Grove will as soon as practicable but no later than 30 calendar days following the consummation of the Business Combination file with the SEC a shelf registration statement pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act registering the resale of certain shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and certain other equity securities of New Grove held by the RRA Parties and will use its commercially reasonably efforts to have such shelf registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, but no later than the earlier of (x) the 90th calendar day following the filing date if the SEC notifies New Grove that it will “review” such shelf registration statement and (y) the 10th business day after the date New Grove is notified in writing by the SEC that such shelf registration statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review.
The RRA Parties will be entitled to make demand registrations in connection with an underwritten shelf takedown offering, in each case subject to certain offering thresholds, applicable
lock-up
restrictions and certain other conditions. In addition, the RRA Parties have certain “piggy-back” registration rights. The Rights Agreement includes customary indemnification and confidentiality provisions. New Grove will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any registration statements filed pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement.
 
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Support Agreement
Certain Grove Stockholders entered into a Support Agreement (the “
Grove Stockholder Support Agreement
”) with VGAC II, pursuant to which such Grove Stockholders agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby and (ii) be bound by certain other covenants and agreements related to the Business Combination.
Sponsor Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, VGAC II, the Sponsor, Grove, and certain other persons party thereto entered into the Sponsor Agreement pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger) and (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement.
In addition, the Sponsor has agreed that the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement, with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement). If, upon the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
.”
Background of the Business Combination
VGAC II is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and related agreements, including the Business Combination, the Domestication and the PIPE Financing, are a result of an extensive search for a potential transaction utilizing the global network and investing, operating and transaction experience of VGAC II’s management team, the VGAC II Board and Virgin.
On March 23, 2021, VGAC II consummated the initial public offering of 35,000,000 units. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and
one-fifth
of one public warrant. Each whole public warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. The units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $350,000,000. Substantially concurrently with the closing of the initial public offering and the sale of the units, VGAC II completed a private placement of 6,000,000 warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant, issued to the Sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $9,000,000. A total of $350,000,000, comprised of $343,000,000 of the proceeds from the initial public offering, including $7,000,000 of the underwriters’ deferred discount, and $7,000,000 of the proceeds of the private placement of the public warrants, was placed in the trust account.
 
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On April 9, 2021, the underwriters of the initial public offering notified VGAC II of their intent to partially exercise their over-allotment option. As such, on April 13, 2021, VGAC II sold an additional 5,250,000 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, and an additional 700,000 private placement warrants to the Sponsor, at $1.50 per private placement warrant. A total of $52,500,000 of the net proceeds was deposited into the trust account, bringing the aggregate proceeds held in the trust account to $402,500,000.
Prior to the completion of the initial public offering, neither VGAC II, nor anyone on its behalf, contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with any prospective target business regarding a transaction with VGAC II.
As described in the prospectus for the initial public offering, VGAC II’s business strategy was to focus on effecting a business combination with a target that operates in one of Virgin’s core sectors: travel & leisure, financial services, health & wellness, technology & internet-enabled, music & entertainment, media & mobile and renewable energy. However, VGAC II was not required to complete its initial business combination with a business in one of these sectors.
VGAC II identified certain general,
non-exclusive
criteria and guidelines that it believed were important in evaluating prospective targets for its initial business combination. VGAC II broadly focused on target businesses that it believed:
 
   
would perform well in the public markets over the long term and offer attractive returns to VGAC II shareholders;
 
   
would uniquely benefit from an association with a trusted name like Virgin through brand enhancement and improved operational performance;
 
   
could be sourced through VGAC II’s extensive proprietary networks so as to avoid broadly marketed processes;
 
   
generate stable free cashflows or that have a clear near-term path to produce healthy free cashflows;
 
   
have the ability to provide a strong consumer experience that is meaningfully differentiated from competitors;
 
   
have a strong and experienced management team that VGAC II could work alongside and augment as the business scales; and
 
   
are prepared from a management, corporate governance, and reporting perspective to become a publicly traded company and can benefit from the access to the broader capital markets that this will provide.
After the initial public offering, VGAC II commenced an active search for prospective business combination candidates. VGAC II contacted, and was contacted by, a number of individuals and entities with respect to business combination opportunities. During this search process, VGAC II reviewed, and entered into preliminary discussions with respect to, a number of acquisition opportunities other than Grove.
During that process, VGAC II’s management:
 
   
developed an initial list of potential business combination candidates, which were primarily identified through VGAC II’s and Virgin’s respective knowledge and network and the knowledge and network of VGAC II’s financial advisors;
 
   
considered and conducted analyses of approximately 441 potential business combination candidates; and
 
   
engaged in preliminary, high-level discussions of illustrative transaction structure to effect an initial business combination with 69 potential business combination candidates or their representatives.
 
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Of these 69 potential candidates, VGAC II engaged in meaningful and detailed discussions, due diligence, and negotiations with 28 potential business combination candidates or their representatives, one of which was Grove. VGAC II entered into nondisclosure agreements with each of these candidates. The potential valuations discussed for these potential targets ranged from $1 billion to over $4 billion and these target businesses operated in a variety of industries, including the technology & internet, travel & leisure, financial services, health & wellness, music & entertainment, media & mobile, and renewable energy industries.
VGAC II did not pursue further a potential transaction with the other potential business combination targets with which it engaged in discussions for a variety of factors, including material regulatory risks to the target business, insufficient track record to validate projected financial performance, VGAC II’s assessment of the target company’s ability to execute its business plan, scale its business, and achieve its targeted financial projections, the long-term viability of the target business or its industry, customer concentration and corresponding risk to future financial performance, the impact of the
COVID-19
crisis, unfavorable competitive dynamics, and an inability to reach an agreement on valuation and VGAC’s assessment of limited Wall Street interest in the target business or Industry.
Grove management had been preparing Grove for a potential entry into the public markets at the direction of the Grove Board since December 2020. In February and March 2021, Grove management was approached by multiple SPACs interested in a potential business combination, and Grove entered into nondisclosure agreements with each of such parties.
In April 2021, Grove engaged Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”) to act as its financial advisor in connection with a potential strategic transaction, which could take the form of an initial public offering, a sale of the company to a strategic buyer, or a business combination with a SPAC.
On April 29, 2021, the Grove Board met with senior management and representatives of Morgan Stanley and Sidley Austin LLP (“Sidley”), legal counsel to Grove, and directed management to pursue a dual-track process by launching initial outreach to SPACs and potential strategic partners in early May following the upcoming Grove Board meeting.
Throughout May and June 2021, Grove entered into nondisclosure agreements with and met with multiple strategic and SPAC counterparties to discuss a potential business combination.
In May 2021, Evan Lovell, the Chief Financial Officer of VGAC II and a member of the VGAC II Board and Stuart Landesberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Grove, began exploring a potential business combination between VGAC II and Grove. In particular, Mr. Lovell highlighted the interest of Sir Richard Branson, an affiliate of the Sponsor, in purpose-driven and innovative businesses.
On May 28, 2021, Mr. Landesberg introduced Mr. Lovell to representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to organize an introductory meeting between Grove and VGAC II. At this time, VGAC II was still engaged in meaningful and detailed discussions with five potential business combination candidates.
 
   
Company A (Media & entertainment company): Discussions between VGAC II and Company A regarding a potential business combination did not progress in any material respect following the signing of a
non-disclosure
agreement between VGAC II and Company A on March 31, 2021.
 
   
Company B (Digital advertising company): After evaluating the competitive outlook for the industry as well as public investor appetite in the industry and Company B’s product and technology differentiation, VGAC II determined that Company B would find it difficult to perform in the public markets. Accordingly, VGAC II terminated discussions with Company B regarding a potential business combination on June 11, 2021.
 
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Company C (Agriculture technology company): VGAC II reviewed the business model provided by Company C in detail and determined that the execution risk in the business could result in significant risk to the future profitability of its business. Additionally, the amount of capital required to reach cash flow breakeven could materially increase should Company C not be able to meet the projections as outlined in its business model. For these reasons, VGAC II terminated discussions with Company C regarding a potential business combination on June 8, 2021.
 
   
Company D (Travel & leisure company): VGAC II determined that the public markets would be unlikely to support the proposed use of proceeds from the SPAC transaction given the large proportion of secondary proceeds that Company D’s ownership was seeking from the
de-SPAC
transaction. Furthermore, VGAC II believed that the growth plans that Company D’s management had proposed were not compelling. As a result, VGAC II terminated discussions with Company D regarding a potential business combination on June 7, 2021.
 
   
Company E (Packaging manufacturing company): After detailed diligence of Company E, VGAC II determined that it was not prepared to underwrite the projected financial performance outlined in the business plan provided by Company E, particularly given that achieving the business plan outlined would require the installation of new manufacturing equipment that had not been tested at scale and there was therefore, in VGAC II’s view, an insufficient track record to prove the projected
run-rate
unit economics. VGAC II terminated discussions with Company E regarding a potential business combination on June 15, 2021.
On June 7, 2021, VGAC II and Grove executed a nondisclosure agreement in connection with VGAC II’s consideration of a possible business combination involving Grove.
On June 15, 2021, VGAC II and Grove held a telephonic meeting, which was also attended by representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to explore a potential business combination in further detail. The parties had
in-depth
business, operational and strategic discussions, including a review of Grove’s strategic initiatives, plans for future growth and potential future capital requirements. The parties further discussed the amount of capital Grove was looking to raise in connection with such a business combination and the desired attributes of a potential partner. Following this discussion, Grove provided representatives of VGAC II with access to a virtual data room containing certain confidential information to assist in VGAC II’s due diligence review of Grove, and VGAC II began conducting commercial and financial due diligence.
On June 17, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, which had served as a financial advisor to VGAC II beginning with the initial public offering (in such capacity as financial advisor to VGAC II, unless the context requires otherwise, “Credit Suisse”), to have Credit Suisse provide additional support in conducting commercial and financial due diligence on Grove.
On June 18, 2021, representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, sent an email communication to VGAC II communicating the intent to have VGAC II and other interested special purpose acquisition companies submit a
non-binding
letter of intent by June 30, 2021, and Grove’s goal to announce a transaction during the third quarter of 2021.
Between June 23, 2021 and June 28, 2021, VGAC II held numerous telephonic meetings with representatives of Grove and conducted general market diligence of the
direct-to-consumer
(“
DTC
”) and home and personal care (“
HPC
”) industry as part of its due diligence review of Grove.
On June 23, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Credit Suisse to discuss Grove. The discussion primarily focused on current market valuations for various publicly traded consumer packaged goods and DTC companies.
Later on June 23, 2021, VGAC II held a telephone meeting with Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss Grove’s financial model in detail. During the call, the parties discussed a number of items relating to Grove’s financials, including revenue and cost trends, details of each business segment and management’s growth strategy for the business.
 
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On June 25, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove. The parties discussed business, operational and strategic matters respecting Grove’s retail business.
Later on June 25, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss the submission of the
non-binding
letter of intent. Representatives of Morgan Stanley provided an update on the process with respect to a potential business combination being undertaken by Grove, including VGAC II’s positioning in the overall process, details on the amount of proceeds Grove was seeking to raise in a potential business combination, planned uses of proceeds, Grove’s desire to include PIPE financing as a part of the proceeds, and Grove’s intention to move forward with a select number of special purpose acquisition companies following submission to engage in more detailed due diligence before selecting a partner for the potential business combination.
On June 28, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (“
Davis Polk
”), legal counsel to VGAC II, to discuss a draft letter of intent that it was proposed would be submitted to Grove in advance of the deadline of June 30, 2021 set by Grove for initial
non-binding
letters of intent.
Later on June 28, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss Grove’s DTC business and general corporate strategy in detail. During the call, the parties discussed a number of items relating to Grove’s DTC business, including revenue and cost trends and management’s growth strategy for the DTC and overall business.
Later on June 28, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Credit Suisse to discuss current market valuations for various publicly traded consumer packaged goods and DTC companies and implications to the
non-binding
letter of intent.
On June 29, 2021, the VGAC II Board held a telephonic meeting to discuss the potential business combination with Grove. VGAC II’s management team provided an update to the VGAC II Board on VGAC II’s due diligence of Grove and reviewed the proposed
non-binding
letter of intent to combine with Grove including the following key terms:
 
   
an equity value of Grove between $1,913,000,000 and $2,365,000,000;
 
   
a PIPE financing of $200,000,000, with at least $25,000,000 and up to $50,000,000 funded by the Sponsor;
 
   
a
lock-up/earn-out
with respect to 15% of VGAC II shares held by the Sponsor;
 
   
mutual exclusivity provisions for a period ending
45-days
following the execution of the
non-binding
letter of intent, subject to Grove’s right to terminate such exclusivity period if VGAC II proposed a reduction in equity value at any time or other adverse change to the material terms; and
 
   
certain conditions to the consummation of the business combination including shareholder approval and other customary matters, including the receipt of all applicable regulatory and stock exchange clearances and a $350,000,000 minimum cash condition to be agreed by the parties
The VGAC II Board then engaged in extensive discussions and deliberations with VGAC II management covering operational, financial and regulatory due diligence completed to date, as well as a thorough review of the proposed
non-binding
letter of intent. VGAC II’s management team noted that at this stage of the process the
non-binding
letter of intent would not lead to immediate exclusivity, but rather to the next phase of the process where Grove intended to hold more detailed discussions with a select number of special purpose acquisition companies. The VGAC II Board agreed to move forward with the submission of the
non-binding
letter of intent with the understanding that the VGAC II Board would be informed of the status of a potential business combination after Grove made a decision on selecting special purpose acquisition companies to continue discussions with.
 
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Later on June 29, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss key terms of the
non-binding
letter of intent prior to submission. During the call, the parties discussed VGAC II’s positioning in the overall process and details of the amount of proceeds Grove was seeking to raise in a potential business combination.
On June 30, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Davis Polk to further discuss the
non-binding
letter of intent.
Later on June 30, 2021, VGAC II submitted a
non-binding
letter of intent to Grove consistent with the terms discussed by the VGAC II Board. Several additional SPAC counterparties also submitted non-binding letters of intent to Grove on such date. No strategic counterparties submitted letters of intent to Grove following the meetings that took place in May and June 2021.
On July 2, 2021, the Grove management team held a telephonic meeting with Morgan Stanley to discuss the letters of intent received from VGAC II and the other bidders.
Between July 2, 2021 and July 27, 2021, Grove and its advisors continued to discuss the letters of intent received from interested bidders and continued to reach out to such parties to negotiate certain terms within the proposed letters of intent.
On July 8, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss feedback on the
non-binding
letter of intent submitted on June 30, 2021. Representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, discussed potential changes to the
non-binding
letter of intent necessary in order to advance in the process, including restructuring of the
earn-out,
PIPE commitment from the Sponsor and valuation of Grove. They further communicated the intent to have VGAC II and other special purpose acquisition companies submit revised
non-binding
letters of intent by July 13, 2021, and Grove’s intent to have more detailed conversations with select special purpose acquisition companies before entering into exclusivity regarding a potential business combination.
On July 9, 2021, Mr. Lovell held a telephonic meeting with Mr. Landesberg to discuss key considerations for Grove in evaluating
non-binding
letters of intent submitted as a part of the process.
On July 13, 2021, VGAC II submitted a revised
non-binding
letter of intent to Grove including the following key terms:
 
   
an equity value of Grove between $2,000,000,000 and $2,500,000,000;
 
   
a PIPE financing of $200,000,000, with at least $25,000,000 and up to $50,000,000 funded by the Sponsor;
 
   
a
lock-up/earn-out
with respect to 30% of VGAC II shares held by the Sponsor;
 
   
mutual exclusivity provisions for a period ending
45-days
following the execution of the
non-binding
letter of intent, subject to Grove’s right to terminate such exclusivity period if VGAC II proposed a reduction in equity value at any time or other adverse change to the material terms; and
 
   
certain conditions to the consummation of the business combination including shareholder approval and other customary matters, including the receipt of all applicable regulatory and stock exchange clearances and a $350,000,000 minimum cash condition to be agreed by the parties
On July 15, 2021, Sir Richard Branson held a telephonic meeting with Mr. Landesberg, indicating an interest in a potential business combination with Grove.
On July 16, 2021, Mr. Landesberg held a telephonic meeting with Mr. Lovell about the revised
non-binding
letter of intent. Mr. Landesberg reiterated the importance to Grove of certainty of capital in selecting a special purpose acquisition partner.
 
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On July 18, 2021, Mr. Landesberg held a telephonic meeting with Mr. Lovell indicating that VGAC II would be moving on to the next round of the process, which would include additional access to management and information for financial diligence.
On July 19, 2021, Rayhan Arif, the Chief Operating Officer of VGAC II, held a telephonic meeting with representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss the next round of the process. Representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, provided an update on the process, including VGAC II’s position in the overall process, additional diligence sessions to be scheduled and Grove’s goal to select a special purpose acquisition company to pursue a potential business combination with in August and launch a PIPE financing process after Labor Day.
On July 21, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Davis Polk to further discuss the revised
non-binding
letter of intent.
On July 22, 2022, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Credit Suisse to discuss the diligence done on Grove, Grove’s financial model, current market valuations for various publicly traded consumer packaged goods and DTC companies, and implications to the revised
non-binding
letter of intent.
On July 23, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss Grove’s DTC and retail business in detail. During the call, the parties discussed a number of items relating to Grove’s DTC and retail business, including revenue and cost trends, management’s growth strategy for the business and the Q2 2021 performance.
On July 25, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Credit Suisse to discuss the key performance indicators for both private and public DTC companies.
On July 26, 2021, the VGAC II Board held a telephonic meeting during which the VGAC II management team provided an update on VGAC II’s due diligence of Grove and reviewed the revised
non-binding
letter of intent submitted to Grove on July 13, 2021. The VGAC II Board then engaged in extensive discussions and deliberations with VGAC II management covering operational, financial and regulatory due diligence completed to date, as well as a thorough review of the revised
non-binding
letter of intent. VGAC II’s management team further noted that they would inform the VGAC II Board of the status of a potential business combination after Grove made a decision on selecting special purpose acquisition companies with whom to continue discussions.
Later on July 26, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss the financial model in additional detail.
On July 28, 2021, each of the interested bidders, including VGAC II, presented to the Grove Board. During VGAC II’s telephonic meeting with the Grove Board, VGAC II discussed the unique benefits that VGAC II could bring to Grove from association with a trusted name like Virgin through brand enhancement and improved operational performance. Following the presentations, Grove management met with its advisors to discuss the presentations and the terms offered by the potential counterparties.
On July 29, 2021, the Grove Board met informally to discuss presentations by VGAC II and the other bidders and to discuss the term sheets presented by the bidders.
Between July 29, 2021 and August 13, 2021, Grove’s senior management team met with representatives of Morgan Stanley and Sidley, as well as with members of the Grove Board, to discuss the term sheets presented by the bidders.
On July 30, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to discuss the process following VGAC II’s meeting with the Grove Board. Representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, provided an update on the process, including VGAC II’s position in the overall process, additional diligence sessions to be scheduled, and key elements of the
non-binding
letter of intent to consider prior to the next submission.
 
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On August 9, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove, to continue conducting diligence on Grove and its financial model.
Between August 3, 2021 and August 12, 2021, VGAC II, Grove, and their respective financial and legal advisors held several calls to further discuss and negotiate a
non-binding
letter of intent that was agreeable to both parties.
On August 13, the VGAC II Board held a telephonic meeting to discuss the potential business combination with Grove. VGAC II’s management team provided an update to the VGAC II Board on VGAC II’s due diligence of Grove and reviewed the proposed
non-binding
letter of intent to combine with Grove including the following key terms:
 
   
an equity value of Grove equal to $1,720,000,000;
 
   
a PIPE financing of $150,000,000, with at least $25,000,000 and up to $50,000,000 funded by the Sponsor;
 
   
a
lock-up/earn-out
with respect to 35% of VGAC II shares held by the Sponsor;
 
   
an agreement to transfer up to 50% of VGAC II private placement warrants held by the Sponsor to certain PIPE investors, in a manner to be agreed by Sponsor and Grove, if such transfer is needed to reach the PIPE financing amount;
 
   
mutual exclusivity provisions for a period ending on September 12, 2021, subject to Grove’s right to terminate such exclusivity period if VGAC II proposed a reduction in equity value at any time or other adverse change to the material terms; and
 
   
certain conditions to the consummation of the business combination including shareholder approval and other customary matters, including the receipt of all applicable regulatory and stock exchange clearances and a $200,000,000 minimum cash condition to be agreed by the parties
The equity value reflected in the revised
non-binding
letter of intent reflected a reduction from the equity values included in the earlier
non-binding
letters of intent submitted by VGAC II due to changing public market conditions and feedback provided by Grove and representatives of Morgan Stanley, in its capacity as financial advisor to Grove. The VGAC II Board then engaged in extensive discussions and deliberations with VGAC II management covering operational, financial and regulatory due diligence completed to date, as well as a thorough review of the proposed
non-binding
letter of intent. The VGAC II Board agreed to move forward with the execution of the
non-binding
letter of intent.
Later on August 13, 2021, after further internal deliberations between VGAC II’s management team and its advisors and after additional discussions with Grove and its advisors, VGAC II submitted to Grove the revised
non-binding
letter of intent consistent with the terms discussed by the VGAC II Board, and VGAC II and Grove each executed the agreed upon
non-binding
letter of intent.
Later on August 13, 2021, VGAC II and Grove, together with their respective financial and legal advisors, held a telephonic meeting to discuss certain additional due diligence that VGAC II required to be completed and the PIPE investment in connection with the proposed business combination.
On August 16, 2021, Davis Polk was granted access to the Grove virtual data room and began conducting legal due diligence.
During the weeks of August 16 through September 6, 2021, VGAC II, Grove and their respective financial advisors prepared an investor presentation to present to potential investors in the PIPE financing. The investor presentation outlined the proposed business combination and included information regarding Grove, which was refined through several rounds of review and comments amongst VGAC II’s management team, Grove’s management team, and their respective advisors.
 
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On August 19, 2021, VGAC II, Grove, Morgan Stanley, Credit-Suisse and external counsel met to decide on investor targets for the proposed PIPE Financing. Between August 19, 2021 and September 10, 2021, VGAC II, Grove and their respective financial and legal advisors held numerous telephonic meetings to discuss certain matters relating to the proposed business combination, including the time to signing and closing the potential business combination, the disclosure documentation required to be publicly filed by VGAC II in connection with the business combination (including the review of such documentation by the SEC), certain outstanding due diligence matters and the proposed PIPE Financing (including the marketing and timing of such financing and the investors to be approached in connection therewith).
Between August 13, 2021 and September 1, 2021, Sidley prepared a first draft of the Merger Agreement reflecting the terms agreed to in the executed
non-binding
letter of intent, which draft VGAC II reviewed and discussed with Davis Polk in detail.
On September 1, 2021, Sidley sent Davis Polk the first draft of the Merger Agreement.
On September 13, 2021, VGAC II held a telephonic meeting with representatives from Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. (“
Houlihan Lokey
”) regarding the possible retention of Houlihan Lokey to provide a fairness opinion in connection with VGAC II’s potential business combination with Grove.
Beginning on September 16, 2021, following preparation of the investor presentation for the PIPE Financing, representatives of Credit Suisse and representatives of Morgan Stanley, each in its capacity as placement agent on the PIPE Financing, Grove and VGAC II began marketing an investment in the PIPE Financing to a limited number of potential qualified institutional buyers and institutional accredited investors.
Throughout the remainder of September and October 2021, Mr. Lovell and Mr. Landesberg met with potential investors in the PIPE Financing. From October to November 2021, Mr. Lovell and Mr. Landesberg spoke to discuss feedback from investors, as well as potential changes to the business terms laid out in the non-binding letter of intent in order to make the business combination more appealing to potential investors.
On September 21, 2021, Davis Polk sent Sidley their markup of the first draft of the Merger Agreement, which VGAC II had reviewed and discussed with Davis Polk.
On September 23, 2021 and over the following days, Davis Polk circulated drafts of the Sponsor Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
On October 5, 2021, VGAC II engaged Houlihan Lokey, which engagement was later documented by Houlihan Lokey’s engagement letter dated November 9, 2021, to provide an opinion to the VGAC II Board as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the consideration to be paid in VGAC II’s potential business combination with Grove.
On October 18, 2021, Sidley sent Davis Polk a proposed form of the Support Agreement.
From September through early December 2021, Davis Polk continued to finalize the legal due diligence investigation of Grove and held multiple calls with representatives of Grove.
Following negotiations between the parties through the first three weeks of November, culminating the week of November 22, 2021, regarding the overall terms of the potential business combination, and taking into consideration a significant market-wide downturn in the PIPE market conditions and the feedback received by representatives of Credit Suisse and representatives of Morgan Stanley, each in its capacity as placement agent on the PIPE Financing, during meetings with prospective qualified institutional buyers and institutional accredited investors regarding the initial proposed valuation, the parties agreed to reduce the enterprise value from $1.8 billion (as implied by the equity value of $1.72 billion to Grove set forth in the final letter of intent) to
 
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approximately $1.5 billion. The parties also determined to reduce the size of the PIPE financing to $87.075 million, with commitments from the Sponsor and certain existing investors of Grove. In light of the reduced PIPE size, the parties later agreed to make a reduction to the minimum cash condition, from $200 million to $175 million.
On November 23, 2021, representatives of VGAC II and Houlihan Lokey held a telephonic meeting with Grove to discuss Grove’s financial model in detail. During the call, the parties discussed a number of items relating to Grove’s financials, including revenue and cost trends, details of each business segment and management’s growth strategy for the business.
On November 29, 2021, the Grove Board met to discuss the latest proposal by VGAC II regarding the business combination and found the terms satisfactory and in the best interests of Grove and its stakeholders, and advised Mr. Landesberg to pursue a deal as soon as possible.
Between September 21, 2021 and December 7, 2021, representatives of each of VGAC II, Grove, Davis Polk and Sidley met telephonically and exchanged numerous emails to finalize the remaining open items related to the Merger Agreement, the form of the Support Agreement, the Sponsor Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and various other agreements contemplated therein. Following these discussions, representatives from Davis Polk and Sidley exchanged revised drafts of the Merger Agreement and related transaction agreements, which reflected the outcome of their discussions.
On December 6, 2021, the VGAC II Board held a telephonic meeting at which senior management and members of the VGAC II Board (other than Mr. Lovell, who was unable to attend due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict but had otherwise expressed his support for the proposed business combination) were in attendance. Representatives of Credit Suisse, Davis Polk and Maples LLP (“
Maples
”), Cayman counsel to VGAC II, were also in attendance. Prior to the meeting, summaries of the significant transaction documents were distributed to the VGAC II Board in substantially final form. At the beginning of the meeting, a representative of Davis Polk reminded the directors of the VGAC II Board that Josh Bayliss, VGAC II’s Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Lovell should be regarded as “interested” in connection with the proposed Business Combination, as Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Lovell are, among other things, employed by an affiliate of the Sponsor. Rayhan Arif, VGAC II’s Chief Operating Officer, and members of VGAC II’s senior management team then updated the VGAC II Board on VGAC II’s final due diligence findings and the terms of the proposed Business Combination. Representatives of Credit Suisse then led a discussion designed to aid the VGAC II Board in its evaluation of the proposed transaction. A representative of Maples reviewed with the VGAC II Board the fiduciary duties that applied to their consideration of the proposed business combination. At the request of the VGAC II Board, a representative of Houlihan Lokey then reviewed and discussed its financial analyses with respect to Grove and the proposed Business Combination, and orally rendered their fairness opinion (which was subsequently confirmed in writing by delivery of Houlihan Lokey’s written opinion addressed to the VGAC II Board dated December 6, 2021), as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the merger consideration to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement. A representative of Davis Polk then discussed with the VGAC II Board the proposed terms of the Merger Agreement and the other transaction documents to be entered into in connection with the proposed transaction, including the Subscription Agreements, the Sponsor Agreement, and the Support Agreements. The representative of Davis Polk also discussed the proposed resolutions approving the Merger Agreement, the form of the Subscription Agreement, Sponsor Agreement, the form of the Support Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Resolutions”). The VGAC II Board then engaged in extensive discussions and deliberations with VGAC II’s management and advisors. Among other things, the VGAC II Board asked questions pertaining to legal due diligence, valuation of comparable companies, feedback from PIPE Investors, and risks, timing and process relating to closing the Business Combination. Following these discussions and deliberations, VGAC II’s three independent directors held an executive session to further discuss the merits of the proposed transaction. Following the discussions, the
non-independent
directors rejoined the meeting, and Mr. Bayliss made a motion that the VGAC II Board approve the Resolutions, which the VGAC II Board, having
 
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determined that the Business Combination and the transactions contemplated thereby were in the best interest of VGAC II, approved.
Later in the day on December 6, the Grove Board met with members of management and representatives of Sidley. Mr. Landesberg reviewed with the Board the state of negotiations on the proposed business combination and the remaining open issues. The Board, management and Sidley discussed potential resolution of the open issues, as well as the expected timing for the execution and announcement of the transaction.
On December 7, 2021, the Grove Board held a telephonic meeting at which senior management and all members of the Grove Board were in attendance. Representatives of Sidley were also in attendance. Representatives of Sidley discussed with the Board its fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed transaction. Mr. Landesberg and other members of Grove management reviewed with the Grove Board the resolutions of the final business and legal terms of the transaction documents. Mr. Landesberg also discussed with the Board the post-signing process for completing the transaction, including potential risks relating to redemption rates seen in recent de-SPAC merge transactions. After discussion, Sidley Representatives reviewed with the Grove Board the proposed resolutions for approval of the transaction. At the conclusion of the discussion, upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Grove Board unanimously approved the Business Combination and the related transaction documents.
On December 7, 2021, following the approval of the Business Combination by the VGAC II Board and the Grove Board, VGAC II, VGAC II Merger Sub and Grove executed the Merger Agreement. Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, (i) VGAC II and the Sponsor entered into the Sponsor Agreement, (ii) VGAC II and the PIPE Investors entered into the Subscription Agreements and (iii) VGAC II and certain Grove equity holders entered into the Grove Stockholder Support Agreements.
On the morning of December 8, 2021, prior to the commencement of trading of the shares of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares on the NYSE, VGAC II and Grove issued a joint press release announcing the Business Combination.
Since December 7, 2021, VGAC II and Grove, along with their respective counsel, have worked jointly on the preparation of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
VGAC II and Grove have continued and expect to continue regular discussions regarding the execution and timing of the business combination and to take actions and exercise their respective rights under the merger agreement to facilitate the completion of the business combination.
The VGAC II Board’s Reasons for the Business Combination
The VGAC II Board considered a wide variety of factors and consulted with VGAC II’s legal and financial advisors in connection with its evaluation of the Merger Agreement and the Business Combination. Before reaching its decision to approve the Merger Agreement and the Business Combination, the VGAC II Board reviewed the results of due diligence conducted by VGAC II’s management, together with its legal and financial advisors, which included, among other things:
 
   
extensive meetings with Grove’s management team regarding operations and forecasts;
 
   
research on the DTC, HPC and consumer packaged goods industries, including historical growth trends and market share information as well as
end-market
size and growth projections;
 
   
analysis of Grove’s historical and projected financials to understand and validate the key assumptions underpinning the financial projections prepared by Grove management;
 
   
multiple expert calls with professionals in the HPC sector regarding the competitive landscape, benefits and effectiveness of Grove’s positioning in the HPC sector;
 
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discussions with Grove’s management team to assess their product development track record, current product development pipeline and strategy for building the company’s business moving forward;
 
   
discussions with Grove’s management team to assess their strategic plans for the retail channel, performance to date in that channel, and team capabilities to execute on their retail strategy;
 
   
review of Grove’s material contracts regarding financials, tax, legal, accounting, information technology, security, insurance and intellectual property;
 
   
financial and valuation analyses of Grove and the Business Combination;
 
   
Grove’s historical financial statements;
 
   
reports related to tax and legal diligence prepared by external advisors; and
 
   
assessment of Grove’s public company readiness.
In the prospectus for its initial public offering, VGAC II identified general,
non-exclusive
criteria and guidelines that VGAC II believed would be important in evaluating prospective target businesses. VGAC II indicated its intention to acquire companies that it believes:
 
   
will perform well in the public markets over the long term and offer attractive returns to shareholders;
 
   
would uniquely benefit from an association with a trusted name like the Virgin Group through brand enhancement and improved operational performance;
 
   
can be sourced through the Virgin Group’s extensive proprietary networks so as to avoid broadly marketed processes;
 
   
generate stable free cashflows or that have a clear near-term path to produce healthy free cashflows;
 
   
have the ability to provide a strong consumer experience that is meaningfully differentiated from competitors;
 
   
have a strong and experienced management team that VGAC II can work alongside and augment as the business scales; and
 
   
are prepared from a management, corporate governance, and reporting perspective to become a publicly traded company and can benefit from the access to the broader capital markets that this will provide.
In considering the Business Combination, the VGAC II Board concluded that Grove met the above criteria and guidelines overall.
In particular, the VGAC II Board considered the following positive factors:
 
   
Commercial Rationale
. The VGAC II Board noted that Grove possesses several compelling qualities that enable multiple avenues for value creation:
 
   
Investing in a sustainable future for consumer packaged goods
– With its sustainability-first mindset and ability to innovate quickly as a digitally native company with access to millions of customers, Grove is at the forefront of the growing demand for natural, sustainable home and personal care products that are high performing. As a
purpose-led
brand with an ambitious goal of becoming 100% plastic free by 2025, Grove is poised to capitalize on this demand.
 
   
Scale Opportunity
– Expected revenue of $385 million in 2021 represents only a fraction of the $180 billion addressable market for home and personal care in the U.S., leaving tremendous opportunity for growth domestically and internationally.
 
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Rapid Growth and Broad Consumer Adoption
– Proven ability to drive growth as the brand in a fast-growing space, with a 54% revenue CAGR expected from 2018-2021 and projected growth to over $600 million in 2024, attracting customers across a diverse demographic set who exhibit high levels of brand engagement, repeat purchase behavior and long-term retention.
 
   
Strong and Increasing Margins
—Healthy 50% gross margin expected in 2021 projected to grow to 56% by 2024 as the Company scales, drives brand awareness and continues to increase the mix of owned-brand products.
 
   
Retail Strategy Offers Significant Upside
– Anchored by a strong and loyal DTC customer base, Grove has a significant opportunity for growth and to pursue omnichannel opportunities. Grove recently went into physical retail for the first time at Target stores nationwide. Grove’s high performance during the first year to date validates Grove’s ability to unlock the retail channel, in which 90% of the category’s sales still occur, and presents material upside beyond plan.
 
   
Financial Condition
. The VGAC II Board also considered factors such as Grove’s historical financial results, outlook, and financial plan, as well as valuations and trading of publicly traded companies and valuations of precedent merger and acquisition targets in similar and adjacent sectors.
 
   
Opinion of Financial Advisor
. The financial analysis reviewed by Houlihan Lokey with the Board as well as the oral opinion of Houlihan Lokey rendered to the VGAC II Board on December 6, 2021 (which was subsequently confirmed in writing by delivery of Houlihan Lokey’s written opinion addressed to the VGAC II Board dated December 6, 2021), as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the merger consideration to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement, as more fully described in the section entitled “
The Business Combination Proposal— Opinion of the Financial Advisor to VGAC II.
 
   
Proven Existing Management Team
. Grove has an experienced management team with a proven track record of operational excellence.
 
   
Strong Sponsorship
. Following the closing, New Grove will have a public platform suitable for its long-term success, providing stability to all stakeholders.
 
   
Significant Equity Investment
. $87.075 million of private capital has been committed by the PIPE Investors in the PIPE Financing.
 
   
Terms of the Merger Agreement
. The VGAC II Board reviewed the financial and other terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, including with respect to the Business Combination, and determined that they were reasonable and were the product of
arm’s-length
negotiations among the parties.
 
   
Shareholder Approval
. The VGAC II Board considered the fact that in connection with the Business Combination VGAC II shareholders have the option to (i) remain shareholders of VGAC II, (ii) sell their shares on the open market or (iii) redeem their shares for the per share amount held in the Trust Account.
 
   
Independent Director Role
. The VGAC II Board is comprised of a majority of independent directors who are not affiliated with the Sponsor or its affiliates. In connection with the Business Combination, VGAC II’s independent directors took an active role in evaluating the proposed terms of the Business Combination, including the Merger Agreement and the related agreements. VGAC II’s independent directors evaluated and unanimously approved, as members of the VGAC II Board, the Merger Agreement and the related agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby.
 
   
Other Alternatives
. The VGAC II Board’s belief is that the Business Combination represents the best potential business combination for VGAC II based upon the process utilized to evaluate and assess other potential acquisition targets, and the VGAC II Board’s and management’s belief that such processes had not presented a better alternative.
 
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In the course of its deliberations, the VGAC II Board also considered a variety of uncertainties, risks and other potentially negative reasons relevant to the transaction, including, among others, the following:
 
   
Risks Associated with the Business Combination.
 
   
The risk that the Business Combination might not be consummated in a timely manner or that the Closing might not occur despite the companies’ efforts, including by reason of a failure to obtain the approval of VGAC II shareholders.
 
   
The significant fees and expenses associated with completing the Business Combination and related transactions and the substantial time and effort of management required to complete the Business Combination.
 
   
The possibility of litigation challenging the Business Combination.
 
   
The risk that VGAC II does not obtain the PIPE Financing or otherwise retain sufficient cash in the trust account or find replacement cash to meet the requirements of the Merger Agreement.
 
   
The fact that the PIPE Financing is being provided largely by the Sponsor and existing equityholders of Grove, each of whom may have interest in the transaction that are different from, or in addition to, the interests of VGAC II shareholders in general, and the resulting risk that the value at which the PIPE Investors were willing to invest in the combined company may not be reflecting of the price at which other public market investors are willing to invest.
 
   
The fact that the Merger Agreement does not permit our board of directors to change, withdraw, withhold, qualify or modify, or publicly propose to change, withdraw, withhold, qualify or modify its recommendation to approve the proposals contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, unless our board of directors determines, upon the advice of counsel, that a Company Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement) has occurred and making such a change in recommendation is required in order to comply with its fiduciary duties.
 
   
Risks Associated with Grove’s Business.
 
   
The risks associated with macroeconomic uncertainty and the effects it could have on Grove’s revenues.
 
   
The risks associated with Grove’s ability to maintain and grow its customer base.
 
   
The fact that Grove has incurred significant losses since inception, expects to incur losses in the future, and may not be able to reach a sufficient margin profile to achieve and maintain profitability.
 
   
The risks associated with the DTC, HPC and consumer packaged goods industries in general, including the development, effects and enforcement of laws and regulations with respect to the industry.
 
   
The risk that key employees of Grove might not remain with New Grove following the Closing.
 
   
The challenge of attracting and retaining senior management personnel.
 
   
The risk that Grove might not be able to protect its trade secrets or maintain its trademarks, patents and other intellectual property consistent with historical practice.
 
   
The risk associated with sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and logistics to third-party providers.
 
   
Risks Related to Grove’s Governmental Regulation and Litigation.
 
   
The risk of being subject to increased derivative litigation concerning duty to balance stockholder and public benefit interests as a public benefit corporation.
 
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Risks Associated with Post-Closing Corporate Governance. The dual-class structure of New Grove’s common stock will have the effect of concentrating voting power with the existing holders of Grove Class B Common Stock, which will limit an investor’s ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control. 
 
   
The other risks described in the section entitled “
Risk Factors
.”
In addition to considering the factors described above, the VGAC II Board also considered that certain of the officers and directors of VGAC II may have interests in the Business Combination as individuals that are in addition to, and that may be different from, the interests of VGAC II’s shareholders. VGAC II’s independent directors reviewed and considered these interests during the negotiation of the Business Combination and in evaluating and approving, as members of the VGAC II Board, the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein, including the Business Combination. See the section entitled “
The Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
This discussion of the information and factors considered by the VGAC II Board includes the principal positive and negative factors, but is not intended to be exhaustive and may not include all of the factors considered by the VGAC II Board. In view of the wide variety of factors considered in connection with their evaluation of the transaction, and the complexity of these matters, the VGAC II Board did not find it useful and did not attempt to rank, quantify or assign any relative or specific weights to the various factors that it considered in reaching its determination to approve the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and to make the recommendation to VGAC II shareholders contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. Rather, the VGAC II Board viewed its decision as being based on the totality of the information presented to it and the factors it considered. In addition, individual members of the VGAC II Board may have given differing weights to different factors. The VGAC II Board’s reasons for its approval of the Merger Agreement and the Business Combination, and all other information presented in this section, is forward-looking in nature and, therefore, should be read in light of the factors discussed under “
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
.”
After considering the foregoing potentially negative and potentially positive reasons, the VGAC II Board concluded, in its business judgment, that the potentially positive reasons relating to the Business Combination outweighed the potentially negative reasons. In connection with its deliberations, the VGAC II Board did not consider the fairness of the consideration to be paid by VGAC II in the Business Combination to any person other than VGAC II.
Opinion of the Financial Advisor to VGAC II
On December 6, 2021, Houlihan Lokey orally rendered its opinion to the VGAC II Board (which was subsequently confirmed in writing by delivery of Houlihan Lokey’s written opinion addressed to the VGAC II Board dated December 6, 2021), as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the Closing Payment Shares to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
Houlihan Lokey’s opinion was directed to the VGAC II Board (in its capacity as such) and only addressed the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the Closing Payment Shares to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement and did not address any other aspect or implication of the Merger or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding. The summary of Houlihan Lokey’s opinion in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of its written opinion, which is attached as Annex L to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and describes the procedures followed, assumptions made, qualifications and limitations on the review undertaken and other matters considered by Houlihan Lokey in connection with the preparation of its opinion. However, neither Houlihan Lokey’s opinion nor
 
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the summary of its opinion and the related analyses set forth in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus are intended to be, and do not constitute, advice or a recommendation to the VGAC II Board, VGAC II, any security holder or any other person as to how to act or vote or make any election with respect to any matter relating to the Merger or otherwise, including, without limitation, whether holders of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares should redeem their shares or whether any party should participate in the PIPE Financing.
In connection with its opinion, Houlihan Lokey made such reviews, analyses and inquiries as it deemed necessary and appropriate under the circumstances. Among other things, Houlihan Lokey:
 
  1.
reviewed a draft, dated December 5, 2021, of the Merger Agreement;
 
  2.
reviewed certain publicly available business and financial information relating to VGAC II and Grove that Houlihan Lokey deemed to be relevant;
 
  3.
reviewed certain information relating to the historical, current and future operations, financial condition and prospects of Grove made available to Houlihan Lokey by Grove and VGAC II, including financial projections prepared by the management of Grove relating to Grove (the “
Projections
”);
 
  4.
spoke with certain members of the managements of VGAC II and Grove and certain of their respective representatives and advisors regarding the business, operations, financial condition and prospects of Grove, the Business Combination, the Domestication and related matters;
 
  5.
compared the financial and operating performance of Grove with that of companies with publicly traded equity securities that Houlihan Lokey deemed to be relevant; and
 
  6.
conducted such other financial studies, analyses and inquiries and considered such other information and factors as Houlihan Lokey deemed appropriate.
Houlihan Lokey relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, the accuracy and completeness of all data, material and other information furnished, or otherwise made available, to it, discussed with or reviewed by it, or publicly available, and did not assume any responsibility with respect to such data, material and other information. In addition, at VGAC II’s direction, Houlihan Lokey assumed that the Projections were reasonably prepared in good faith on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of the management of Grove as to the future financial results and condition of Grove. At VGAC II’s direction, Houlihan Lokey assumed that the Projections provided a reasonable basis on which to evaluate Grove and the Transaction, and Houlihan Lokey, at VGAC II’s direction, used and relied upon the Projections for purposes of its analyses and opinion. Houlihan Lokey expressed no view or opinion with respect to the Projections or the assumptions on which they were based. In reaching its conclusions under the opinion, with VGAC II’s consent, Houlihan Lokey did not rely upon a review of the publicly available financial terms of other transactions, because Houlihan Lokey did not identify a sufficient number of relevant transactions in which Houlihan Lokey deemed the acquired companies to be sufficiently similar to Grove. In addition, for purposes of its financial analyses and opinion, with VGAC II’s consent, Houlihan Lokey (i) did not perform any financial analyses to evaluate the value of VGAC II or to derive valuation reference ranges for any shares of VGAC II for purposes of comparison with the Closing Payment Shares or otherwise, (ii) assumed that other than the Grove Earnout Shares, the value of each share of VGAC II’s capital stock (including, without limitation, each VGAC II Class A ordinary share, each VGAC II Class B ordinary share and each share of New Grove Common Stock) was equal to $10.00 (with such $10.00 value being based on VGAC II’s initial public offering and VGAC II’s approximate cash per VGAC II Class A ordinary share outstanding (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the dilutive impact of outstanding VGAC II Class B ordinary shares or any VGAC II warrants)), notwithstanding the different voting rights and other
non-financial
terms of such shares that could impact their value, (iii) assumed that the Closing Payment Shares had a value equal to $1.4 billion, and (iv) did not evaluate the Grove Earnout Shares and assumed they had no value. Houlihan Lokey relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, that there had been no change in the business, assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects of Grove or Parent since the respective dates of the most recent financial statements and other
 
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information, financial or otherwise, provided to Houlihan Lokey that would be material to its analyses or opinion, and that there was no information or any facts that would make any of the information reviewed by Houlihan Lokey incomplete or misleading.
Houlihan Lokey relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, that (a) the representations and warranties of all parties to the Merger Agreement and all other related documents and instruments referred to therein were true and correct, (b) each party to the Merger Agreement and such other related documents and instruments would fully and timely perform all of the covenants and agreements required to be performed by such party, (c) all conditions to the consummation of the Transaction would be satisfied without waiver thereof, and (d) the Transaction would be consummated in a timely manner in accordance with the terms described in the Merger Agreement and such other related documents and instruments, without any amendments or modifications thereto. Houlihan Lokey also assumed, with VGAC II’s consent, that (i) the Domestication would qualify as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code and (ii) the Merger would qualify as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code. Houlihan Lokey relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, that (i) the Transaction would be consummated in a manner that complies in all respects with all applicable foreign, federal, state and local statutes, rules and regulations, and (ii) all governmental, regulatory, and other consents and approvals necessary for the consummation of the Transaction would be obtained and that no delay, limitations, restrictions or conditions would be imposed or amendments, modifications or waivers made that would result in the disposition of any assets of Grove or VGAC II, or otherwise have an effect on the Transaction, Grove or VGAC II or any expected benefits of the Transaction that would be material to its analyses or opinion. In addition, Houlihan Lokey relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, that the final form of the Merger Agreement would not differ in any respect from the draft of the Merger Agreement identified above.
Furthermore, in connection with its opinion, Houlihan Lokey was not requested to, and did not, make any physical inspection or independent appraisal or evaluation of any of the assets, properties or liabilities (fixed, contingent, derivative,
off-balance-sheet
or otherwise) of VGAC II, Grove or any other party, nor was Houlihan Lokey provided with any such appraisal or evaluation. Houlihan Lokey did not estimate, and expressed no opinion regarding, the liquidation value of any entity or business. Houlihan Lokey did not undertake any independent analysis of any potential or actual litigation, regulatory action, possible unasserted claims or other contingent liabilities, to which VGAC II or Grove was or may have been a party or was or may have been subject, or of any governmental investigation of any possible unasserted claims or other contingent liabilities to which VGAC II or Grove was or may have been a party or was or may have been subject.
Houlihan Lokey’s opinion was necessarily based on financial, economic, market and other conditions as in effect on, and the information made available to Houlihan Lokey as of, the date of its opinion. Houlihan Lokey did not undertake, and is under no obligation, to update, revise, reaffirm or withdraw its opinion, or otherwise comment on or consider events occurring or coming to its attention after the date of its opinion.
Houlihan Lokey was not requested to, and did not, (a) initiate or participate in any discussions or negotiations with, or solicit any indications of interest from, third parties with respect to the Transaction, the securities, assets, businesses or operations of VGAC II, Grove or any other party, or any alternatives to the Transaction, (b) negotiate the terms of the Transaction, (c) advise the VGAC II Board, VGAC II or any other party with respect to alternatives to the Transaction, or (d) identify, introduce to the VGAC II Board, VGAC II or any other party, or screen for creditworthiness, any prospective investors, lenders or other participants in the Transaction. Houlihan Lokey did not express any opinion as to what the value of the VGAC II Common Stock actually would be when issued in the Transaction pursuant to the Merger Agreement or the price or range of prices at which VGAC II Class A ordinary shares, VGAC II Class B ordinary shares, New Grove Common Stock, Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock could be purchased or sold, or otherwise be transferable, at any time.
Houlihan Lokey’s opinion was furnished for the use of the VGAC II Board (in its capacity as such) in connection with its evaluation of the Transaction and may not be used for any other purpose without Houlihan
 
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Lokey’s prior written consent. Houlihan Lokey’s opinion was not intended to be, and did not constitute, a recommendation to the VGAC II Board, VGAC II, any security holder or any other party as to how to act or vote or make any election with respect to any matter relating to the Transaction or otherwise, including, without limitation, whether holders of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares should redeem their shares or whether any party should participate in the PIPE Financing.
Houlihan Lokey was not requested to opine as to, and its opinion did not express an opinion as to or otherwise address, among other things: (i) the underlying business decision of the VGAC II Board, Parent, its security holders or any other party to proceed with or effect the Business Combination and the Domestication, (ii) the terms of any arrangements, understandings, agreements or documents related to, or the form, structure or any other portion or aspect of, the Business Combination and the Domestication or otherwise (other than the Closing Payment Shares to the extent expressly specified in the opinion), including, without limitation, the Grove Earnout Shares or any other transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement or the status of Parent as, or consequences of Parent being, a Delaware public benefit corporation, (iii) the fairness of any portion or aspect of the Business Combination and the Domestication to the holders of any class of securities, creditors or other constituencies of Parent, or to any other party (including, without limitation, the potential dilutive or other effects of the Closing Payment Shares, the Grove Earnout Shares, the VGAC II Class B ordinary shares, the VGAC II warrants, or any other portion or aspect of the Business Combination and the Domestication), (iv) the relative merits of the Transaction as compared to any alternative business strategies or transactions that might have been available for VGAC II or any other party, (v) the fairness of any portion or aspect of the Business Combination and the Domestication to any one class or group of Parent’s or any other party’s security holders or other constituents
vis-à-vis
any other class or group of Parent’s or such other party’s security holders or other constituents (including, without limitation, the allocation of any consideration amongst or within such classes or groups of security holders or other constituents), (vi) the appropriate capital structure of VGAC II, whether VGAC II should be issuing debt or equity securities or a combination of both in the Business Combination and the Domestication, or the form, structure or any aspect or terms of any debt or equity financing for the Business Combination and the Domestication (including, without limitation, the PIPE Financing) or the likelihood of obtaining such financing, (vii) the acquisition by any parties or group of parties, as a result of the receipt by such parties or group of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock in the Business Combination and the Domestication, of a controlling interest in VGAC II, (viii) whether or not VGAC II, Grove, their respective security holders or any other party is receiving or paying reasonably equivalent value in the Business Combination and the Domestication, (ix) the solvency, creditworthiness or fair value of VGAC II, Grove or any other participant in the Business Combination and the Domestication, or any of their respective assets, under any applicable laws relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar matters, or (x) the fairness, financial or otherwise, of the amount, nature or any other aspect of any compensation to or consideration payable to or received by any officers, directors or employees of any party to the Business Combination and the Domestication, any class of such persons or any other party, relative to the Closing Payment Shares or otherwise. Furthermore, Houlihan Lokey did not express any opinion, counsel or interpretation regarding matters requiring legal, regulatory, environmental, accounting, insurance, tax or other similar professional advice. Houlihan Lokey assumed that such opinions, counsel or interpretations had been or would be obtained from the appropriate professional sources. Furthermore, Houlihan Lokey relied, with the consent of the VGAC II Board, on the assessments by the VGAC II Board, VGAC II, Grove and their respective advisors, as to all legal, regulatory, environmental, accounting, insurance, tax and other similar matters with respect to VGAC II, Grove and the Business Combination and the Domestication or otherwise.
In performing its analyses, Houlihan Lokey considered general business, economic, industry and market conditions, financial and otherwise, and other matters as they existed on, and could be evaluated as of, the date of its opinion. No company or business used in Houlihan Lokey’s analyses for comparative purposes is identical to Grove, and an evaluation of the results of those analyses is not entirely mathematical. The estimates contained in the Projections and the implied reference range values indicated by Houlihan Lokey’s analyses are not necessarily indicative of actual values or predictive of future results or values, which may be significantly more or less favorable than those suggested by the analyses. In addition, any analyses relating to the value of assets,
 
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businesses or securities do not purport to be appraisals or to reflect the prices at which businesses or securities actually may be sold, which may depend on a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of VGAC II or Grove. Much of the information used in, and accordingly the results of, Houlihan Lokey’s analyses are inherently subject to substantial uncertainty.
Houlihan Lokey’s opinion was only one of many factors considered by the VGAC II Board in evaluating the proposed Merger. Neither Houlihan Lokey’s opinion nor its analyses were determinative of the Closing Payment Shares or of the views of the VGAC II Board or management with respect to the Merger or the Closing Payment Shares. The type and amount of consideration payable in the Merger were determined through negotiation between VGAC II and Grove, and the decision to enter into the Merger Agreement was solely that of the VGAC II Board.
Financial Analyses
In preparing its opinion to the VGAC II Board, Houlihan Lokey performed a variety of analyses, including those described below. The summary of Houlihan Lokey’s analyses is not a complete description of the analyses underlying Houlihan Lokey’s opinion. The preparation of such an opinion is a complex process involving various quantitative and qualitative judgments and determinations with respect to the financial, comparative and other analytical methods employed and the adaptation and application of these methods to the unique facts and circumstances presented. As a consequence, neither Houlihan Lokey’s opinion nor its underlying analyses is readily susceptible to summary description. Houlihan Lokey arrived at its opinion based on the results of all analyses undertaken by it and assessed as a whole and did not draw, in isolation, conclusions from or with regard to any individual analysis, methodology or factor. While the results of each analysis were taken into account in reaching Houlihan Lokey’s overall conclusion with respect to fairness, Houlihan Lokey did not make separate or quantifiable judgments regarding individual analyses. Accordingly, Houlihan Lokey believes that its analyses and the following summary must be considered as a whole and that selecting portions of its analyses, methodologies and factors, without considering all analyses, methodologies and factors, could create a misleading or incomplete view of the processes underlying Houlihan Lokey’s analyses and opinion.
The following is a summary of the material financial analyses performed by Houlihan Lokey in connection with the preparation of its opinion and reviewed with the VGAC II Board on December 6, 2021. The order of the analyses does not represent relative importance or weight given to those analyses by Houlihan Lokey. The analyses summarized below include information presented in tabular format. The tables alone do not constitute a complete description of the analyses. Considering the data in the tables below without considering the full narrative description of the analyses, as well as the methodologies underlying, and the assumptions, qualifications and limitations affecting, each analysis, could create a misleading or incomplete view of Houlihan Lokey’s analyses.
For purposes of its analyses, Houlihan Lokey reviewed a number of financial metrics, including enterprise value, which generally is the value as of a specified date of the relevant company’s outstanding equity securities (taking into account outstanding options and other securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into or for equity securities of the company) plus the amount of its net debt (the amount of its outstanding indebtedness,
non-convertible
preferred stock, capital lease obligations and
non-controlling
interests less the amount of cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet).
Unless the context indicates otherwise, enterprise values used in the selected companies analysis described below were calculated using the closing prices of the common stock of the selected companies listed below as of December 3, 2021. The estimates of the future financial performance of Grove relied upon for the financial analyses described below were based on the Projections. The estimates of the future financial performance of the selected companies listed below were based on publicly available research analyst estimates for those companies.
Assumed Value.
For purposes of its financial analyses, with VGAC II’s consent, Houlihan Lokey assumed that, other than the Grove Earnout Shares, the value of each share of VGAC II’s capital stock (including, without
 
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limitation, each VGAC II Class A ordinary share, each VGAC II Class B ordinary share and each share of New Grove Common Stock) was equal to $10.00 (with such $10.00 value being based on VGAC II’s initial public offering and VGAC II’s approximate cash per VGAC II Class A ordinary share outstanding (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the dilutive impact of outstanding VGAC II Class B ordinary shares or any VGAC II warrants)), and (ii) assumed that the Closing Payment Shares had a value equal to $1.4 billion. The assumed value of the Closing Payment Shares excludes the value of any Grove Earnout Shares, as to which Houlihan Lokey, with VGAC II’s consent, expressed no view or opinion.
Selected Companies Analysis
. Houlihan Lokey reviewed certain financial data for selected companies with publicly traded equity securities that Houlihan Lokey deemed relevant.
The financial data reviewed included:
 
   
Enterprise value as a multiple of estimated net revenue for the 2021 calendar year, or “CY 2021E” net revenue; and
 
   
Enterprise value as a multiple of estimated net revenue for the 2022 calendar year, or “CY 2022E” net revenue.
The selected companies and resulting low, high, median and mean financial data included the following:
Consumer Packaged Goods
 
   
Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
 
   
The Clorox Company
 
   
Colgate-Palmolive Company
 
   
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
 
   
The Procter & Gamble Company
 
   
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc
 
   
Unilever PLC
High-Growth Consumer Brands
 
   
Beyond Meat, Inc.
 
   
Fevertree Drinks Plc
 
   
Freshpet, Inc.
 
   
The Honest Company, Inc.
 
   
Lululemon Athletica Inc.
 
   
Peloton Interactive, Inc.
 
   
The Simply Good Foods Company
 
   
Vital Farms, Inc.
 
    
Enterprise Value to Net
Revenue
 
    
CY 2021E
    
CY 2022E
 
Low
     2.25x        1.91x  
High
     10.03x        8.22x  
Median
     4.09x        3.98x  
Mean
     5.14x        4.45x  
 
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Taking into account the results of the selected companies analysis, Houlihan Lokey applied selected multiple ranges of 3.50x to 4.50x CY 2021E net revenue and 3.25x to 4.25x CY 2022E net revenue to corresponding financial data for Grove. The selected companies analysis indicated implied total equity value reference ranges for Grove of approximately $1,350.4 million to $1,735.8 million based on CY 2021E net revenue and approximately $1,398.5 million to $1,828.4 million based on CY 2022E net revenue, in each case as compared to the assumed aggregate value of the Closing Payment Shares to be issued in the Merger of $1.4 billion.
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis.
Houlihan Lokey performed a discounted cash flow analysis of Grove based on the Projections. Houlihan Lokey applied a range of terminal value multiples of 3.25x to 4.25x to Grove’s estimated CY2024E net revenue and discount rates ranging from 9.25% to 10.25%. The discounted cash flow analysis indicated an implied total equity value reference range for Grove of approximately $1,296.1 million to $1,831.0 million, as compared to the assumed aggregate value of the Closing Payment Shares to be issued in the Merger of $1.4 billion.
Other Matters
Houlihan Lokey was engaged by VGAC II to provide an opinion to the VGAC II Board as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to VGAC II of the Closing Payment Shares to be issued by VGAC II in the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement. VGAC II engaged Houlihan Lokey based on Houlihan Lokey’s experience and reputation. Houlihan Lokey is regularly engaged to render financial opinions in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, and for other purposes. Pursuant to its engagement by VGAC II, Houlihan Lokey became entitled to an aggregate fee of $750,000 for its services, of which $125,000 became payable to Houlihan Lokey upon its retention by VGAC II, $125,000 was earned by Houlihan Lokey and payable upon the delivery of its opinion, and $500,000 was earned by Houlihan Lokey upon the delivery of its opinion and payable upon the consummation of the Merger. VGAC II has also agreed to reimburse Houlihan Lokey for certain expenses and to indemnify Houlihan Lokey, its affiliates and certain related parties against certain liabilities and expenses, including certain liabilities under the federal securities laws, arising out of or related to Houlihan Lokey’s engagement.
In the ordinary course of business, certain of Houlihan Lokey’s employees and affiliates, as well as investment funds in which they may have financial interests or with which they may
co-invest,
may acquire, hold or sell, long or short positions, or trade, in debt, equity, and other securities and financial instruments (including loans and other obligations) of, or investments in, VGAC II, Grove or any other party that may be involved in the Transaction and their respective affiliates or security holders or any currency or commodity that may be involved in the Transaction.
Houlihan Lokey and/or certain of its affiliates in the past provided and are currently providing investment banking, financial advisory and/or other financial or consulting services to Virgin Group, for which Houlihan Lokey and/or its affiliates have received, and may receive, compensation, including, among other things, during the prior two years, having acted as financial advisor to Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., a member of the Virgin Group, in connection with certain financing and recapitalization transactions, which were completed in September 2020, March 2021 and December 2021, for which Houlihan Lokey received aggregate fees of approximately $16.5 million. Houlihan Lokey and certain of its affiliates may provide investment banking, financial advisory and/or other financial or consulting services to VGAC II, Grove, members of the Virgin Group, other participants in the Business Combination and the Domestication or certain of their respective affiliates or security holders in the future, for which Houlihan Lokey and its affiliates may receive compensation.
Furthermore, in connection with bankruptcies, restructurings, distressed situations and similar matters, Houlihan Lokey and certain of its affiliates may have in the past acted, may currently be acting and may in the future act as financial advisor to debtors, creditors, equity holders, trustees, agents and other interested parties (including, without limitation, formal and informal committees or groups of creditors) that may have included or represented and may include or represent, directly or indirectly, or may be or have been adverse to,
VGAC II, Grove,
 
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members of the Virgin Group, other participants in the Transaction or certain of their respective affiliates or security holders, for which advice and services Houlihan Lokey and its affiliates have received and may receive compensation.
Satisfaction of 80% Test
It is a requirement under the Existing Governing Documents that any business acquired by VGAC II have a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance of the funds in the trust account at the time of the execution of a definitive agreement for an initial business combination. Based on the financial analysis of Grove generally used to approve the transaction, the VGAC II Board determined that this requirement was met. The VGAC II Board determined that the consideration being paid in the Business Combination, which amount was negotiated at arms-length, was in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and appropriately reflected Grove’s value. In reaching this determination, the VGAC II Board concluded that it was appropriate to base such valuation in part on qualitative factors such as management strength and depth, competitive positioning, customer relationships, and technical skills, as well as quantitative factors such as Grove’s historical growth rate and its potential for future growth in revenue and profits. The VGAC II Board believes that the financial skills and background of its members qualify it to conclude that the business combination with Grove met this requirement.
Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
When you consider the recommendation of the VGAC II Board in favor of approval of the Business Combination Proposal, you should keep in mind that the Sponsor, VGAC II’s directors, and executive officers, have interests in such proposal that are different from, or in addition to, those of VGAC II shareholders and VGAC II warrantholders generally. These interests include, among other things, the interests listed below:
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor has agreed not to redeem any Class A ordinary shares held by it in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares, of which the Sponsor currently owns 9,972,500 Class B ordinary shares and each of the three independent directors owns 30,000 Class B ordinary shares, and such securities will have a significantly higher value at the time of the Business Combination; as described further below:
 
    
Shares of Class B
ordinary shares(1)
    
Value of Class B
ordinary shares
implied by the
Business
Combination(3)
    
Value of Class B
ordinary shares
based on recent
trading price(4)
 
Sponsor(2)
     9,972,500      $ 99,725,000      $                
Chris Burggraeve
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
Elizabeth Nelson
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
Latif Peracha
     30,000      $ 300,000      $    
 
(1)
Interests shown consist solely of founder shares. Such shares will automatically convert into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock upon Domestication on a
one-for-one
basis.
(2)
VG Acquisition Sponsor II LLC is the record holder of the shares reported herein.
(3)
Assumes a value of $10.00 per share, the deemed value of the Class B ordinary shares in the Business Combination.
(4)
Assumes a value of $                 per share, the closing price of the Class B ordinary shares on
 
   
the fact that each of Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Lovell invested $300,000 in the Sponsor and hold interests in the Sponsor that represent an indirect interest in 1,246,600 Class B ordinary shares and 197,939 private placement warrants, and the fact that Mr. Burggraeve, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Peracha each invested $100,000, in the Sponsor indirectly through an investment in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC, an
 
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affiliate of the Sponsor, and each holds interests in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC that represent an indirect interest in 70,216 Class B ordinary shares, and 66,550 private placement warrants, respectively, and all of such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents);
 
   
the fact that given the differential in the purchase price that the Sponsor paid for the founder shares as compared to the price of the public shares sold in the initial public offering, the Sponsor and its affiliates may earn a positive rate of return on their investment even if the Class A ordinary shares trades below the price initially paid for the public shares in the initial public offering and the public shareholders experience a negative rate of return following the completion of the Business Combination;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor will benefit from the completion of a business combination and may be incentivized to complete an acquisition of a less favorable target company or on terms less favorable to shareholders rather than liquidate;
 
   
the fact that if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents), our Sponsor and VGAC II’s officers and directors will lose their entire investment in VGAC II, which investment included a capital contribution of $25,000 for the Sponsor’s Class B ordinary shares and $10,050,000 for the Sponsor’s private placement warrants, and will not be reimbursed for any
out-of-pocket
expenses from any amounts held in the trust account;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor and VGAC II’s other current officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any ordinary shares (other than public shares) held by them if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023;
 
   
the fact that the Registration Rights Agreement will be entered into by the Sponsor;
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor transferred 30,000 Class B ordinary shares to each of VGAC II’s three independent directors prior to the initial public offering, and such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents);
 
   
the fact that the Sponsor entered into the Sponsor Agreement pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed that the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement, with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement). If, upon the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove;
 
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the continued indemnification of VGAC II’s directors and officers and the continuation of VGAC II’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance after the Business Combination (
i.e.
, a “tail policy”);
 
   
the fact that if the trust account is liquidated, including in the event VGAC II is unable to complete an initial business combination by March 25, 2023, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify VGAC II to ensure that the proceeds in the trust account are not reduced below $10.00 per public share, or such lesser per public share amount as is in the trust account on the liquidation date, by the claims of prospective target businesses with which VGAC II has entered into an acquisition agreement or claims of any third party for services rendered or products sold to VGAC II, but only if such a vendor or target business has not executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account;
 
   
the fact that [●], [●] of the Sponsor is expected to be director of New Grove after the consummation of the Business Combination and as such, in the future, he may receive cash fees, stock options, stock awards or other remuneration that the New Grove Board determines to pay to him and any other applicable compensation; and
 
   
the fact that the Virgin Group and the Sponsor will collectively own 6,572,125 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which collectively will represent up to approximately 4.4% outstanding shares of New Grove Common Stock and approximately [●]% of the voting power of New Grove Common Stock assuming that 100% of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares are redeemed.
The Sponsor has, pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger), (ii) waive any adjustment to the conversion ratio set forth in the Existing Governing Documents with respect to the Class B ordinary shares of VGAC II held by the Sponsor, and (iii) be bound by certain
earn-out
provisions with respect to its shares in VGAC II following the Closing, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. Such shares will be excluded from the pro rata calculation used to determine the
per-share
redemption price. As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the Sponsor owns approximately 20.0% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
” in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for more information related to the Sponsor Agreement.
Expected Accounting Treatment of the Business Combination
The Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in conformity with GAAP. Under this method of accounting, VGAC II has been treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. This determination was primarily based on the following factors: (i) the business of Grove will comprise the ongoing operations of New Grove; (ii) Grove’s senior management will comprise the senior management of New Grove; (iii) the
pre-Business
Combination stockholders of Grove will have the largest ownership of New Grove and the right to appoint the highest number of board members relative to other stockholders; and (iv) the headquarters of Grove will be that of New Grove. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of the combined entity will represent a continuation of the financial statements of Grove with the Business Combination being treated as the equivalent of Grove issuing stock for the net assets of VGAC II, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of VGAC II will be stated at historical costs, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.
Regulatory Matters
Under the HSR Act and the rules that have been promulgated thereunder by the FTC, certain transactions may not be consummated unless information has been furnished to the Antitrust Division and the FTC and certain waiting period requirements have been satisfied. The Business Combination is subject to these requirements and may not be completed until the expiration of a
30-day
waiting period following the filing of the required Notification and Report Forms with the Antitrust Division and the FTC or until early termination is granted. VGAC II and Grove filed the required forms under the HSR Act with the Antitrust Division and the FTC within ten business days following the date of the Merger Agreement.
 
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At any time before or after consummation of the Business Combination, notwithstanding termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act, the applicable competition authorities in, the United States, or any other applicable jurisdiction could take such action under applicable antitrust laws as such authority deems necessary or desirable in the public interest, including seeking to enjoin the consummation of the Business Combination, conditionally approving the Business Combination upon divestiture of New Grove’s assets, subjecting the completion of the Business Combination to regulatory conditions, or seeking other remedies. Private parties may also seek to take legal action under the antitrust laws under certain circumstances. VGAC II cannot assure you that the Antitrust Division, the FTC, any state attorney general, or any other government authority will not attempt to challenge the Business Combination on antitrust grounds, and, if such a challenge is made, VGAC II cannot assure you as to its result.
Neither VGAC II nor Grove is aware of any material regulatory approvals or actions that are required for completion of the Business Combination other than the expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act. It is presently contemplated that if any such additional regulatory approvals or actions are required, those approvals or actions will be sought. There can be no assurance, however, that any additional approvals or actions will be obtained.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Business Combination Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
The Business Combination Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that VGAC II’s entry into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 7, 2021 (as may be amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the (“
Merger Agreement
”), by and among VGAC II, Treehouse Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
VGAC II Merger Sub
”), and Grove Collaborative, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Grove
”), a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex A, be approved, pursuant to which, among other things, at least one day following the
de-registration
of VGAC II as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands and the continuation and domestication of VGAC II as a corporation in the State of Delaware with the name “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.”, (x) VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove (the “
Merger
”), with Grove as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to such Merger, Grove shall be a wholly owned direct subsidiary of New Grove and (y) in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the time at which the Merger becomes effective (the “
Effective Time
”), based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that
 
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are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of the Company Unvested 2021 Options.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT THE VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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DOMESTICATION PROPOSAL
Overview
VGAC II is asking its shareholders to approve the Domestication Proposal. Under the Merger Agreement, the approval of the Domestication Proposal is also a condition to the consummation of the Business Combination.
As a condition to closing the Business Combination, the VGAC II Board has approved, and VGAC II shareholders are being asked to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve a change of VGAC II’s jurisdiction of incorporation by deregistering as a Cayman Islands exempted company and continuing and domesticating as a public benefit corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. To effect the Domestication, VGAC II will file an application to deregister with the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies, together with the necessary accompanying documents, and file a certificate of incorporation and a certificate of corporate domestication with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, under which VGAC II will be domesticated and continue as a Delaware public benefit corporation.
In connection with the Domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing Date, (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (ii) each issued and outstanding warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II will convert automatically into a warrant to acquire New Grove Class A Common Stock in the same form and on the same terms and conditions as the converted VGAC II warrant, and (iii) each issued and outstanding unit of VGAC II that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary share of VGAC II and underlying VGAC II warrant upon the request of the holder thereof prior to the Domestication will be canceled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock and
one-fifth
of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the VGAC II Warrant Agreement.
The Domestication Proposal, if approved, will approve a change of VGAC II’s jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware. Accordingly, while VGAC II is currently incorporated as an exempted company under the Cayman Islands Companies Act, upon the Domestication, New Grove will be governed by the DGCL. VGAC II encourages shareholders to carefully consult the information set out below under “
Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
.” Additionally, VGAC II notes that if the Domestication Proposal is approved, then VGAC II will also ask its shareholders to approve the Charter Amendment Proposal (discussed below), which, if approved, will replace the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws under the DGCL. The Proposed Governing Documents differ in certain material respects from the Existing Governing Documents and VGAC II encourages shareholders to carefully consult the information set out below under “
Governing Documents Proposals
,” the Existing Governing Documents, attached hereto as Annex B and the Proposed Governing Documents, attached hereto as Annex C and Annex D.
Reasons for the Domestication
The VGAC II Board believes that there are significant advantages to VGAC II that will arise as a result of a change of VGAC II’s domicile to Delaware. Further, the VGAC II Board believes that any direct benefit that the DGCL provides to a public benefit corporation also indirectly benefits its stockholders, who are the owners of the corporation. The VGAC II Board believes that there are several reasons why a reincorporation in Delaware is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders. As explained in more detail below, these reasons can be summarized as follows:
 
   
Prominence, Predictability, and Flexibility of Delaware Law
. For many years Delaware has followed a policy of encouraging incorporation in its state and, in furtherance of that policy, has been a leader in
 
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adopting, construing, and implementing comprehensive, flexible corporate laws responsive to the legal and business needs of corporations organized under its laws. Many corporations have chosen Delaware initially as a state of incorporation or have subsequently changed corporate domicile to Delaware. Because of Delaware’s prominence as the state of incorporation for many major corporations, both the legislature and courts in Delaware have demonstrated the ability and a willingness to act quickly and effectively to meet changing business needs. The DGCL is frequently revised and updated to accommodate changing legal and business needs and is more comprehensive, widely used and interpreted than other state corporate laws. This favorable corporate and regulatory environment is attractive to businesses such as VGAC II.
 
   
Well-Established Principles of Corporate Governance
. There is substantial judicial precedent in the Delaware courts as to the legal principles applicable to measures that may be taken by a corporation and to the conduct of a company’s board of directors, such as under the business judgment rule and other standards. Because the judicial system is based largely on legal precedents, the abundance of Delaware case law provides clarity and predictability to many areas of corporate law. VGAC II believes, such clarity would be advantageous to New Grove, the New Grove Board, and New Grove management to make corporate decisions and take corporate actions with greater assurance as to the validity and consequences of those decisions and actions. Further, investors and securities professionals are generally more familiar with Delaware corporations, and the laws governing such corporations, increasing their level of comfort with Delaware corporations relative to other jurisdictions. The Delaware courts have developed considerable expertise in dealing with corporate issues, and a substantial body of case law has developed construing Delaware law and establishing public policies with respect to corporate legal affairs. Moreover, Delaware’s vast body of law on the fiduciary duties of directors provides appropriate protection for New Grove’s stockholders from possible abuses by directors and officers.
 
   
Increased Ability to Attract and Retain Qualified Directors
. Reincorporation from the Cayman Islands to Delaware is attractive to directors, officers, and stockholders alike. New Grove’s incorporation in Delaware may make New Grove more attractive to future candidates for the New Grove Board, because many such candidates are already familiar with Delaware corporate law from their past business experience. To date, VGAC II has not experienced difficulty in retaining directors or officers, but directors of public companies are exposed to significant potential liability. Thus, candidates’ familiarity and comfort with Delaware laws—especially those relating to director indemnification (as discussed below)—draw such qualified candidates to Delaware corporations. The VGAC II Board therefore believes that providing the benefits afforded directors by Delaware law will enable New Grove to compete more effectively with other public companies in the recruitment of talented and experienced directors and officers. Moreover, Delaware’s vast body of law on the fiduciary duties of directors provides appropriate protection for VGAC II shareholders from possible abuses by directors and officers.
 
   
In the judgement of the VGAC II Board, the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation is necessary to address the needs of New Grove. The purpose of the new public entity reflects its designation as a public benefit corporation under Delaware law.
The frequency of claims and litigation pursued against directors and officers has greatly expanded the risks facing directors and officers of corporations in carrying out their respective duties. The amount of time and money required to respond to such claims and to defend such litigation can be substantial. While both Cayman Islands and Delaware law permit a corporation to include a provision in its governing documents to reduce or eliminate the monetary liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty in certain circumstances, VGAC II believes that, in general, Delaware law is more developed and provides more guidance than Cayman Islands law on matters regarding a company’s ability to limit director liability. As a result, VGAC II believes that the corporate environment afforded by Delaware will enable New Grove to compete more effectively with other public companies in attracting and retaining new directors.
 
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Expected Accounting Treatment of the Domestication
There will be no accounting effect or change in the carrying amount of the assets and liabilities of VGAC II as a result of the Domestication. The business, capitalization, assets and liabilities, and financial statements of New Grove immediately following the Domestication will be the same as those of VGAC II immediately prior to the Domestication.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Domestication Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
The Domestication Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as a special resolution, that VGAC II be transferred by way of continuation to Delaware pursuant to Part XII of the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and Section 388 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and, immediately upon being
de-registered
in the Cayman Islands, VGAC II be continued and domesticated as a public benefit corporation under the laws of the state of Delaware and, conditioned upon, and with effect from, the registration of VGAC II as a corporation in the State of Delaware, the name of VGAC II be changed from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” and the registered office of the Company be changed to 3500 South DuPont Highway, City of Dover, County of Kent, Delaware 19901, be approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE DOMESTICATION PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSAL
Overview
VGAC II is asking its shareholders to approve the Charter Amendment Proposal. If the Condition Precedent Proposals are approved and the Domestication is to be consummated, VGAC II will replace the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Governing Documents, in each case, under the DGCL.
Reasons for the Charter Amendment
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, as well as the Proposed Bylaws, was negotiated as part of the Business Combination. VGAC II Board’s specific reasons for each of the Governing Documents Proposals (each of which are included in the Proposed Governing Documents) are set forth in the section “Governing Documents Proposals.”
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of Charter Amendment Proposal requires a special resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of not less than
two-thirds
of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purpose of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and other will have no effect on a particular proposal.
The Charter Amendment Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as a special resolution, that the existing amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of VGAC II (together, the “
Existing Governing Documents
”) be amended and restated by the deletion in their entirety and the substitution in their place of the proposed new certificate of incorporation, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C (the “
Proposed Certificate of Incorporation
”) and the proposed new bylaws, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex D (the “
Proposed Bylaws
”) of “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” upon the Domestication, be approved as the certificate of incorporation and bylaws, respectively, of Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc., effective upon the effectiveness of the Domestication”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and its shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, himself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal— Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSALS
If the Charter Amendment Proposal and the Condition Precedent Proposals are approved and the Domestication is to be consummated, VGAC II will replace the Existing Governing Documents, with a proposed new certificate of incorporation and proposed new bylaws of New Grove, in each case, under the DGCL.
VGAC II will ask its shareholders to consider and to vote to approve by
non-binding,
advisory resolution five separate proposals in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Governing Documents. Because the votes on the Governing Documents Proposals are advisory only, they will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
The Proposed Governing Documents differ in certain material respects from the Existing Governing Documents. The following table sets forth a summary of the principal changes proposed to be made between the Existing Governing Documents and the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws for New Grove. This summary is qualified by reference to the complete text of the Existing Governing Documents of VGAC II, attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex B, the complete text of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C, and the complete text of the Proposed Bylaws, a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex D. All shareholders are encouraged to read each of the Proposed Governing Documents in its entirety for a more complete description of its terms. Additionally, as the Existing Governing Documents are governed by Cayman Islands law and the Proposed Governing Documents will be governed by the DGCL, VGAC II encourages shareholders to carefully consult the information set out under the “
Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
” section of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
 
    
Existing Governing Documents
  
Proposed Governing Documents
Authorized Shares
(Governing Documents
Proposal A)
   The share capital under the Existing Governing Documents is US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares of par value US$0.0001 per share.    The Proposed Governing Documents authorize 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock.
  
See paragraph 5 of the Memorandum of Association.
  
See Article IV of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
Authorize the Board of Directors to Issue Preferred Stock Without Stockholder Consent
(Governing Documents Proposal B)
   The Existing Governing Documents authorize the issuance of 1,000,000 preference shares with such designation, rights, and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the VGAC II Board. Accordingly, VGAC II Board is empowered under the Existing Governing Documents, without shareholder approval, to issue preference shares with dividend, liquidation, redemption, voting, or other rights, provided    The Proposed Governing Documents authorize the board of directors to issue all or any shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix for each such series such voting powers, full or limited, and such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, as the New Grove Board may determine.
 
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Existing Governing Documents
  
Proposed Governing Documents
   that the issuance of such preference shares does not materially adversely affect the rights attached to the other shareholders of VGAC II.   
  
See paragraph 5 of the Memorandum of Association and Articles 3 and 10 of the Articles of Association.
  
See Article IV subsection 2 of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
Corporate Name
(Governing Documents Proposal B)
   The Existing Governing Documents provide the name of the company is “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II”    The Proposed Governing Documents will provide that the name of the corporation will be “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.”
  
See paragraph 1 of VGAC II’s Memorandum of Association.
  
See Article I of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
Perpetual Existence
(Governing Documents Proposal B)
   The Existing Governing Documents provide that if VGAC II does not consummate a business combination (as defined in the Existing Governing Documents) by March 25, 2023 (twenty-four months after the closing of the initial public offering), VGAC II will cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up and will redeem the shares issued in the initial public offering and liquidate its trust account.    The Proposed Governing Documents do not include any provisions relating to New Grove’s ongoing existence; the default under the DGCL will make New Grove’s existence perpetual.
  
See Article 49 of VGAC II’s Articles of Association.
  
This is the default rule under the DGCL.
Exclusive Forum
(Governing Documents Proposal B)
   The Existing Governing Documents do not contain a provision adopting an exclusive forum for certain shareholder litigation.    The Proposed Governing Documents adopt Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
     
See Article XI of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
Provisions Related to
Status as Blank Check Company
(Governing Documents Proposal B)
   The Existing Governing Documents set forth various provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company    The Proposed Governing Documents do not include such provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company, which no longer will apply upon
 
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Existing Governing Documents
  
Proposed Governing Documents
   prior to the consummation of a business combination.    consummation of the Business Combination, as VGAC II will cease to be a blank check company at such time.
  
See Article 49 of VGAC II’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association.
  
Voting Rights of Common
Stock
(Governing Documents
Proposal C)
   The Existing Governing Documents provide that the holders of each ordinary share of VGAC II is entitled to one vote for each share on each matter properly submitted to the shareholders entitled to vote.    The Proposed Governing Documents provide that holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be entitled to cast one vote per share of New Grove Class A Common Stock, and holders of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders entitled to vote.
  
See Article 23 of VGAC II’s Articles of Association.
  
See Article IVof the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
 
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GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSAL A—APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION OF CHANGE TO AUTHORIZED SHARE CAPITAL, AS SET FORTH IN THE PROPOSED GOVERNING DOCUMENTS
Overview
Governing Documents Proposal A—to approve the change in the authorized share capital of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share, to (ii) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock.
As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are 50,312,500 ordinary shares issued and outstanding, which includes an aggregate of 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor. In addition, as of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, there are 14,750,000 warrants to acquire ordinary shares outstanding, comprised of 6,700,000 private placement warrants held by Sponsor and 8,050,000 public warrants.
In connection with the Domestication, at least one day prior to the Closing Date, (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically, on a
one-for-one
basis, into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (ii) each issued and outstanding warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II will convert automatically into a warrant to acquire New Grove Class A Common Stock in the same form and on the same terms and conditions as the converted VGAC II warrant, and (iii) each issued and outstanding unit of VGAC II that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary share of VGAC II and underlying VGAC II warrant upon the request of the holder thereof prior to the Domestication will be canceled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock and
one-fifth
of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the VGAC II Warrant Agreement. See “
Domestication Proposal
.”
In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of Company Unvested 2021 Options. For further details, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Consideration to Grove Equityholders in the Business Combination
.”
 
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In order to ensure that New Grove has sufficient authorized capital for future issuances, the VGAC II Board has approved, subject to stockholder approval, the Proposed Governing Documents of New Grove change the authorized share of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, and 1,000,000 preference shares of VGAC II to (ii) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock.
This summary is qualified by reference to the complete text of the Proposed Governing Documents of New Grove, copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D. All stockholders are encouraged to read the Proposed Governing Documents in their entirety for a more complete description of their terms.
Reasons for the Amendments
The principal purpose of this proposal is to provide for an authorized capital structure of New Grove that will enable it to continue as an operating company governed by the DGCL. The VGAC II Board believes that it is important for New Grove to have available for issuance a number of authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock sufficient to support New Grove’s growth and to provide flexibility for future corporate needs (including, if needed, as part of financing for future growth acquisitions).
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Governing Documents Proposal A requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
Because the vote on the Governing Documents Proposal A is advisory only, it will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as a
non-binding,
advisory resolution, that the change in the authorized share capital of VGAC II from (i) US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, (ii) 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, and (iii) 1,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share, to (a) 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (b) 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and (c) 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Grove (the “
New Grove Preferred Stock
”) be approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSAL A.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, himself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSAL B—APPROVAL OF OTHER CHANGES IN CONNECTION WITH ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED GOVERNING DOCUMENTS
Overview
Governing Documents Proposal B
—to amend and restate the Existing Governing Documents and to authorize all other immaterial changes in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws as part of the Domestication (copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D, respectively), including (i) changing the post-Business Combination corporate name from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (which is expected to occur after the consummation of the Domestication), (ii) making New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual, (iii) adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act and (iv) removing certain provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company that will no longer be applicable upon consummation of the Business Combination, all of which the VGAC II Board believes is necessary to adequately address the needs of New Grove after the Business Combination. All material changes in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws as part of the Domestication are being presented to VGAC II shareholders as part of Governing Documents Proposal A, Governing Documents Proposal B and Governing Documents Proposal C.
VGAC II shareholders are also being asked to approve Governing Documents Proposal B, which is, in the judgment of the VGAC II Board, necessary to adequately address the needs of New Grove after the Business Combination.
The Proposed Governing Documents will be further amended in connection with the Domestication to provide that the name of the corporation will be “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.”. In addition, the Proposed Governing Documents will make New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual.
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, which will be in effect upon consummation of the Domestication, provides that, unless New Grove consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of New Grove, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee or agent of New Grove to New Grove or New Grove’s stockholders, (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or Proposed Bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim against New Grove governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The forgoing provisions will not apply to any claims arising under the Securities Act and, unless New Grove consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act.
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation will not contain provisions related to a blank check company (including those related to operation of the trust account, winding up of VGAC II’s operations should VGAC II not complete a business combination by a specified date, and other such blank check-specific provisions that are in the Existing Governing Documents) because following the consummation of the Business Combination, New Grove will not be a blank check company.
Approval of each of the Governing Documents Proposals, assuming approval of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals, will result, upon the consummation of the Domestication, in the wholesale replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with New Grove’s Proposed Governing Documents. While certain material changes between the Existing Governing Documents and the Proposed Governing Documents have been unbundled into distinct Governing Documents Proposals or otherwise identified in this Governing Documents
 
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Proposal B, there are other differences between the Existing Governing Documents and the Proposed Governing Documents (arising from, among other things, differences between the Cayman Islands Companies Act and the DGCL and the typical form of organizational documents under each such body of law) that will be approved (subject to the approval aforementioned related proposals) if VGAC II shareholders approve this Governing Documents Proposal B. Accordingly, VGAC II encourages shareholders to carefully review the terms of the Proposed Governing Documents of New Grove, attached hereto as Annex C and Annex D, as well as the information set under the “
Comparison of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights
” section of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Reasons for the Amendments
Corporate Name
The VGAC II Board believes that changing the post-Domestication corporate name from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” is desirable to reflect the Business Combination with Grove and to clearly identify New Grove as the publicly traded entity.
Perpetual Existence
The VGAC II Board believes that making New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual is desirable to reflect the Business Combination. Additionally, perpetual existence is the usual period of existence for public corporations, and the VGAC II Board believes that it is the most appropriate period for New Grove following the Business Combination.
Exclusive Forum
Adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation is intended to assist New Grove in avoiding multiple lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions regarding the same matter. The ability to require such claims to be brought in a single forum will help to assure consistent consideration of the issues, the application of a relatively known body of case law and level of expertise, and should promote efficiency and cost-savings in the resolutions of such claims. The VGAC II Board believes that the Delaware courts are best suited to address disputes involving such matters given that after the Domestication, New Grove will be incorporated in Delaware. Delaware law generally applies to such matters and the Delaware courts have a reputation for expertise in corporate law matters. Delaware offers a specialized Court of Chancery to address corporate law matters, with streamlined procedures and processes which help provide relatively quick decisions. This accelerated schedule can minimize the time, cost, and uncertainty of litigation for all parties. The Court of Chancery has developed considerable expertise with respect to corporate law issues, as well as a substantial and influential body of case law construing Delaware’s corporate law and long-standing precedent regarding corporate governance. This provides stockholders and the post-combination company with more predictability regarding the outcome of intra-corporate disputes. In the event the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the other state courts located in Delaware would be the most appropriate forums because these courts have more expertise on matters of Delaware law compared to other jurisdictions.
In addition, this amendment would promote judicial fairness and avoid conflicting results, as well as make New Grove’s defense of applicable claims less disruptive and more economically feasible, principally by avoiding duplicative discovery.
Adopting U.S. federal district courts as the exclusive forum for resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act is intended to assist New Grove in resolving such disputes in a consistent manner with greater uniformity of procedures and precedents. The ability to require such claims to be brought within a single judicial system will help to assure consistent consideration of the issues and encourage consistent application of a relatively known body of case law and perceived level of expertise. The VGAC II
 
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Board believes that the U.S. federal district courts are best suited to address disputes involving actions arising under the Securities Act given that the Securities Act is promulgated by the federal government. This provides New Grove and its stockholders with more predictability regarding the outcome of disputes arising under the Securities Act.
The portion of the exclusive forum provision in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation requiring the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the state courts of the State of Delaware be the exclusive forum for certain suits would not be enforceable with respect to any suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or the Securities Act. To the extent the exclusive forum provision restricts the venue in which holders of New Grove common stock may bring claims arising under the federal securities laws, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions. The exclusive forum provision in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation shall not relieve New Grove of its duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and New Grove’s stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
Provisions Related to Status as Blank Check Company
The elimination of certain provisions related to VGAC II’s status as a blank check company is desirable because these provisions will serve no purpose following the Business Combination. For example, certain other provisions in the Existing Governing Documents require that proceeds from the initial public offering be held in the trust account until a business combination or liquidation of VGAC II has occurred. These provisions cease to apply once the Business Combination is consummated and are therefore not included in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of Governing Documents Proposal B requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
Because the vote on the Governing Documents Proposal B is advisory only, it will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as a
non-binding,
advisory resolution, that the amendment and restatement of the Existing Governing Documents be approved and that all other immaterial changes necessary or, as mutually agreed in good faith by VGAC II and Grove, desirable in connection with the replacement of the Existing Governing Documents with the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and Proposed Bylaws as part of the Domestication (copies of which are attached to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D, respectively), including (i) changing the corporate name from “Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II” to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (which is expected to occur upon the consummation of the Domestication), (ii) making New Grove’s corporate existence perpetual, (iii) adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for litigation arising out of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and (iv) removing certain provisions related to our status as a blank check company that will no longer be applicable upon consummation of the Business Combination be approved.”
 
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Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSAL B.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSAL C—APPROVAL OF DUAL-CLASS STRUCTURE
Overview
Governing Documents Proposal C—to authorize the issuance of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will allow holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock.
VGAC II shareholders are also being asked to approve Governing Documents Proposal C, which is, in the judgment of the VGAC II Board, necessary to adequately address the needs of New Grove after the Business Combination.
Reasons for the Amendments
The Proposed Governing Documents provide that holders of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock will have ten votes on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders entitled to vote. Because, upon consummation of the Business Combination, the former holders of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock will collectively have majority voting power, and these shares are generally restricted from transfers, except in limited circumstances, this dual class stock structure provides such stockholders with the ability to control the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval. We believe that our success rests on our ability to undertake a long-term view and the controlling interest of such former stockholders of Grove, will enhance New Grove’s ability to focus on long-term value creation and help insulate New Grove from short-term outside influences.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of Governing Documents Proposal C requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
Because the vote on the Governing Documents Proposal C is advisory only, it will not be binding on the VGAC II Board or New Grove.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as a
non-binding,
advisory resolution, that the issuance of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will allow holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock to cast ten votes per share of New Grove Class B Common Stock be approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PROPOSAL D.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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NYSE PROPOSAL
Overview
VGAC II is asking its shareholders to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve by ordinary resolution for the purposes of complying with the applicable provisions of the NYSE Listing Rule 312.03, the issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing, to the extent such issuance would require shareholder approval under NYSE Listing Rule 312.03.
Reasons for the Approval for Purposes of NYSE Listing Rule 312.03
Under NYSE Listing Rule 312.03(c), a company is required to obtain stockholder approval prior to the issuance of common stock, or of securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, if the number of shares of common stock to be issued is, or will be upon issuance, equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding before the issuance of the common stock or of securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock. If the Business Combination is completed pursuant to the Merger Agreement, VGAC II currently expects to issue an estimated [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and [●] shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock (assuming that none of VGAC II’s outstanding public shares are redeemed) in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing. In addition, New Grove may issue up to [●] shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock upon the exercise of stock options, restricted stock units and warrants assumed in the Business Combination. For further details, see “
Business Combination Proposal— Consideration to Grove Equityholders in the Business Combination,
” and “
Incentive Equity Plan Proposal
.”
Additionally, pursuant to NYSE Listing Rule 312.03(b), a NYSE-listed company is required to seek shareholder approval when such company proposes to issue securities to a substantial security holder, or an affiliate of a substantial security holder, if the number of shares of common stock to be issued, or if the number of shares of common stock into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either one percent of the number of shares of common stock or one percent of the voting power outstanding before the issuance. NYSE Listing Rule 312.04(e) defines a substantial stockholder as the holder of an interest of 5% or more of either the number of shares of common stock or the voting power outstanding of a NYSE-listed company. As the Sponsor currently owns greater than 5% of VGAC II’s ordinary shares, the Sponsor is considered a substantial security holder of VGAC II under NYSE Listing Rule 312.04(e). Additionally, because one of the PIPE Investors is an affiliate of the Sponsor, and has agreed to subscribe for 5,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, VGAC II may be required to seek shareholder approval under NYSE Listing Rule 312.03(b).
In the event that this proposal is not approved by VGAC II shareholders, the Business Combination cannot be consummated. In the event that this proposal is approved by VGAC II shareholders, but the Merger Agreement is terminated (without the Business Combination being consummated) prior to the issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement, New Grove will not issue such shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove Class B Common Stock.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the NYSE Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
 
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The NYSE Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that for the purposes of complying with the applicable provisions of New York Stock Exchange (“
NYSE
”) Listing Rule 312.03, the issuance of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock be approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE NYSE PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s directors and officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder.
See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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INCENTIVE EQUITY PLAN PROPOSAL
Overview
VGAC II is asking VGAC II shareholders to vote upon a proposal to approve the Incentive Equity Plan, including the authorization of the initial share reserve under the Incentive Equity Plan. The VGAC II Board adopted the Incentive Equity Plan on [●], subject to its approval by the VGAC II shareholders. If the shareholders approve the Incentive Equity Plan, it will become effective upon the Closing of the Business Combination.
Purposes of the Incentive Equity Plan
The purposes of the Incentive Equity Plan are (i) to align the interests of New Grove stockholders and the recipients of awards under the Incentive Equity Plan by increasing the proprietary interest of such recipients in New Grove’s growth and success, (ii) to advance the interests of New Grove by attracting and retaining
non-employee
directors, officers, other employees, consultants, independent contractors and agents and (iii) to motivate such persons to act in the long-term best interests of New Grove and its shareholders.
Description of the Incentive Equity Plan
The following description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the plan document, a copy of which is attached as Annex I to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and incorporated into this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus by reference.
Administration
The Incentive Equity Plan will be administered by the compensation committee of the New Grove Board, or a subcommittee thereof, or such other committee designated by the New Grove Board (the “
Plan Committee
”), in each case consisting of two or more members of the New Grove Board. Each member of the Plan Committee is intended to be (i) a
“non-employee
director” within the meaning of
Rule 16b-3 under
the Exchange Act, and (ii) “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE.
Subject to the express provisions of the Incentive Equity Plan, the Plan Committee has the authority to select eligible persons to receive awards and determine all of the terms and conditions of each award. All awards are evidenced by an agreement containing such provisions not inconsistent with the Incentive Equity Plan as the Plan Committee approves. The Plan Committee also has authority to establish rules and regulations for administering the Incentive Equity Plan and to decide questions of interpretation or application of any provision of the Incentive Equity Plan. The Plan Committee may take any action such that (i) any outstanding options and SARs become exercisable in part or in full, (ii) all or any portion of a restriction period on any outstanding awards lapse, (iii) all or a portion of any performance period applicable to any awards lapse, and (iv) any performance measures applicable to any outstanding award be deemed satisfied at the target, maximum or any other level.
The Plan Committee may delegate some or all of its power and authority under the Incentive Equity Plan to the New Grove Board (or any members thereof), a subcommittee of the New Grove Board, a member of the New Grove Board, the Chief Executive Officer or other executive officer of New Grove as the Plan Committee deems appropriate, except that it may not delegate its power and authority to a member of the New Grove Board, the Chief Executive Officer or any executive officer with regard to awards to persons subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
Types of Awards
Under the Incentive Equity Plan, New Grove may grant:
 
   
Non-qualified
stock options;
 
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Incentive stock options (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code);
 
   
Stock appreciation rights (“
SARs
”);
 
   
Restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock awards (collectively, “
Stock Awards
”); and
 
   
Performance awards.
Available Shares
Subject to the capitalization adjustment provisions contained in the Incentive Equity Plan, the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock initially available for awards under the Incentive Equity Plan is equal to 15% of the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock outstanding as of immediately following the Closing of the Business Combination, on an
as-converted
basis. Subject to the capitalization adjustment provisions contained in the Incentive Equity Plan, no more than [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the aggregate may be issued under the Incentive Equity Plan in connection with incentive stock options. The number of shares available under the Incentive Equity Plan shall increase annually on the first day of each calendar year, beginning immediately following the calendar year ending December 31, 2023, and continuing until (and including) the calendar year ending December 31, 2032, with such annual increase equal to the lesser of (i) 5% of the number of shares issued and outstanding on December 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year and (ii) an amount determined by the New Grove Board. The number of shares that remain available for future grants under the Incentive Equity Plan shall be reduced by the sum of the aggregate number of shares that become subject to outstanding options, outstanding free-standing SARs, outstanding stock awards and outstanding performance awards denominated in shares, in each case, other than substitute awards. As of the Closing of the Business Combination, no future equity awards shall be granted under the Grove Collaborative, Inc. Amended and Restated 2016 Equity Incentive Equity Plan (the “
Prior Plan
”).
To the extent that shares subject to an outstanding option, SAR, stock award or performance award granted under the Incentive Equity Plan or the Prior Plan, other than substitute awards, are not issued or delivered by reason of (i) the expiration, termination, cancellation or forfeiture of such award (excluding shares subject to an option cancelled upon settlement in shares of a related tandem SAR or shares subject to a tandem SAR cancelled upon exercise of a related option) or (ii) the settlement of such award in cash, then such shares shall again be available under the Incentive Equity Plan. In addition, shares subject to an award under the Incentive Equity Plan or the Prior Plan shall again be available for issuance under the Incentive Equity Plan if such shares are (x) shares that were subject to an option or stock-settled SAR and were not issued or delivered upon the net settlement or net exercise of such option or SAR or (y) shares delivered to or withheld by New Grove to pay the purchase price or the withholding taxes related to an outstanding award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares repurchased by New Grove on the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise shall not again be available for issuance under the Incentive Equity Plan.
The number of shares available for awards under the Incentive Equity Plan shall not be reduced by (i) the number of shares subject to substitute awards or (ii) available shares under a shareholder approved plan of a company or other entity which was a party to a corporate transaction with New Grove (as appropriately adjusted to reflect such corporate transaction) which become subject to awards granted under the Incentive Equity Plan (subject to applicable stock exchange requirements).
Shares to be delivered under the Incentive Equity Plan shall be made available from authorized and unissued shares, or authorized and issued shares reacquired and held as treasury shares or otherwise or a combination thereof.
As of [●], the closing share price of a Class A ordinary share of VGAC II was $[●] per share.
 
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Change in Control
Unless otherwise provided in an award agreement, in the event of a change in control of New Grove, the New Grove Board (as constituted prior to such change in control) may, in its discretion, require that (i) some or all outstanding options and SARs will become exercisable in full or in part, either immediately or upon a subsequent termination of employment, (ii) the restriction period applicable to some or all outstanding Stock Awards will lapse in full or in part, either immediately or upon a subsequent termination of employment, (iii) the performance period applicable to some or all outstanding awards will lapse in full or in part, and (iv) the performance measures applicable to some or all outstanding awards will be deemed satisfied at the target, maximum or any other level, in each case, on such terms and conditions and at such time or times as the Plan Committee shall determine. In addition, in the event of a change in control, the New Grove Board may, in its discretion, require that any outstanding award shall be assumed or continued or that shares of capital stock of the corporation resulting from or succeeding to the business of New Grove pursuant to such change in control (or a parent corporation thereof) or other property be substituted for some or all of the shares subject to an outstanding award, with an appropriate and equitable adjustment to such award as determined by the New Grove Board, and/or require outstanding awards, in whole or in part, to be surrendered to New Grove in exchange for a payment of cash, shares of capital stock in the company resulting from the change in control, or the parent thereof, other property, or a combination of cash and shares or other property.
Under the terms of the Incentive Equity Plan, a change in control is generally defined to include (i) certain acquisitions of more than 50% of New Grove’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote in the election of directors of New Grove, (ii) the consummation of any merger, consolidation or reorganization of New Grove, other than any such transaction that does not result in a change in (a) the majority of the directors constituting the New Grove and (b) more than 50% of New Grove’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote in the election of directors of New Grove, (iii) any transaction or series of transactions in which all or substantially all of New Grove’s assets are disposed, or (iv) a change in the New Grove Board resulting in the incumbent directors ceasing to constitute at least a majority of the New Grove Board over a
24-month
period.
Clawback of Awards
The awards granted under the Incentive Equity Plan and any cash payment or shares of common stock delivered pursuant to an award are subject to forfeiture, recovery by New Grove or other action pursuant to the applicable award agreement or any clawback or recoupment policy which New Grove may adopt from time to time, including any such policy which New Grove may be required to adopt under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and implementing rules and regulations thereunder, or as otherwise required by law.
Effective Date, Termination and Amendment
The Incentive Equity Plan will become effective as of the closing of the Business Combination and will terminate on the 10
th
 anniversary of the effective date of the Incentive Equity Plan, unless earlier terminated by the New Grove Board. The New Grove Board may amend the Incentive Equity Plan or any award agreement at any time, subject to any requirement of shareholder approval required by applicable law, rule or regulation, including any rule of the NYSE, or any other stock exchange on which the shares are then traded and provided that no amendment may be made that seeks to modify the
non-employee
director compensation limit under the Incentive Equity Plan or prohibition on repricings or that materially impairs the rights of a holder of an outstanding award without the consent of such holder.
Eligibility
Participants in the Incentive Equity Plan will consist of such officers, other employees,
non-employee
directors, consultants, independent contractors, and agents of New Grove and its subsidiaries (and such persons
 
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who are expected to become any of the foregoing) as selected by the Plan Committee. The aggregate value of cash compensation and the grant date fair value of shares of common stock that may be awarded or granted during any fiscal year of New Grove to any
non-employee
director will not exceed $[●] (or, $[●], with respect to the fiscal year of a
non-employee
director’s initial service as a
non-employee
director); provided, however, that this limit shall not apply to distributions of previously deferred compensation under a deferred compensation plan maintained by New Grove or compensation received by the director in his or her capacity as an executive officer or employee of New Grove. It is anticipated that, as of the closing of the Business Combination, approximately 1,200 employees and [●]
non-employee
directors will be eligible to participate in the Incentive Equity Plan if selected by the Plan Committee to participate.
Stock Options and SARs
The Incentive Equity Plan provides for the grant of stock options and SARs. The Plan Committee will determine the conditions to the exercisability of each option and SAR.
Each option will be exercisable for no more than 10 years after its date of grant. If the option is an incentive stock option and the optionee owns greater than 10% of the voting power of all shares of capital stock of New Grove (a “ten percent holder”), then the option will be exercisable for no more than five (5) years after its date of grant. Except in the case of substitute awards granted in connection with a corporate transaction, the exercise price of an option will not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of New Grove Class A Common Stock on the date of grant, unless the option is an incentive stock option and the optionee is a 10% holder, in which case the exercise price will not be less than the price required by the Code (currently 100% of fair market value).
No SAR granted in tandem with an option (a “
tandem SAR
”) will be exercised later than the expiration, cancellation, forfeiture or other termination of the related option, and no free-standing SAR will be exercised later than 10 years after its date of grant. Other than in the case of substitute awards granted in connection with a corporate transaction, the base price of a SAR will not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of New Grove Class A Common Stock on the date of grant, provided that the base price of a tandem SAR will be the exercise price of the related option. A SAR entitles the holder to receive upon exercise (subject to withholding taxes) shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (which may be restricted stock) or, to the extent provided in the award agreement, cash or a combination thereof, with an aggregate value equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on the exercise date and the base price of the SAR.
All of the terms relating to the exercise, cancellation or other disposition of stock options and SARs (i) upon a termination of employment of a participant with or service to New Grove of the holder of such award, whether by reason of disability, retirement, death or any other reason, or (ii) during a paid or unpaid leave of absence, shall be determined by the Plan Committee and set forth in the applicable award agreement. Notwithstanding anything in the award agreement to the contrary, the holder of an option or SAR will not be entitled to receive dividend equivalents with respect to the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock subject to such option or SAR.
The Plan Committee will not, without the approval of the shareholders of New Grove, (i) reduce the purchase price or base price of any previously granted option or SAR, (ii) cancel any previously granted option or SAR in exchange for another option or SAR with a lower purchase price or base price or (iii) cancel any previously granted option or SAR in exchange for cash or another award if the purchase price of such option or the base price of such SAR exceeds the fair market value of a share on the date of such cancellation, in each case, other than in connection with a change in control or the Incentive Equity Plan adjustment provisions.
 
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Stock Awards
The Incentive Equity Plan provides for the grant of Stock Awards. The Plan Committee may grant a Stock Award as a restricted stock award, restricted stock unit award or other stock award. Restricted stock awards are subject to forfeiture if the holder does not remain continuously in the employment of New Grove or its subsidiaries during the restriction period or if specified performance measures (if any) are not attained during the performance period.
Unless otherwise set forth in a restricted stock award agreement, the holder of shares of restricted stock has rights as a shareholder of New Grove, including the right to vote and receive dividends with respect to shares of restricted stock and to participate in any capital adjustments applicable to all holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock; provided, however, that (i) a distribution with respect to shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, other than a regular cash dividend, and (ii) a regular cash dividend with respect to shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that are subject to performance-based vesting conditions, in each case, will be deposited by New Grove and will be subject to the same restrictions as the shares with respect to which such distribution was made.
The agreement awarding restricted stock units will specify (i) whether such award may be settled in shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, cash or a combination thereof; and (ii) whether the holder will be entitled to receive, on a current or deferred basis, dividend equivalents, and, if determined by the Plan Committee, interest on, or the deemed reinvestment of, any deferred dividend equivalents, with respect to the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock subject to such award. Any dividend equivalents with respect to restricted stock units that are subject to performance-based vesting conditions will be subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying awards. Prior to settlement of a restricted stock unit in shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, the holder of a restricted stock unit has no rights with respect to the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock subject to such award.
The Plan Committee is authorized to grant other stock awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, including without limitation shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock granted as a bonus and not subject to any vesting conditions, dividend equivalents, deferred stock units, stock purchase rights and shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issued in lieu of obligations of New Grove to pay cash under any compensatory plan or arrangement, subject to such terms as determined by the Plan Committee. The Plan Committee will determine the terms and conditions of such awards. Any distribution, dividend or dividend equivalents with respect to other stock awards that are subject to performance-based besting conditions will be subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying awards.
All of the terms relating to the satisfaction of performance measures and the termination of a restriction period or performance period relating to a Stock Award, or the forfeiture and cancellation of a Stock Award (i) upon a termination of employment with or service to New Grove or any of its subsidiaries of the holder of such award, whether by reason of disability, retirement, death or any other reason, or (ii) during a paid or unpaid leave of absence, will be determined by the Plan Committee.
Performance Awards
The Incentive Equity Plan also provides for the grant of performance awards. The agreement relating to a performance award will specify whether such award may be settled in shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (including shares of restricted stock) or cash or a combination thereof. The agreement relating to a performance award will provide, in the manner determined by the Plan Committee, for the vesting of such performance award if the specified performance measures are satisfied or met during the specified performance period and for the forfeiture of such award if the specified performance measures are not satisfied or met during the specified performance period. Any dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to a performance award
 
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will be subject to the same performance-based vesting restrictions as such performance award. Prior to the settlement of a performance award in shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, including restricted stock the holder of such award has no rights as a shareholder of New Grove with respect to such shares.
All of the terms relating to the satisfaction of performance measures and the termination of a performance period, or the forfeiture and cancellation of a performance award upon (i) a termination of employment with or service to New Grove or any of its subsidiaries of the holder of such award, whether by reason of disability, retirement, death or any other reason, or (ii) during a paid or unpaid leave of absence, will be determined by the Plan Committee.
Performance Measures
Under the Incentive Equity Plan, the grant, vesting, exercisability or payment of certain awards, or the receipt of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock subject to certain awards, may be made subject to the satisfaction of performance measures. The performance measures shall mean the criteria and objectives, established by the Plan Committee, which shall be satisfied or met (i) as a condition to the grant or exercisability of all or a portion of an option or SAR or (ii) during the applicable restriction period or performance period as a condition to the vesting of the holder’s interest, in the case of a restricted stock award, of the shares subject to such award, or, in the case of a restricted stock unit award, other stock award or performance award, to the holder’s receipt of the shares subject to such award or of payment with respect to such award. One or more of the following business criteria for New Grove, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified subsidiaries, business or geographical units or operating areas of New Grove or individual basis, may be used by the Plan Committee in establishing performance measures under the Incentive Equity Plan: the attainment by a share of a specified fair market value for a specified period of time; increase in stockholder value; earnings per share; return on or net assets; return on equity; return on investments; return on capital or invested capital; total stockholder return; earnings or income of New Grove before or after taxes and/or interest; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“
EBITDA
”); EBITDA margin; operating income; revenues; operating expenses, attainment of expense levels or cost reduction goals; market share; cash flow, cash flow per share, cash flow margin or free cash flow; interest expense; economic value created; gross profit or margin; operating profit or margin; net cash provided by operations;
price-to-earnings
growth; and strategic business criteria, consisting of one or more objectives based on meeting specified goals relating to market penetration, customer acquisition, business expansion, cost targets, customer satisfaction, reductions in errors and omissions, reductions in lost business, management of employment practices and employee benefits, supervision of litigation, supervision of information technology, quality and quality audit scores, efficiency, sustainability, and acquisitions or divestitures, any combination of the foregoing, or such other goals as the Plan Committee may determine whether or not listed in the Incentive Equity Plan. Each goal may be determined on a
pre-tax
or
post-tax
basis or on an absolute or relative basis and may include comparisons based on current internal targets, the past performance of New Grove (including the performance of one or more subsidiaries, divisions, or operating units) or the past or current performance of other companies or market indices (or a combination of such past and current performance). Performance goals may include comparisons relating to capital (including, but not limited to, the cost of capital), shareholders’ equity, shares outstanding, assets or net assets, sales, or any combination thereof. In establishing a performance measure or determining the achievement of a performance measure, the Plan Committee may provide that achievement of the applicable performance measures may be amended or adjusted to include or exclude components of any performance measure, including, without limitation: (i) foreign exchange gains and losses; (ii) asset write-downs; (iii) acquisitions and divestitures; (iv) change in fiscal year; (v) unbudgeted capital expenditures; (vi) special charges such as restructuring or impairment charges; (vii) debt refinancing costs; (viii) extraordinary or noncash items; (ix) unusual, infrequently occurring, nonrecurring or
one-time
events affecting New Grove or its financial statements; or (x) changes in law or accounting principles. Performance measures shall be subject to such other special rules and conditions as the Plan Committee may establish at any time.
 
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Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is a brief summary of certain United States federal income tax consequences generally arising with respect to awards under the Incentive Equity Plan. This discussion does not address all aspects of the United States federal income tax consequences of participating in the Incentive Equity Plan that may be relevant to participants in light of their personal investment or tax circumstances and does not discuss any state, local or
non-United States
tax consequences of participating in the Incentive Equity Plan. Each participant is advised to consult his or her particular tax advisor concerning the application of the United States federal income tax laws to such participant’s particular situation, as well as the applicability and effect of any state, local or
non-United States
tax laws before taking any actions with respect to any awards.
Section 162(m)
Section 162(m) generally limits to $1 million the amount that a publicly held corporation is allowed each year to deduct for the compensation paid to the corporation’s (i) chief executive officer, (ii) chief financial officer, (iii) three most highly compensated executive officers other than the chief executive officer or chief financial officer and (iv) any employee of the corporation who was an individual described in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) in any preceding taxable year beginning after December 31, 2016.
Stock Options
A participant will not recognize taxable income at the time an option is granted and New Grove will not be entitled to a tax deduction at that time. A participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee) upon exercise of a
non-qualified
stock option equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares purchased over their exercise price, and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code. A participant will not recognize income (except for purposes of the alternative minimum tax) upon exercise of an incentive stock option. If the shares acquired by exercise of an incentive stock option are held for the longer of two (2) years from the date the option was granted and one (1) year from the date it was exercised, any gain or loss arising from a subsequent disposition of those shares will be taxed as long-term capital gain or loss, and New Grove will not be entitled to any deduction. If, however, those shares are disposed of within the above-described period, then in the year of that disposition the participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income equal to the excess of the lesser of (1) the amount realized upon that disposition, and (2) the excess of the fair market value of those shares on the date of exercise over the exercise price, and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
SARs
A participant will not recognize taxable income at the time SARs are granted and New Grove will not be entitled to a tax deduction at that time. Upon exercise, the participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee) in an amount equal to the fair market value of any shares delivered and the amount of cash paid by New Grove, and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
Stock Awards
A participant will not recognize taxable income at the time restricted stock is granted and New Grove will not be entitled to a tax deduction at that time, unless the participant makes an election to be taxed at that time. If such election is made, the participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee) at the time of the grant in an amount equal to the excess of the
 
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fair market value for the shares at such time over the amount, if any, paid for those shares. If such election is not made, the participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee) at the time the restrictions constituting a substantial risk of forfeiture lapse in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares at such time over the amount, if any, paid for those shares. The amount of ordinary income recognized by making the above-described election or upon the lapse of restrictions constituting a substantial risk of forfeiture is deductible by New Grove (or the applicable employer) as compensation expense, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code. In addition, a participant receiving dividends with respect to restricted stock for which the above-described election has not been made and prior to the time the restrictions constituting a substantial risk of forfeiture lapse will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee), rather than dividend income, in an amount equal to the dividends paid and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
A participant will not recognize taxable income at the time a restricted stock unit is granted and New Grove will not be entitled to a tax deduction at that time. Upon settlement of restricted stock units, the participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee) in an amount equal to the fair market value of any shares delivered and the amount of any cash paid by New Grove, and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
The tax consequences of another type of Stock Award will depend on the structure and form of such award. A participant who receives a Stock Award in the form of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that are not subject to any restrictions under the Incentive Equity Plan will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income on the date of grant in an amount equal to the fair market value of such shares on that date, and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
Performance Awards
A participant will not recognize taxable income at the time performance awards are granted and New Grove will not be entitled to a tax deduction at that time. Upon settlement of performance awards, the participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income (and subject to income tax withholding in respect of an employee) in an amount equal to the fair market value of any shares delivered and the amount of cash paid by New Grove, and New Grove (or the applicable employer) will be entitled to a corresponding deduction, subject to the limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
New Plan Benefits
The number of stock options and other forms of awards that will be granted under the Incentive Equity Plan is not currently determinable.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
Prior to the Effective Time, VGAC II has no equity compensation plans or outstanding equity awards.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by the holders of the issued ordinary shares present in person or represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting and entitled to vote on such matter. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal.
 
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If the Business Combination Proposal and the NYSE Proposal are not approved, the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal will not be presented at the extraordinary general meeting. The Incentive Equity Plan Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
The Merger is conditioned upon the approval of the Incentive Equity Plan, subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement. Notwithstanding the approval of the Incentive Equity Plan, if the Merger is not consummated for any reason, the actions contemplated by the Incentive Equity Plan will not be effected.
The Sponsor has agreed to vote all of its ordinary shares in favor of the Incentive Equity Plan Proposal.
Resolution
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. 2022 Equity and Incentive Equity Plan, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex I, be adopted and approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE INCENTIVE EQUITY PLAN PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and its shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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THE ESPP PROPOSAL
Overview
We are asking the VGAC II shareholders to vote upon a proposal to approve the ESPP, including the authorization of the initial share reserve under the ESPP. The VGAC II Board adopted the ESPP on [●], subject to its approval by the VGAC II shareholders. The VGAC II Board believes that the adoption of the ESPP will benefit New Grove by providing employees with an opportunity to acquire shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and will enable New Grove to attract, retain and motivate valued employees.
Purposes of the ESPP
The purpose of the ESPP is to provide employees of New Grove and participating subsidiaries with an opportunity to purchase New Grove Class A Common Stock through accumulated payroll deductions. The VGAC II Board believes that the adoption of the ESPP will benefit New Grove by providing employees with an opportunity to acquire shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and will enable New Grove to attract, retain and motivate valued employees.
The ESPP includes two components: (a) a component intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code (the “
423 Component
”), the provisions of which shall be construed so as to extend and limit participation in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner consistent with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code; and (b) a component that does not qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code (the “
Non-423
Component
”), under which options shall be granted pursuant to rules, procedures or
sub-plans
designed to achieve tax, securities laws or other objectives for eligible employees, New Grove and participating subsidiaries.
Description of the ESPP
The following description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the plan document, a copy of which is attached as Annex J to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and incorporated into this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus by reference.
Administration
The ESPP will be administered by the compensation committee of the New Grove Board (the “
Compensation Committee
”). The Compensation Committee has the discretionary authority to do everything necessary and appropriate to administer the ESPP, including, without limitation, interpreting the provisions of the ESPP. All actions, decisions and determinations of, and interpretations by the Compensation Committee with respect to the ESPP will be final and binding upon all participants.
Available Shares
If the ESPP is approved, [                ] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends or other changes in New Grove’s capital stock, will be reserved for issuance under the ESPP. Subject to the capitalization adjustment provisions included in the ESPP, the maximum number of shares which shall be made available for sale under the ESPP will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year, beginning immediately following the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and continuing until (and including) the fiscal year ending December 31, 2032, with such annual increase equal to the lesser of (i) [●] shares, (ii) 1% of the number of shares issued and outstanding on December 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year, and (iii) an amount determined by the New Grove Board. If, on a given exercise date, the number of shares with respect to which options are to be exercised exceeds the number of shares then available under the ESPP, the Compensation Committee will make a pro rata allocation of the shares remaining available for purchase in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine to be equitable. As of [●], the closing share price of a Class A ordinary share of VGAC II was $[●] per share.
 
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Merger or Asset Sale
In the event of a proposed sale of all or substantially all of the assets of New Grove, or the merger of New Grove with or into another corporation, each outstanding option shall be assumed or an equivalent option substituted by the successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of the successor corporation, unless the New Grove Board determines, in the exercise of its sole discretion, that in lieu of such assumption or substitution to either terminate all outstanding options and return to each participant the payroll deductions credited to such participant’s purchase account or to provide for the offering period in progress to end on a date prior to the consummation of such sale or merger.
Participation
Only employees of New Grove or a participating subsidiary will be eligible to be granted options under the ESPP and, in no event may a participant be granted an option under the ESPP following his or her termination date. Any provisions of the ESPP to the contrary notwithstanding, no employee will be granted an option under the 423 Component of the ESPP if (i) immediately after the grant, such employee (or any other person whose stock would be attributed to such employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) would own capital stock of New Grove and/or hold outstanding options or options to purchase stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of New Grove or of any of its subsidiaries or (ii) such option would permit his or her rights to purchase stock under all employee stock purchase plans (described in Section 423 of the Code) of New Grove and its subsidiaries to accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of the fair market value of such stock (determined at the time each such option is granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding at any time. Except as otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee prior to the commencement of an offering period, no participant may purchase more than 10,000 shares during any purchase period.
An employee shall be eligible to participate on the first enrollment date that occurs at least 15 days after such employee’s first date of employment with New Grove or a participating subsidiary (or such other time as determned by the Compensation Committee); provided, that such employee properly completes and submits an election form by the deadline prescribed by New Grove. An employee who does not become a participant on the first enrollment date on which he or she is eligible may thereafter become a participant on any subsequent enrollment date by properly completing and submitting an election form by the deadline prescribed by New Grove. Payroll deductions for a participant shall commence on the first payroll date following the enrollment date and shall end on the last payroll date in the purchase period to which such authorization is applicable, unless sooner terminated by the participant as provided in the ESPP. It is anticipated that, as of the closing of the Business Combination, approximately 1,200 employees will be eligible to participate in the ESPP.
Payroll Deductions
A participant may elect to have payroll deductions made during an offering period equal to no less than 1% of the participant’s eligible compensation up to a maximum of 20% (or such other amount as the Compensation Committee establishes from time to time). All payroll deductions made by a participant will be credited to his or her purchase account. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provisions to the contrary in the ESPP, the Compensation Committee may allow participants to make other contributions under the ESPP via cash, check, or other means instead of payroll deductions if payroll deductions are not permitted under applicable local law, and for any offering period under the 423 Component, the Compensation Committee determines that such other contributions are permissible under Section 423 of the Code.
Purchase Price of Shares
The purchase price per share shall be the lesser of: (i) 85% percent of the fair market value of a share on the first day of the offering period and (ii) 85% percent of the fair market value of a share on the applicable purchase
 
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date; provided, however, that the Compensation Committee may determine a different per share purchase price provided that such per share purchase price is communicated to participants prior to the beginning of the offering period and provided that in no event shall such per share purchase price be less than the lesser of (i) 85% of the fair market value of a share on the applicable enrollment date or (ii) 85% of the fair market value of a share on the exercise date.
Offering Periods
Under the 423 Component of the ESPP and unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee, an offering period will last for 24 months, comprised of
four six-month purchase
periods. Purchases will be made four times during each offering period on the last trading day of each purchase period, and the dates of such purchases are referred to as “purchase dates.” A new purchase period will begin the day after a purchase date. Except as otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee, a
new 24-month offering
period will commence on each May 16th and November 16th during the term of the ESPP. Offering periods under
the Non-423 Component
of the ESPP may have a different duration. Purchases will be made on the last trading day of the purchase period, and a new purchase period will begin the day after a purchase date and a new offering period for participants not participating in the current offering period or for participants whose participation in the current offering period terminates will begin on the day after a purchase date. The Compensation Committee may change the frequency and duration of offering periods and purchase dates under the ESPP, for offerings under either the 423 Component or
the Non-423 Component.
If the fair market value per share of the New Grove Class A Common Stock on any purchase date in the 423 Component of the ESPP is less than the fair market value per share on the start date of
a 24-month offering
period, then that offering period will automatically terminate, a
new 24-month offering
period will begin on the next day after the purchase date, and all participants participating in such original offering period will be automatically enrolled in such new offering period.
Assignability of Options
Neither payroll deductions credited to a participant’s purchase account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or to receive shares under the ESPP may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution) by the participant.
Termination of Employment
Except as otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee in advance of an offering and to the extent permitted by Section 423 of the Code with respect to the 423 Component, on the termination date of a participant for any reason prior to the applicable exercise date, whether voluntary or involuntary, and including termination of employment due to retirement, death or as a result of liquidation, dissolution, sale, merger or a similar event affecting New Grove or a participating subsidiary, the corresponding payroll deductions credited to his or her purchase account will be returned to him or her or, in the case of the participant’s death, to the participant’s designated beneficiaries or estate, and his or her option will be automatically terminated.
Amendments and Termination
Subject to any requirement for stockholder approval under applicable law, the New Grove Board or the Compensation Committee may at any time and for any reason amend, modify, suspend, discontinue or terminate the ESPP without notice; provided that no participant’s existing rights in respect of existing options are adversely
affected thereby. Without stockholder consent and without regard to whether any participant rights may be considered to have been “adversely affected,” the New Grove Board or the Compensation Committee will be entitled to change the purchase price, offering periods, limit or increase the frequency and/or number of changes
 
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in the amount withheld during a purchase period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in an amount less than or greater than the amount designated by a participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in New Grove’s processing of properly completed withholding elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of shares for each participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the participant’s compensation, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the New Grove Board or the Compensation Committee determines in its sole discretion advisable which are consistent with the ESPP.
Summary of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is a brief summary of certain United States federal income tax consequences generally arising with respect to the ESPP. This discussion does not address all aspects of the United States federal income tax consequences of participating in the ESPP that may be relevant to participants in light of their personal investment or tax circumstances and does not discuss any state, local or
non-United States
tax consequences of participating in the ESPP. Each participant is advised to consult his or her particular tax advisor concerning the application of the United States federal income tax laws to such participant’s particular situation, as well as the applicability and effect of any state, local or
non-United States
tax laws before taking any actions with respect to any awards.
In general, the ESPP is intended to be an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code. Under Section 423 of the Code, an eligible employee who elects to participate in the ESPP will not recognize any taxable income and New Grove will not be entitled to a deduction at the time shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock are purchased for the employee under the ESPP. If an employee disposes of the New Grove Class A Common Stock purchased under the ESPP within two years after the grant date (i.e., the first day of the offering period) or one year after the purchase date if later, the employee will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income, and New Grove will generally be entitled to a corresponding deduction, in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the New Grove Class A Common Stock on the purchase date over the purchase price. The employee’s cost basis in the shares will be increased by the amount of ordinary income recognized by the employee, and the employee will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the price at which the shares are later sold (or otherwise disposed) and the cost basis for the shares, as so increased. New Grove will not be entitled to any deduction with respect to the amount recognized by such participant as capital gain.
If an employee does not dispose of the New Grove Class A Common Stock purchased under the ESPP until after the holding period described above, the employee will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair market value of the shares at the time of disposition over the purchase price or (ii) 15% of the fair market value of the shares on the start date of that offering period). The employee’s cost basis in the shares will be increased by the amount of ordinary income recognized by the employee. The portion of the gain that is in excess of the amount recognized as ordinary income, if any, is taxed as long-term capital gain. If the shares are sold (or otherwise disposed) at a price below the purchase price under the ESPP, the loss will be treated as long-term capital loss. New Grove will not be entitled to any deduction with respect to a disposition of shares occurring under these circumstances.
With respect to the Non-423 Component of the ESPP, to the extent a participant is subject to U.S. federal income tax, the amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the purchase date and the purchase price is taxed as ordinary income at the time of such purchase and is subject to tax withholding. The amount of such ordinary income will be added to the participant’s basis in the shares, and any additional gain or resulting loss recognized on the disposition of the shares after such basis adjustment will be a capital gain or loss. New Grove will generally be entitled to a deduction in the year of purchase equal to the amount of ordinary income realized by the participant.
 
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New Plan Benefits
The benefits that might be received by participating employees under the ESPP cannot be determined because the benefits depend upon the degree of participation by employees and the trading price of New Grove Class A Common Stock in future offering periods.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
Prior to the Effective Time, VGAC II has no equity compensation plans or outstanding equity awards.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the ESPP Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by the holders of the issued ordinary shares present in person or represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting and entitled to vote on such matter. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the ESPP Proposal.
If the Business Combination Proposal and the NYSE Proposal are not approved, the ESPP Proposal will not be presented at the extraordinary general meeting. The ESPP Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of each of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
The Merger is conditioned upon the approval of the ESPP, subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement. Notwithstanding the approval of the ESPP, if the Merger is not consummated for any reason, the actions contemplated by the ESPP will not be effected.
The Sponsor has agreed to vote all of its ordinary shares in favor of the ESPP Proposal.
Resolution
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan, a copy of which is attached to the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex J, be adopted and approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE ESPP PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and its shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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DIRECTOR ELECTION PROPOSAL
Overview
The Director Election Proposal
—to consider and vote upon a proposal to (i) reelect [●] and (ii) elect Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●] and [●], to serve as directors of the New Grove Board until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, disqualification, resignation or removal. Each of the director nominees meets the director qualification and eligibility criteria of the New Grove Board. The New Grove Board has determined that each of [●], [●], [●], and [●] qualify as independent directors such that if each of the nominated individuals are elected to the New Grove Board, a majority of the directors as of immediately following the Closing will qualify as independent directors. Following the Domestication, the VGAC II Board will be divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year. Each class of directors will generally serve for a three-year term. In addition, if each of the director nominees is elected to the New Grove Board, the classes of the New Grove Board will be composed as follows: Class I—[●], [●] and [●]; Class II—[●], [●] and [●]; and Class III— Stuart Landesberg, [●], and [●]. For more information on the experience of each of the director nominees, please see the section entitled “Management After the Business Combination” of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Nominees for Election to the Board of Directors
Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●], [●] and [●].
Vote Required for Approval
Pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents, until the Closing, only holders of Class B ordinary shares can appoint or remove directors. Therefore, only holders of Class B ordinary shares will vote on the Director Election Proposal. The approval of the Director Election Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of Class B ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as a vote cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote on the Director Election Proposal. Failure to vote by proxy or to vote in person at the general meeting will have no effect on the outcome of the election of the director nominees.
The Director Election Proposal is conditioned on the approval and adoption of the other Condition Precedent Proposals.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the proposal to elect Stuart Landesberg, Christopher Clark, Catherine Beaudoin, David Glazer, John Replogle, [●], [●], [●] and [●], in each case, to serve as directors of New Grove until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal, be adopted and approved.”
 
Name of Director
  
Class of Director
[●]
   Class I
[●]
   Class I
[●]
   Class I
[●]
   Class II
[●]
   Class II
[●]
   Class II
Stuart Landesberg
   Class III
 
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Name of Director
  
Class of Director
[●]
   Class III
[●]
   Class III
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR ELECTION PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL
The Adjournment Proposal allows the VGAC II Board to submit a proposal to approve, by ordinary resolution, the adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates (i) to the extent necessary to ensure that any required supplement or amendment to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is provided to VGAC II shareholders, (ii) in order to solicit additional proxies from VGAC II shareholders in favor of one or more of the proposals at the extraordinary general meeting, or (iii) if VGAC II shareholders redeem an amount of public shares such that the Minimum Available Cash Condition would not be satisfied. See “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
.”
Consequences if the Adjournment Proposal is Not Approved
If the Adjournment Proposal is presented to the extraordinary general meeting and is not approved by the shareholders, the VGAC II Board may not be able to adjourn the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates in the event that, based on the tabulated votes, there are not sufficient votes at the time of the extraordinary general meeting to approve the Condition Precedent Proposals. In such events, the Business Combination would not be completed.
Vote Required for Approval
The approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law, being the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the ordinary shares who, being present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the extraordinary general meeting, vote at the extraordinary general meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes,
while considered present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, will not count as votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting, and otherwise will have no effect on the proposal.
The Adjournment Proposal is not conditioned on any other proposal.
Resolution to be Voted Upon
The full text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
RESOLVED
, as an ordinary resolution, that the adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting to a later date or dates (A) to the extent necessary to ensure that any required supplement or amendment to the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is provided to VGAC II shareholders, (B) in order to solicit additional proxies from VGAC II shareholders in favor of one or more of the proposals at the extraordinary general meeting, or (C) if VGAC II shareholders redeem an amount of the public shares such that the condition to consummation of the Business Combination that the aggregate cash in the trust account, together with the aggregate gross proceeds from the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share pursuant to the Subscription Agreements (the “
Subscription Agreements
”) with certain investors (the “
PIPE Investors
”), for aggregate gross proceeds of $87,075,000 (the “
PIPE Financing
”), equal no less than $200,000,000 after deducting any amounts paid to VGAC II shareholders that exercise their redemption rights in connection with the Business Combination would not be satisfied, at the extraordinary general meeting be approved.”
Recommendation of the VGAC II Board
THE VGAC II BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT VGAC II SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL.
The existence of financial and personal interests of one or more of VGAC II’s directors may result in a conflict of interest on the part of such director(s) between what he, she, or they may believe is in the best
 
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interests of VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders and what he, she, or they may believe is best for himself, herself, or themselves in determining to recommend that shareholders vote for the proposals. In addition, VGAC II’s officers have interests in the Business Combination that may conflict with your interests as a shareholder. See the section entitled “
Business Combination Proposal—Interests of VGAC II’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Business Combination
” for a further discussion of these considerations.
 
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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
General
The following are the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of (i) the ownership and disposition of Class A ordinary shares and public warrants in the event that the Domestication Proposal is not approved and the Domestication does not occur, (ii) the Domestication, (iii) an exercise of redemption rights generally applicable to holders of Class A ordinary shares or public warrants or shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants and (iv) the ownership and disposition of New Grove Class A Common Stock following the Domestication and the Business Combination. This section applies only to beneficial owners that hold their Class A ordinary shares and public warrants as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, property held for investment). This discussion is a summary only and does not consider all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular beneficial owner in light of such beneficial owner’s circumstances or status, including:
 
   
our sponsor;
 
   
financial institutions or financial services entities;
 
   
broker-dealers;
 
   
taxpayers that are subject to the
mark-to-market
tax accounting rules;
 
   
tax-exempt
entities;
 
   
governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;
 
   
insurance companies;
 
   
regulated investment companies;
 
   
real estate investment trusts;
 
   
expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;
 
   
“controlled foreign corporations,” PFICs, and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
 
   
foreign corporations with respect to which there are one or more United States shareholders within the meaning of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-3(b)(1)(ii);
 
   
persons that actually or constructively own 10 percent or more of VGAC II shares, by vote or value;
 
   
persons that acquired our securities as compensation;
 
   
persons that hold our securities as part of a straddle, constructive sale, hedge, conversion or other integrated or similar transaction; or
 
   
U.S. Holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar.
This discussion is based on the Code, proposed, temporary and final Treasury Regulations promulgated under the Code, and judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all as of the date hereof. All of the foregoing is subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could affect the tax considerations described herein. This discussion does not address alternative minimum tax considerations, special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code, or U.S. federal taxes other than those pertaining to U.S. federal income taxation (such as estate or gift taxes or the Medicare tax on investment income), nor does it address any aspects of U.S. state or local or
non-U.S.
taxation.
We have not and do not intend to seek any rulings from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “
IRS
”) regarding the Domestication, an exercise of redemption rights or the Business Combination. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take positions concerning the tax consequences of the transactions that are inconsistent with the considerations discussed below or that any such positions would not be sustained by a court.
 
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As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of Class A ordinary shares or public warrants or shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants, as the case may be, who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the U.S. or any state thereof (including the District of Columbia), (iii) an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source or (iv) a trust if (A) U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust; or (B) the trust has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
As used herein, the term
“Non-U.S.
Holder” means a beneficial owner of Class A ordinary shares or public warrants or shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) a
non-resident
alien individual (other than certain former citizens and residents of the United States subject to U.S. tax as expatriates), (ii) a foreign corporation or (iii) an estate or trust that is not a U.S. Holder, but generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the sale or other disposition of our securities.
If a partnership (or any entity so characterized for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds Class A ordinary shares or public warrants or shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants, the tax treatment of such partnership, and of a person treated as a partner of such partnership, will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding any Class A ordinary shares or public warrants or shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants and persons that are treated as partners of such partnerships should consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Domestication, an exercise of redemption rights and the Business Combination to them.
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. ALL HOLDERS OF CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES OR PUBLIC WARRANTS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE DOMESTICATION, AN EXERCISE OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS AND THE BUSINESS COMBINATION, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND
NON-U.S.
TAX LAWS.
 
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Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur
U.S. Holders
Taxation of Distributions
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any cash distribution paid on Class A ordinary shares to the extent the distribution is paid out of VGAC II’s current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular corporate tax rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s basis in its Class A ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such Class A ordinary shares.
With respect to
non-corporate
U.S. Holders, under tax laws currently in effect but subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, dividends generally will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Warrants
” below) only if the Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States and certain other requirements are met.
U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of such lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to Class A ordinary shares.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of Class A ordinary shares or warrants (including on VGAC II’s dissolution and liquidation if we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period). Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such Class A ordinary shares or warrants exceeds one year at the time of such disposition. It is unclear, however, whether certain redemption rights described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose.
The amount of gain or loss recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition generally will be equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost reduced (in the case of Class A ordinary shares) by any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. Long-term capital gain realized by a
non-corporate
U.S. Holder is currently eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. See “Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant” below for a discussion regarding a U.S. Holder’s basis in a Class A ordinary share acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant. The deduction of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed (including pursuant to the exercise of its redemption right in connection with the shareholder vote regarding the Business Combination Proposal) or if VGAC II purchases a U.S. Holder’s Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction, the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend
 
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on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption or purchase by us qualifies as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants” above. If the redemption or purchase by VGAC II does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under “Taxation of Distributions.” Whether a redemption or purchase by VGAC II qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of Class A ordinary shares treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any Class A ordinary shares constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of VGAC II shares outstanding both before and after such redemption or purchase. The redemption or purchase by VGAC II of Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a corporate distribution) if such redemption or purchase (i) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (ii) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in VGAC II or (iii) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder (collectively, the “
302 tests
”). These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the 302 tests is satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only VGAC II shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also VGAC II shares that are constructively owned by such U.S. Holder under the relevant rules. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to shares owned directly, shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any shares the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of VGAC II outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80 percent of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (i) all of the VGAC II shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (ii) all of the VGAC II shares actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed and the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other VGAC II shares. The redemption of Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if such redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in VGAC II. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in VGAC II will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. Holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption.
If none of the 302 tests are satisfied, then the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under “Taxation of Distributions” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining VGAC II shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares constructively owned by such U.S. Holder.
Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of a Class A ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant generally will equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant and the exercise price. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary share will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; in
 
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either case, the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current law. A cashless exercise may not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received generally would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares will commence on the date of exercise of the warrants or the day following the date of exercise of the warrants. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares would include the holding period of the warrants.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise may be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder may be deemed to have surrendered warrants with an aggregate fair market value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such warrants. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary share would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant.
Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of cashless exercise of warrants.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of Class A ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. U.S. Holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from VGAC II if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrantholders’ proportionate interest in VGAC II’s assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of Class A ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of Class A ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such Class A ordinary shares as described under “Taxation of Distributions” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from VGAC II equal to the fair market value of the increase in the interest. For certain information reporting purposes, VGAC II is required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Proposed Treasury Regulations, which VGAC II may rely on prior to the issuance of final Treasury Regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A
non-U.S.
corporation will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year (ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year), including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income generally includes
 
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dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
Because VGAC II is a blank check company, with no current active business, VGAC II (i) will be a PFIC for the current year (which would end with the Domestication) if the Domestication occurs, and (ii) will be a PFIC for the current year if the Domestication does not occur. The determination of whether VGAC II is a PFIC for the previous taxable year depends (in part) on the application of a
start-up
exception, the application of which is unclear in various respects.
Although VGAC II’s PFIC status is determined annually, an initial determination that VGAC II is a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. Holder who held Class A ordinary shares or warrants while VGAC II was a PFIC, whether or not VGAC II meets the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. If VGAC II is determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares or warrants and, in the case of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund (“
QEF
”) election or
“mark-to-market”
election for VGAC II’s first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, in each case as described below, such U.S. Holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to (i) any gain recognized by the U.S. Holder on the sale or other disposition of its Class A ordinary shares or warrants and (ii) any “excess distribution” made to the U.S. Holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. Holder during a taxable year of the U.S. Holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. Holder in respect of the Class A ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. Holder or, if shorter, such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares). Under these rules:
 
   
the U.S. Holder’s gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants;
 
   
the amount allocated to the U.S. Holder’s taxable year in which the U.S. Holder recognized the gain or received the excess distribution, or to the period in the U.S. Holder’s holding period before the first day of VGAC II’s first taxable year in which VGAC II is a PFIC, will be taxed as ordinary income;
 
   
the amount allocated to other taxable years (or portions thereof) of the U.S. Holder and included in its holding period will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year and applicable to the U.S. Holder; and
 
   
an additional tax equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the U.S. Holder with respect to the tax attributable to each such other taxable year of the U.S. Holder.
A U.S. Holder will avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect of Class A ordinary shares (but not warrants) by making a timely and valid QEF election (if eligible to do so) to include in income its pro rata share of VGAC II’s net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. Holder in which or with which VGAC II’s taxable year ends. A U.S. Holder generally may make a separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.
It is not entirely clear how various aspects of the PFIC rules apply to warrants. However, a U.S. Holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire Class A ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants) and VGAC II was a PFIC at any time during the U.S. Holder’s holding period of such warrants, proposed Treasury Regulations would provide that any gain generally will be treated as an excess distribution, taxed as described above. If a U.S. Holder that exercises such warrants properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to Class A ordinary shares), the QEF
 
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election will apply to the newly acquired Class A ordinary shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired Class A ordinary shares (which may be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes all or a portion of the period the U.S. Holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. Holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. Under the purging election, the U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold such shares at their fair market value and any gain recognized on such deemed sale will be treated as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the U.S. Holder will have a new basis and holding period in the Class A ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules.
U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the application of the rules governing purging elections to their particular circumstances.
The QEF election is made on a
shareholder-by-shareholder
basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. Holder generally makes a QEF election (and a purging election, if applicable) by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the taxable year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from VGAC II. There is no assurance that VGAC II will timely provide such required information.
If a U.S. Holder has made a QEF election with respect to its Class A ordinary shares, and the excess distribution rules discussed above do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for VGAC II’s first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of Class A ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no additional tax charge will be imposed under the PFIC rules. As discussed above, if VGAC II is a PFIC for any taxable year, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares that has made a QEF election will be currently taxed on its pro rata share of VGAC II’s earnings and profits, whether or not distributed for such year. A subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable when distributed to such U.S. Holder. The tax basis of a U.S. Holder’s shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. In addition, if VGAC II is not a PFIC for any taxable year, such U.S. Holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to Class A ordinary shares for such taxable year.
If the Class A ordinary shares constitute “marketable stock,” a U.S. Holder may avoid the adverse PFIC tax consequences discussed above if such U.S. Holder, at the close of the first taxable year in which it holds (or is deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, makes a
mark-to-market
election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. Such U.S. Holder generally will include for each of its taxable years as ordinary income the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of such year over its adjusted basis in its Class A ordinary shares. The U.S. Holder also will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of its Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of its Class A ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the
mark-to-market
election). The U.S. Holder’s basis in its Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of its Class A ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a
mark-to-market
election may not be made with respect to warrants.
 
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The
mark-to-market
election is available only for “marketable stock,” generally, stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the SEC, including Nasdaq, or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a
mark-to-market
election with respect to Class A ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If VGAC II is a PFIC and, at any time, has a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. Holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if VGAC II receives a distribution from, or disposes of all or part of its interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. Holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. There can be no assurance that VGAC II will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, VGAC II may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance VGAC II will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide any required information. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
A U.S. Holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. Holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or
mark-to-market
election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department. Failure to do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations until such required information is furnished to the IRS.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and
mark-to-market
elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to VGAC II securities under their particular circumstances.
Tax Reporting
Certain U.S. Holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to VGAC II. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement. Furthermore, certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. Holder’s investment in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets), subject to certain exceptions. An interest in VGAC II constitutes a specified foreign financial asset for these purposes. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the foreign financial asset and other reporting obligations and their application to an investment in Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
Non-U.S.
Holders
Dividends (including constructive distributions and amounts paid in connection with a redemption that is treated as a distribution, as discussed under “
U.S. Holders—Redemption of Class
 A Ordinary Shares
” above) paid or deemed paid to a
Non-U.S.
Holder in respect of Class A ordinary shares generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States). In addition, a
Non-U.S.
Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of Class A ordinary shares or warrants (including a redemption treated as a sale or exchange transaction as discussed above) unless such gain is effectively connected with the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s conduct of
 
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a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States).
Dividends (including constructive distributions) and gains that are effectively connected with the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in the case of a
Non-U.S.
Holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable tax treaty rate.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a
Non-U.S.
Holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a
Non-U.S.
Holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “
U.S. Holders—Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
,” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a
Non-U.S.
Holder’s gain on the sale or other disposition of Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments with respect to Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of Class A ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. A
Non-U.S.
Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form
W-8
or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.
 
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The Domestication
Effects of the Domestication
Under Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, a reorganization (an “
F Reorganization
”) is defined to include a “mere change in identity, form, or place of organization of one corporation, however effected.” Pursuant to the Domestication, VGAC II will change its jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to Delaware and will change its name to Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. The Domestication should qualify as an F Reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, it is not possible to predict whether the IRS or a court considering the issue would take a contrary position. The remainder of this disclosure assumes that the Domestication qualifies as an F Reorganization.
Except as provided below under “Section 367” and “PFIC Considerations”:
 
   
U.S. Holders generally will not recognize taxable gain or loss as a result of the Domestication for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
 
   
the tax basis of a share of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrant received by a U.S. Holder in the Domestication will equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A ordinary share or public warrant, as the case may be, surrendered in exchange therefor, increased by any amount included in the income of such U.S. Holder as a result of Section 367 of the Code (as discussed below), and
 
   
the holding period for a share of New Grove Class A common stock or a New Grove warrant received by a U.S. Holder will include such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A ordinary share or public warrant surrendered in exchange therefor.
Because the Domestication will occur prior to the redemption of U.S. Holders that exercise redemption rights, U.S. Holders and
Non-U.S.
Holders exercising such redemption rights will (if the Domestication occurs) be subject to the potential tax consequences of the Domestication. All U.S. Holders considering exercising redemption rights are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the potential tax consequences of the Domestication and an exercise of redemption rights to them.
Section 367
Section 367 of the Code applies to certain
non-recognition
transactions involving foreign corporations, including a Domestication of a foreign corporation in an F Reorganization. Section 367 of the Code imposes income tax on certain United States persons in connection with transactions that would otherwise be
tax-free.
Section 367(b) of the Code will generally apply to U.S. Holders of VGAC II at the time of the Domestication. Because the Domestication will occur prior to the redemption of holders that exercise redemption rights, U.S. Holders exercising redemption rights will be subject to the potential tax consequences of Section 367 of the Code as a result of the Domestication.
U.S. Holders of VGAC II that Own More Than 10% of VGAC II Shares
A U.S. Holder who on the date of the Domestication is a 10% shareholder must include in income as a dividend the “all earnings and profits amount” attributable to the VGAC II shares it directly owns, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-2(d).
A U.S. Holder’s ownership of warrants will be taken into account in determining whether such U.S. Holder is a 10% shareholder, and complex attribution rules apply in determining whether a U.S. Holder owns 10% or more (by vote or value) of VGAC II’s shares.
A 10% shareholder’s all earnings and profits amount with respect to its VGAC II shares is the net positive earnings and profits of VGAC II (as determined under Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-2(d)(2))
attributable to the shares (as determined under Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-2(d)(3))
but without regard to any gain
 
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that would be realized on a sale or exchange of such shares. Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-2(d)(3)
provides that the all earnings and profits amount attributable to a shareholder’s stock is determined according to the principles of Section 1248 of the Code. In general, Section 1248 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder provide that the amount of earnings and profits attributable to a block of stock in a foreign corporation is the ratably allocated portion of the foreign corporation’s earnings and profits generated during the period the shareholder held the block of stock.
Accordingly, under Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-3(b)(3),
a 10% shareholder should be required to include in income as a deemed dividend the all earnings and profits amount (as defined in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-2(d))
with respect to its VGAC II shares. If VGAC II’s cumulative earnings and profits through the date of the Domestication are not greater than zero, then a U.S. Holder should not be required to include in gross income an all earnings and profits amount with respect to its VGAC II shares. However, if VGAC II’s earnings and profits are greater than zero through the date of the Domestication, depending upon the period in which a U.S. Holder held its VGAC II shares, such U.S. Holder could be required to include its earnings and profits amount in income as a deemed dividend under Treasury Regulation
Section 1.367(b)-3(b)(3)
as a result of the Domestication. The determination of VGAC II’s earnings and profits is complex and may be impacted by numerous factors.
U.S. Holders of Class A Ordinary Shares that Own Less Than 10% of VGAC II Shares
A U.S. Holder who on the date of the Domestication actually and constructively owns VGAC II shares with a fair market value of $50,000 or more but who is not a 10% shareholder will recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to the deemed receipt of shares of New Grove Class A common stock in the Domestication unless such holder elects to recognize the “all earnings and profits” amount as described below.
Unless a U.S. Holder makes the “all earnings and profits” election as described below, such U.S. Holder generally must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to the deemed receipt of shares of New Grove Class A common stock in the Domestication. Any such gain should be equal to the excess of the fair market value of the share of New Grove Class A common stock received over the U.S. Holder’s adjusted basis in the Class A ordinary shares deemed to be surrendered in exchange therefor. Such gain should be capital gain, and should be long-term capital gain if the U.S. Holder held the Class A ordinary shares for longer than one year. Long-term capital gains of
non-corporate
taxpayers are generally subject to tax at preferential rates under current law.
In lieu of recognizing any gain as described in the preceding paragraph, a U.S. Holder may elect to include in income the all earnings and profits amount attributable to its Class A ordinary shares under Section 367(b) of the Code.
There are, however, strict conditions for making this election. This election must comply with applicable Treasury Regulations and generally must include, among other things: (i) a statement that the Domestication is a Section 367(b) exchange; (ii) a complete description of the Domestication; (iii) a description of any stock, securities, or other consideration transferred or received in the Domestication; (iv) a statement describing the amounts required to be taken into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes; (v) a statement that the U.S. Holder is making the election that includes (A) a copy of the information that the U.S. Holder received from VGAC II establishing and substantiating the U.S. Holder’s all earnings and profits amount with respect to the U.S. Holder’s VGAC II shares and (B) a representation that the U.S. Holder has notified New Grove that such U.S. Holder is making the election; and (vi) certain other information required to be furnished with the U.S. Holder’s tax return or otherwise furnished pursuant to the Code or the Treasury Regulations thereunder. In addition, the election must be attached by the U.S. Holder to its timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the year of the Domestication and the U.S. Holder must send notice to New Grove of the election no later than the date such tax return is filed. There is no assurance that VGAC II will timely provide the required information for making this election.
 
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If VGAC II’s cumulative earnings and profits are not greater than zero through the date of the Domestication, a U.S. Holder who makes this election should generally not have an income inclusion under Section 367(b) of the Code provided the U.S. Holder properly executes the election and complies with the applicable notice requirements. If VGAC II had positive earnings and profits through the date of the Domestication, a U.S. Holder that makes the election described herein could have an all earnings and profits amount with respect to its Class A ordinary shares, and thus could be required to include that amount in income as a deemed dividend as a result of the Domestication.
U.S. HOLDERS ARE STRONGLY URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING WHEN AND WHETHER TO MAKE THIS ELECTION AND, IF THE ELECTION IS DETERMINED TO BE ADVISABLE, THE APPROPRIATE FILING REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THIS ELECTION.
U.S. Holders that Own Class A Ordinary Shares with a Fair Market Value Less Than $50,000
Subject to the discussion below under “PFIC Considerations,” a U.S. Holder who on the date of the Domestication owns (or is considered to own) VGAC II shares with a fair market value less than $50,000 and is not a 10% shareholder should not be required to recognize any gain or loss under Section 367 of the Code in connection with the Domestication, and generally should not be required to include any part of the all earnings and profits amount in income.
U.S. HOLDERS ARE STRONGLY URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE TIMING OF THE APPLICABILITY AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF SECTION 367(B) IN THE CASE OF THE DOMESTICATION.
Tax Consequences for U.S. Holders of Public Warrants
Subject to the considerations described above relating to Section 367(b) of the Code and below relating to PFIC considerations, a U.S. Holder of public warrants should not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to the exchange of public warrants for New Grove warrants in the Domestication.
PFIC Considerations
As discussed under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur—U.S. Holders—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
” above, VGAC II believes that it is (and has been) treated as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition to the discussion under the heading “Section 367,” above, the Domestication could be a taxable event to U.S. Holders under the PFIC provisions of the Code.
Even if the Domestication qualifies as a reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Section 368(a) of the Code, Section 1291(f) of the Code requires that, to the extent provided in regulations, a U.S. person that disposes of stock of a PFIC recognize gain notwithstanding any other provision of the Code. No final Treasury Regulations are in effect under Section 1291(f). Proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code were promulgated in 1992, with a retroactive effective date once they become finalized. If finalized in their present form, those regulations would require taxable gain recognition by a U.S. Holder with respect to its exchange of VGAC II securities for New Grove securities in the Domestication if VGAC II were classified as a PFIC at any time during such U.S. Holder’s holding period in the VGAC II securities unless such U.S. Holder made a timely and effective QEF election for VGAC II’s first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. Holder held (or was deemed to hold) Class A ordinary shares, or made a QEF election along with a purging election, or made a
mark-to-market
election (a U.S. Holder that has not made such a QEF or
mark-to-market
election, a “
Non-Electing
Shareholder
” and any U.S. Holder that has made such a QEF election (or QEF election along with a purging election, or
mark-to-market
election), an “
Electing Shareholder
”). Any
 
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such gain would be treated as an “excess distribution” made in the year of the Domestication and subject to the special tax and interest charge rules discussed above under “Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.” In addition, such regulations would provide coordinating rules with Section 367(b) of the Code, whereby, if the gain recognition rule of the proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code applies to a disposition of PFIC stock that results from a transfer with respect to which Section 367(b) of Code requires the shareholder to recognize gain or include an amount in income as a distribution under Section 301 of the Code, the gain realized on the transfer is taxable as an excess distribution under Section 1291 of the Code, and the excess, if any, of the amount to be included in income under Section 367(b) of the Code over the gain realized under Section 1291 of the Code is taxable as provided under Section 367(b) of the Code. See the discussion above under the section entitled “Section 367.” The proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code (if finalized in their current form) should not apply to an Electing Shareholder with respect to its Class A ordinary shares for which a timely QEF election (or a QEF election along with a purging election, or
mark-to-market
election) is made. An Electing Shareholder may, however, be subject to the rules discussed above under the section entitled “Section 367.” The application of the PFIC rules to warrants is unclear. A proposed regulation issued under the PFIC rules generally treats an “option” to acquire the stock of a PFIC as stock of the PFIC, while a final regulation issued under the PFIC rules provides that the holder of an option is not entitled make a QEF election with respect to the option. It is possible that the proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 1291(f) of the Code (if finalized in their current form) may apply to cause gain recognition under the PFIC rules on the exchange of public warrants for New Grove warrants pursuant to the Domestication.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF election, purging election and
mark-to-market
election are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, a U.S. Holder of Class A ordinary shares or warrants should consult its own tax advisor concerning the application of the PFIC rules to such Class A ordinary shares or public warrants under such U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances.
Tax Consequences of a Redemption of New Grove Class A Common Stock
If the Domestication Proposal is approved and the Domestication is consummated, VGAC II will become New Grove prior to any redemption of equity held by holders that elect to redeem their equity interests in VGAC II in connection with the vote regarding the Business Combination Proposal. Accordingly, at the time of any such redemption, such holders will hold shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. The treatment of the redemption for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the common stock under the 302 tests discussed under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur—U.S. Holders—Redemption of Class
 A Ordinary Shares
” above. Whether a redemption by New Grove meets one of the 302 tests will, in turn, depend largely on the total number of New Grove shares treated as held by the holder (including any shares constructively owned by the holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all New Grove shares outstanding both before and after such redemption or purchase.
If the redemption or purchase by New Grove qualifies as a sale of New Grove Class A Common Stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as described under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur—U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Warrants
” above (other than with respect to the consequences described under “Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”) and
Non-U.S.
Holders will be treated as described under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of New Grove Class
 A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
Post-Domestication—Non-U.S.
Holders— Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of New Grove Class
 A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
” below. If the redemption or purchase by New Grove does not qualify as a sale of New Grove Class A Common Stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences to U.S. Holders described above under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur—U.S. Holders—Taxation of Distributions
 
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(other than with respect to the consequences described under “Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules”) and the tax consequences to
Non-U.S.
Holders described below under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of New Grove Class
 A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
Post-Domestication—Non-U.S.
Holders—Taxation of Distributions on Class
 A Common Stock.
Because the satisfaction of the 302 tests described above is dependent on matters of fact, the withholding agents may presume, for withholding purposes, that all amounts paid to
Non-U.S.
Holders in connection with a redemption are treated as distributions in respect of their shares. Accordingly, a
Non-U.S.
Holder should expect that a withholding agent will likely withhold U.S. federal income tax on the gross proceeds payable to a
Non-U.S.
Holder pursuant to a redemption at a rate of 30% unless such
Non-U.S.
Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form
W-8BEN
or
W-8BEN-E,
as applicable). Each holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences to it of any redemption of its New Grove Class A Common Stock.
See “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur—U.S. Holders—Redemption of Class
 A Ordinary Shares
” and “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not
Occur—Non-U.S.
Holders
” above for a discussion of the consequences of a redemption of Class A ordinary shares in the event that the Domestication does not occur.
 
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Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of New Grove
Class A Common Stock and New
Grove Warrants Post-Domestication
U.S. Holders
Taxation of Distributions on New Grove Class A Common Stock
A U.S. Holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any cash distribution paid on New Grove Class A Common Stock to the extent the distribution is paid out of New Grove’s current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends will be taxable to a corporate U.S. Holder at regular rates but will be eligible (subject to applicable requirements and limitations) for the dividends-received deduction.
Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. Holder’s basis in its stock (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such stock as described below under “Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants.”
With respect to
non-corporate
U.S. Holders, under tax laws currently in effect, dividends generally will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see “
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of New Grove Class
 A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
” below), subject to applicable requirements and limitations.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
A U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants so disposed of exceeds one year at the time of disposition. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the New Grove Class A Common Stock described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. Long-term capital gains recognized by
non-corporate
U.S. Holders are generally subject to tax at preferential rates under current law. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
The amount of gain or loss recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition generally will be equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants so disposed of.
Exercise or Lapse of a New Grove Warrant
Except with respect to the application of the PFIC rules, the tax consequences of the exercise or lapse of a New Grove warrant will generally be the same as the tax consequences of the exercise or lapse of a public warrant, as discussed above under “
Tax Consequences of the Ownership and Disposition of Class
 A Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants if the Domestication Does Not Occur—U.S. Holders—Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
.”
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each New Grove warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock for which a New Grove warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of a New
 
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Grove warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus entitled “
Description of New Grove Securities—Warrants.
” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. U.S. Holders of New Grove warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from New Grove if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrantholders’ proportionate interest in New Grove’s assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock which is taxable to the U.S. Holders of such stock as described under “
Taxation of Distributions on New Grove Class
 A Common Stock
” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. Holders of the New Grove warrants received a cash distribution from New Grove equal to the fair market value of such increased interest.
Non-U.S.
Holders
Taxation of Distributions on New Grove Class A Common Stock
Any cash distribution (or a constructive distribution) New Grove makes to a
Non-U.S.
Holder of New Grove securities, to the extent paid out of New Grove’s current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), generally will constitute a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any such dividends paid or deemed paid to a
Non-U.S.
Holder in respect of New Grove Class A Common Stock (or New Grove warrants) that are not effectively connected with the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, as described below, generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend, unless such
Non-U.S.
Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form
W-8BEN
or
W-8BEN-E,
or other applicable IRS Form
W-8).
In satisfying the foregoing withholding obligation with respect to a distribution, the applicable withholding agent may withhold up to 30% of either (i) the gross amount of the entire distribution, even if the amount of the distribution is greater than the amount constituting a dividend, as described above, or (ii) the amount of the distribution New Grove projects will be a dividend, based upon a reasonable estimate of both its current and accumulated earnings and profits for the taxable year in which the distribution is made. If U.S. federal income tax is withheld on the amount of a distribution in excess of the amount constituting a dividend, the
Non-U.S.
Holder may obtain a refund of all or a portion of the excess amount withheld by timely filing a claim for refund with the IRS. Any such distribution not constituting a dividend generally will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, first as reducing the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s adjusted tax basis in such securities (but not below zero) and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain from the sale or other taxable disposition of such securities, which will be treated as described under “
Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of New Grove Class
 A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
” below.
Dividends (including constructive dividends) New Grove pays to a
Non-U.S.
Holder that are effectively connected with such
Non-U.S.
Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States generally will not be subject to the foregoing U.S. federal withholding tax, provided such
Non-U.S.
Holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an IRS Form
W-8ECI).
Instead, unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise, such dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder. In addition, if the
Non-U.S.
Holder is a corporation, such
Non-U.S.
Holder’s effectively connected earnings and profits (subject to adjustments) may be subject to a U.S. federal “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
 
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Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Warrants
A
Non-U.S.
Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax in respect of gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other disposition of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants unless:
 
   
the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the
Non-U.S.
Holder within the United States;
 
   
New Grove is or has been a “United States real property holding corporation” (“
USRPHC
”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s holding period for such securities disposed of, and either (i) the New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove warrants have ceased to be regularly traded on an established securities market or (ii) the
Non-U.S.
Holder has owned, actually or constructively, more than five percent (5%) of such securities, as applicable, at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the
Non-U.S.
Holder’s holding period for the security disposed of.
Unless an applicable tax treaty provides otherwise, any gain described in the first or third bullet points above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. Holder and, in addition, a
Non-U.S.
Holder described in the first bullet point that is a foreign corporation will be subject to U.S. federal “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or a lower applicable tax treaty rate) on such
Non-U.S.
Holder’s effectively connected earnings and profits (subject to adjustments).
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments with respect to shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status.
A
Non-U.S.
Holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting (other than with respect to dividends) and backup withholding by providing certification of its
non-U.S.
status on a duly executed applicable IRS Form
W-8
or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “
FATCA
”), payments of dividends on and the gross proceeds of dispositions of common stock or warrants of a U.S. issuer paid to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code) or (ii) a
“non-financial
foreign entity” (as specifically defined in the Code) will be subject to a withholding tax (separate and apart from, but without duplication of, the withholding tax described above) at a rate of 30%, unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied or an exemption from these rules applies. Under proposed Treasury Regulations promulgated by the Treasury Department on December 13, 2018, which state that taxpayers may rely on the proposed Treasury Regulations until final Treasury Regulations are issued, this
 
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withholding tax will not apply to the gross proceeds from the sale or disposition of common stock or warrants. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. If a dividend payment is both subject to withholding under FATCA and subject to the withholding tax discussed above, the withholding under FATCA may be credited against, and therefore reduce, such other withholding tax.
Non-U.S.
holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this withholding tax on their shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove warrants.
 
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GROVE’S SOLICITATION OF WRITTEN CONSENTS
Purpose of the Consent Solicitation
Grove stockholders are being asked to consent to adopt and approve in all respects the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (the “
Business Combination Proposal
”) and to consent to certain other matters specified in the consent.
The Grove Board has determined that the Merger Agreement, the Merger contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of Grove and its stockholders and adopted and approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger. The Grove Board recommends that you consent to the Business Combination Proposal and thereby approve the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
Grove Stockholders Entitled to Consent
Only Grove stockholders of record holding shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock are entitled to sign and deliver written consents with respect to the Business Combination Proposal. As of the close of business on [●], 2022, there were approximately [●] shares of Grove Common Stock (including the shares of Grove Preferred Stock on an
as-converted
basis) outstanding and entitled to sign and deliver written consents with respect to the Business Combination Proposal. You are urged to return a completed, dated, and signed written consent by [●] Eastern Time, on [●], 2022.
Consents; Required Consents
Written consents from the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of Grove Common Stock entitled to vote (including common stock issuable upon conversion of Grove Preferred Stock) are required to adopt the Business Combination Proposal.
Concurrent with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain holders of Grove Preferred Stock (determined on an
as-converted
basis) representing the requisite vote required under the certificate of incorporation of Grove executed a written consent pursuant to which all of the issued and outstanding Grove Preferred Stock will be converted immediately prior to the Merger into shares of Grove Common Stock in accordance with the Grove certificate of incorporation. The Grove Preferred Stock will be converted to Grove Common Stock on a
one-to-one
basis. The written consents solicited via this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus will become effective upon such conversion of the Grove Preferred Stock.
Also concurrent with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain Grove stockholders entered into a Support Agreement with VGAC II. Under the Support Agreement, such Grove stockholders agreed, among other things, to (i) vote in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, and (ii) be bound by certain other covenants and agreements related to the Business Combination.
Submission of Consents
You may consent to the Business Combination Proposal with respect to your shares of Grove Common Stock (on an
as-converted
basis) by completing, dating and signing the written consent enclosed with this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and returning it to Grove.
If you hold shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock, you must fill out the enclosed written consent, date, and sign it, and promptly return it to Grove. Once you have completed, dated, and signed the written consent, you may deliver it to Grove by emailing a .pdf copy to [dcostin@grove.co ] or by mailing it to Grove at [1301 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111], Attention: [Delida Costin].
 
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Executing Consents
You may execute a written consent to approve of the Business Combination Proposal. A written consent to approve the Business Combination Proposal is equivalent to a vote for such proposal. If you fail to execute and return your written consent, or otherwise withhold your written consent, it has the same effect as voting against the Business Combination Proposal.
Solicitation of Consents; Expenses
The expense of preparing, printing and mailing these consent solicitation materials is being borne by Grove. Officers and employees of Grove may solicit consents by telephone, by text message, by email, by text message, and personally, in addition to solicitation by mail. These persons will receive their regular salaries but no special compensation for soliciting consents.
 
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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Introduction
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of
Regulation S-X as
amended by the final rule,
Release 33-10786 “Amendments
to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses” and presents the combination of the historical financial statements of VG Acquisition Corp. II (“
VGAC II
”) and Grove, adjusted to give effect to the Merger and other related events contemplated by the Merger Agreement. VGAC II and Grove shall collectively be referred to herein as the “
Companies.”
 The Companies, after giving effect to the Merger, shall be referred to herein as “
New Grove.”
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 combines the historical unaudited condensed balance sheet of VGAC II as of September 30, 2021 with the historical unaudited condensed balance sheet of Grove as of September 30, 2021 on a pro forma basis as if the Merger and the other events contemplated by the Merger Agreement, summarized below, had been consummated on September 30, 2021.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 combines the historical unaudited condensed statement of operations of VGAC II for the period from January 13, 2021 (date of inception) through September 30, 2021 and the historical unaudited condensed statement of operations of Grove for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 on a pro forma basis as if the Merger and other events contemplated by the Merger Agreement, summarized below, had been consummated on January 1, 2020. The date of inception for VGAC II was January 13, 2021, therefore the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 presents only the historical audited statement of operations of Grove for the year ended December 31, 2020 on a pro forma basis as if the Merger and the other related events, summarized below, had been consummated on January 1, 2020.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information was derived from and should be read in conjunction with the following historical financial statements and the accompanying notes, which are included elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus:
 
   
the historical unaudited condensed financial statements of VGAC II as of September 30, 2021 and for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) to September 30, 2021;
 
   
the (a) historical audited financial statements of Grove as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and (b) historical unaudited condensed financial statements of Grove as of September 30, 2021 and for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, and
 
   
other information relating to Grove and VGAC II included in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Merger Agreement and the description of certain terms thereof set forth under the section titled “Business Combination Proposal.”
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been presented for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily reflect what New Grove’s financial condition or results of operations would have been had the Merger occurred on the dates indicated. Further, the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information also may not be useful in predicting the future financial condition and results of operations of New Grove. The actual financial position and results of operations may differ significantly from the pro forma amounts reflected herein due to a variety of factors. The unaudited pro forma adjustments represent management’s estimates based on information available as of the date of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements and are subject to change as additional information becomes available and analyses are performed.
 
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The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information should also be read together with “VGAC II’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, “Grove’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and other financial information included elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Description of the Transactions
On December 7, 2021, VGAC II, a Cayman Islands exempted company, entered into the Merger Agreement, which provides for, among other things, the following transactions:
(i) At least one day prior to the closing date, VGAC II will become a Delaware corporation (the “
Domestication
”) and, in connection with the Domestication,
 
  (A)
VGAC II’s name will be changed to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.” (“
New Grove
”),
 
  (B)
each then-issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically into one share of Class A Common Stock of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 A Common Stock
”),
 
  (C)
each then-issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically into one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock,
 
  (D)
each then-issued and outstanding warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of VGAC II (“
Public Warrant
”) will convert automatically into one warrant to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock, and
 
  (E)
each then-issued and outstanding sponsor warrant of VGAC II (“
Private Placement Warrant
”) will convert automatically into one warrant to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock.
(ii) On the closing date, VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove, with Grove as the surviving company in the merger and, after giving effect to such merger, continuing as a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Grove (the “
Merger
”). The Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement other than the Domestication are hereinafter referred to as the “Business Combination.”
(iii) Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, Grove equity holders will receive or have the right to receive shares of class B common stock of New Grove (the “
New Grove Class
 B Common Stock
”) at a deemed value of $10.00 per share after giving effect to the exchange ratio of 1.17 (“
Exchange Ratio
”). Accordingly, an estimated 124,056,114 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be immediately issued and outstanding, an estimated 29,329,868 shares will be reserved for the potential future issuance of New Grove Class B Common Stock upon the exercise of New Grove stock options, the vesting of New Grove restricted stock units, and the exercise of New Grove warrants, based on the following transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement:
 
  (A)
the conversion of all outstanding shares of Grove’s convertible preferred stock into shares of Grove’s common stock at the then-effective conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Grove’s certificate of incorporation;
 
  (B)
the conversion of each issued and outstanding share of Grove’s common stock (including shares of Grove common stock resulting from the conversion of all outstanding shares of Grove’s convertible preferred stock) to a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio;
 
  (C)
the conversion of all outstanding shares of Grove’s restricted stock into shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock at the Exchange Ratio, which shares will continue to be governed by the same terms and conditions (including vesting and repurchase terms) effective immediately prior to the Business Combination;
 
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  (D)
the conversion of all outstanding Grove warrants, excluding 266,660 warrants to purchase Grove common stock that will be net settled or canceled prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, into warrants exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock with the same terms except for the number of shares exercisable and the exercise price, each of which will be adjusted using the Exchange Ratio;
 
  (E)
the conversion of all outstanding vested and unvested Grove stock options into New Grove stock options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock with the same terms except for the number of shares exercisable and the exercise price, each of which will be adjusted using the Exchange Ratio; and
 
  (F)
the conversion of all outstanding Grove restricted stock units into New Grove restricted stock units with the same terms that each represent the right to receive the number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock adjusted using the Exchange Ratio.
The holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock will have one vote per share and the holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock will have ten votes per share. The New Grove Class B Common Stock will be subject to automatic conversion to New Grove Class A Common Stock upon any transfers (except for certain permitted transfers).
Other Related Events in Connection with the Business Combination
Other related events that are contemplated to take place in connection with the Business Combination are summarized below:
PIPE Subscription Agreements
In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, VGAC II entered into the Subscription Agreements with respect to the PIPE Investment. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, certain accredited and strategic investors have committed to purchase 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (“
PIPE Shares
”), for a purchase price of $10.00 per share and an aggregate purchase price of $87,075,000. The closing of the PIPE Investment is conditioned on all conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement having been satisfied or waived and other customary closing conditions. The consummation of the PIPE Investment is a closing condition under the Merger Agreement.
Grove Earnout Shares
Upon certain triggering events that can occur during a period of ten years following the closing of the Business Combination (the “
Earnout Period
”), Grove stockholders (including Grove stock option, restricted stock unit, restricted stock, and warrant holders) are entitled to receive up to an additional 14,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock (“
Grove Earnout Shares
”). The triggering events that will result in the issuance of the Grove Earnout Shares during the Earnout Period are the following:
 
   
7,000,000 shares earned if the share price of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 over any 20 trading days within any consecutive 30 trading day period during the Earnout Period;
 
   
7,000,000 shares earned, including the shares subject to the $12.50 threshold if not previously vested, if the share price of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 over any 20 trading days within any 30 consecutive trading day period during the Earnout Period; and
 
   
If, during the Earnout Period, there is a Change of Control Transaction (as defined in the Merger Agreement), then all remaining triggering events that have not previously occurred and the related vesting conditions shall be deemed to have occurred.
 
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If, at any time prior to the expiration of the Earnout Period, any holder of Grove Earnout Shares forfeits all or any portion of such holder’s converted Grove options and restricted stock units, all unvested Grove Earnout Shares issued to such holder with respect to any such awards shall be automatically forfeited to New Grove and distributed to the other holder of Grove securities as if immediately prior to the closing of the Business Combination on a pro rata basis.
Sponsor Earnout Shares
During January 2021, VGAC II and certain founders subscribed to purchase 7,187,500 shares of VGAC II Class B ordinary shares for an aggregate price of $25,000 (“
Founder Shares
”). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a
33-for-25
share split with respect to the Founder Shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 Founder Shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a
35-for-33
share split with respect to the Founder Shares resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 Founder Shares issued and outstanding, of which 9,972,500 shares are held by VGAC II as of September 30, 2021.
As part of the Business Combination, VGAC II restructured 35% of the Founder Shares into an earnout structure with the same terms as the Grove Earnout Shares (the “
Sponsor Earnout Shares
”). The triggering events that will result in the vesting and release of the 3,490,375 Sponsor Earnout Shares during the Earnout Period are the following:
 
   
50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest if the share price of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 over any 20 trading days within any consecutive 30 trading day period during the Earnout Period.
 
   
50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, including the shares subject to the $12.50 threshold if not previously vested, will vest if the share price of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 over any 20 trading days within any 30 consecutive trading day period during the Earnout Period.
 
   
If, during the Earnout Period, there is a Change of Control Transaction, then all remaining triggering events that have not previously occurred shall be deemed to have occurred.
Expected Accounting Treatment of the Business Combination
We expect the Business Combination to be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with GAAP. Under this method of accounting, VGAC II is expected to be treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of New Grove will represent a continuation of the financial statements of Grove with the Business Combination treated as the equivalent of Grove issuing stock for the net assets of VGAC II, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of VGAC II will be stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. Operations prior to the Business Combination will be those of Grove in future reports of New Grove.
Grove has been determined to be the accounting acquirer based on evaluation of the following facts and circumstances:
 
   
Current Grove stockholders will have a relative majority of the voting power of New Grove;
 
   
The New Grove Board will have nine members of whom one individual shall be designated by VGAC II and of whom eight individuals shall be designated by Grove;
 
   
Grove’s senior management will comprise the senior management roles of New Grove and be responsible for
the day-to-day operations;
 
   
New Grove will assume the Grove name; and
 
   
The intended strategy and operations of New Grove will continue Grove’s current strategy.
 
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Grove is in process of assessing the accounting related to the Business Combination and the treatment related to the:
 
   
Sponsor and Grove Earnout Shares – The Earnout Shares, excluding those allocated to the unvested Grove options and restricted stock units, are expected to be accounted for as liability classified equity instruments that are earned upon achieving the triggering events, which include events that are not indexed to the common stock of New Grove, and if the arrangements should be recorded as long term. The Company has preliminarily concluded that liability classification for these Earnout Shares is appropriate and as such, the liability will be recognized at fair value upon the Merger closing and remeasured in future reporting periods through the statement of operations The preliminary fair value of the Earnout Shares was determined using the most reliable information currently available. The actual fair value could change materially once the final valuation is determined upon consummation of the Business Combination. The Earnout Shares attributed to the unvested Grove options and restricted stock units are expected to be accounted for as stock-based compensation due to the continued service requirement and will be equity-classified. Compensation expense, if any, related to such Earnout Shares has not been reflected in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations.
 
   
Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants –The Company has preliminarily concluded that liability classification for the Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants is appropriate and as such, the liability will be recognized at fair value upon the Merger closing and remeasured in future reporting periods through the statement of operations.
 
   
Direct and Incremental Transaction Costs—Estimates are necessary to finalize the allocation of direct and incremental transaction costs between instruments issued or assumed in the Business Combination. The Company has preliminarily allocated such costs on a relative fair value basis between the VGAC II ordinary shares, PIPE Shares, Sponsor Earnout Shares, the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants based on estimates that are available. Direct and incremental transaction costs allocated to equity-classified instruments have been preliminarily recorded within equity in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements. Direct and incremental transaction costs allocated to liability-classified equity instruments were expensed in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
The final accounting related to the Business Combination, including the Sponsor and Grove Earnout Shares, Public Warrants, Private Placement Warrants, and transaction costs will be finalized by New Grove and reported on in the first reporting period following the consummation of the Business Combination.
Basis of Pro Forma Presentation
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation
S-X.
The adjustments in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information have been identified and presented to provide relevant information in accordance with GAAP necessary for an illustrative understanding of New Grove upon consummation of the Business Combination. Assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited pro forma adjustments set forth in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information are described in the accompanying notes.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been presented for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the operating results and financial position that would have been achieved had the Business Combination occurred on the dates indicated, and does not reflect adjustments for any anticipated synergies, operating efficiencies, tax savings, or cost savings. Any cash proceeds remaining after the consummation of the Business Combination and the other related events contemplated by the Merger Agreement are expected to be used for general corporate purposes. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information does not purport to project the future operating results or financial position of New Grove following the completion of the Business Combination. The unaudited pro forma adjustments
 
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represent management’s estimates based on information available as of the date of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information and are subject to change as additional information becomes available and analyses are performed. VGAC II and Grove have not had any historical relationship prior to the Business Combination. Accordingly, no pro forma adjustments were required to eliminate activities between the companies.
The pro forma condensed combined information contained herein assumes VGAC II’s shareholders approve the proposed Business Combination. VGAC II’s public shareholders may elect to redeem their shares of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares even if they approve the proposed Business Combination. VGAC II cannot predict how many of its public shareholders will elect to redeem their shares of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares for cash. As a result, VGAC II has provided pro forma combined financial statements under two different redemption scenarios:
 
   
Assuming no redemptions: This scenario assumes that no shares of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares are redeemed.
 
   
Assuming maximum redemptions: This scenario assumes 31,459,600 of VGAC II’s Class A ordinary shares are redeemed for an aggregate payment of $314.6 million, which is derived from the number of shares that could be redeemed in connection with the Business Combination at an assumed redemption price of approximately $10.00 per share based on funds held in the trust account as of September 30, 2021 and still satisfy the Minimum Cash Condition required to consummate the Business Combination of at least $175.0 million, after giving effect to the proceeds from the PIPE Investment.
The actual redemptions will likely be within the scenarios described above; however, there can be no assurance regarding which scenario will be closest to the actual results. Under both scenarios, Grove is considered the accounting acquirer, as further discussed in “—Basis of the Pro Forma Presentation.”
The following summarizes the pro forma New Grove Class A and Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately after the Business Combination, after giving effect to the Exchange Ratio, presented under the two redemption scenarios (the below ownership calculations exclude Grove Earnout Shares and Sponsor Earnout Shares):
 
    
No Redemption
   
Maximum Redemption
 
  
Number of
Shares
    
%
Ownership
   
Number of
Shares
    
%
Ownership
 
Former VGAC II shareholders
     40,250,000                40,250,000           
Less: VGAC II Class A shares redeemed
     —                  (31,459,600         
    
 
 
            
 
 
          
Total held by former VGAC II shareholders
     40,250,000        22.4     8,790,400        5.9
Sponsor
     6,572,125        3.7     6,572,125        4.4
Grove Stockholders
     124,056,114        69.1     124,056,114        83.8
PIPE Investors
     8,707,500        4.8     8,707,500        5.9
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
 
Pro forma shares outstanding
     179,585,739        100.0     148,126,139        100.0
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED BALANCE SHEET
As of September 30, 2021
(in thousands)
 
               
No Redemptions
Scenario
   
Maximum Redemptions
Scenario
 
   
VGAC II
(Historical)
   
Grove
(Historical)
   
Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 3)
   
Notes
   
Pro Forma
Combined
   
Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 3)
   
Notes
    
Pro Forma
Combined
 
ASSETS
                                                                
Current assets:
                                                                
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 59     $ 109,217     $ 402,521    
 
A
 
  $ 557,499     $ (314,596  
 
F
 
   $ 242,903  
                      87,075    
 
B
 
                                
                      (14,088  
 
C
 
                                
                      (27,285  
 
D
 
                                
Inventory, net
    —         59,466       —                 59,466       —                  59,466  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
    629       6,940       —                 7,569       —                  7,569  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
Total current assets
    688       175,623       448,223               624,534       (314,596              309,938  
Prepaid expenses – noncurrent portion
    300       —         —                 300       —                  300  
Cash and investments held in trust account
    402,521       —         (402,521  
 
A
 
    —         —                  —    
Property and equipment, net
    —         15,800       —                 15,800       —                  15,800  
Operating lease
right-of-use
assets
    —         22,040       —                 22,040       —                  22,040  
Other long-term assets
    —         3,466       (1,261  
 
D
 
    2,205       —                  2,205  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
Total assets
  $ 403,509     $ 216,929     $ 44,441             $ 664,879     $ (314,596            $ 350,283  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
LIABILITIES, CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK, AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
                                                                
Current liabilities:
                                                                
Accounts payable
  $ —       $ 31,126     $ —               $ 31,126     $ —                $ 31,126  
Accrued expenses
    983       26,267       (1,046  
 
D
 
    26,204       —                  26,204  
Due to related party
    62       —         —                 62       —                  62  
Deferred revenue
    —         11,278       —                 11,278       —                  11,278  
Operating lease liabilities, current
    —         3,493       —                 3,493       —                  3,493  
Other current liabilities
    —         1,017       —                 1,017       —                  1,017  
Debt, current
    —         1,265       —                 1,265       —                  1,265  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
Total current liabilities
    1,045       74,446       (1,046             74,445       —                  74,445  
Debt, noncurrent
    —         55,981       —                 55,981       —                  55,981  
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent
    —         20,909       —                 20,909       —                  20,909  
Other long-term liabilities
    —         6,393       (5,079  
 
K
 
    1,314       —                  1,314  
Warrant liability
    13,655       —         —                 13,655       —                  13,655  
Earnout liabilities
    —         —         147,830    
 
G
 
    147,830       —                  147,830  
Deferred underwriters’ discount
    14,088       —         (14,088  
 
C
 
    —         —                  —    
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
Total liabilities
    28,788       157,729       127,617               314,134       —                  314,134  
Convertible preferred stock
    —         487,918       (487,918  
 
I
 
    —         —                  —    
VGAC II Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption
    402,500       —         (402,500  
 
E
 
    —         —                  —    
Stockholders‘ equity (deficit):
                                                                
Grove common stock
    —         1       (1  
 
J
 
    —         —                  —    
VGAC II Class A ordinary shares
    —         —         —                 —         —                  —    
VGAC II Class B ordinary shares
    1       —         (1  
 
E
 
    —         —                  —    
New Grove Class A common stock
    —         —         1    
 
B
 
    6       (3  
 
F
 
     3  
                      5    
 
E
 
                                
New Grove Class B common stock
    —         —         1    
 
J
 
    11       —                  11  
                      10    
 
I
 
                                
Additional
paid-in
capital
    —         29,437       87,074    
 
B
 
    811,031       (314,593  
 
F
 
     496,438  
                      (25,353  
 
D
 
                                
                      402,496    
 
E
 
                                
                      (147,830  
 
G
 
                                
                      (27,780  
 
H
 
                                
                      487,908    
 
I
 
                                
                      5,079    
 
K
 
                                
Accumulated deficit
    (27,780     (458,156     27,780    
 
H
 
    (460,303     —                  (460,303
                      (2,147  
 
D
 
                                
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)
    (27,779     (428,718     807,242               350,745       (314,596              36,149  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ equity (deficit)
  $ 403,509     $ 216,929     $ 44,441             $ 664,879     $ (314,596            $ 350,283  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
 
See accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
 
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Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statement of Operations
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
 
   
For the period
from
January 13,
2021
(inception) to
September 30,
2021
VGAC II
   
For the Nine
Months Ended
September 30,
2021
Grove
(Historical)
   
No Redemptions
Scenario
   
Maximum Redemptions
Scenario
 
   
Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 3)
   
Notes
   
Pro Forma
Combined
   
Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 3)
   
Notes
   
Pro Forma
Combined
 
Revenue, net
  $ —       $ 296,421     $ —               $ 296,421     $ —               $ 296,421  
Cost of goods sold
    —         147,179       —                 147,179       —                 147,179  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Gross profit
    —         149,242       —                 149,242       —                 149,242  
Operating expenses:
                                                               
Advertising
    —         90,611       —                 90,611       —                 90,611  
Product development
    —         16,436       —                 16,436       —                 16,436  
Selling, general and administrative
    —         140,609       —                 140,609       —                 140,609  
Formation and operating costs
    1,486       —         —                 1,486       —                 1,486  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Operating loss
    (1,486     (98,414     —                 (99,900     —                 (99,900
Interest income earned on investments held in Trust Account
    (21     —         21    
 
DD
 
    —         —                 —    
Offering costs allocated to warrants
    570       —         —                 570       —                 570  
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
    (6,496     —         —                 (6,496     —                 (6,496
Interest expense
    —         3,272       —                 3,272       —                 3,272  
Loss on extinguishment of debt
    —         1,027       —                 1,027       —                 1,027  
Other expense (income), net
    —         1,157       (1,526  
 
EE
 
    (369     —                 (369
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Interest and other expense (income), net
    (5,947     5,456       (1,505             (1,996     —                 (1,996
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes
    4,461       (103,870     1,505               (97,904     —                 (97,904
Provision for income taxes
    —         39       —                 39       —                 39  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
  $ 4,461     $ (103,909   $ 1,505             $ (97,943   $ —               $ (97,943
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
  $ 4,461     $ (103,909   $ 1,505             $ (97,943   $ —               $ (97,943
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
   
 
 
           
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding of New Grove Class A and B Common Stock—basic and diluted
                         
 
FF
 
    178,598,507            
 
FF
 
    147,138,907  
                                   
 
 
                   
 
 
 
Net loss per share of New Grove Class A and B Common Stock—basic and diluted
                                  $ (0.55                   $ (0.67
                                   
 
 
                   
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding of Grove common stock—basic and diluted
            7,114,091                                                  
           
 
 
                                                 
Net loss per share of Grove common stock—basic and diluted
          $ (14.61                                                
           
 
 
                                                 
Weighted average shares outstanding of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares—basic and diluted
    28,918,582                                                          
   
 
 
                                                         
Net loss per share of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares—basic and diluted
  $ 0.12                                                          
   
 
 
                                                         
Weighted average shares outstanding of VGAC II Class B ordinary shares—basic and diluted
    9,640,625                                                          
   
 
 
                                                         
Net loss per share of VGAC II Class B ordinary shares—basic and diluted
  $ 0.12                                                          
   
 
 
                                                         
See accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
 
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Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statement of Operations
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
 
    
Grove
(Historical)
   
No Redemptions
Scenario
   
Maximum Redemptions

Scenario
 
   
Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 3)
   
Notes
    
Pro Forma
Combined
   
Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 3)
    
Notes
    
Pro Forma
Combined
 
Revenue, net
   $ 364,271     $ —                $ 364,271     $ —                 $ 364,271  
Cost of goods sold
     188,267       —                  188,267       —                   188,267  
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Gross profit
     176,004       —                  176,004       —                   176,004  
Operating expenses:
                                                           
Advertising
     55,547       —                  55,547       —                   55,547  
Product development
     18,655       —                  18,655       —                   18,655  
Selling, general and administrative
     168,295       2,147    
 
CC
 
     170,442       —                   170,442  
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Operating loss
     (66,493     (2,147              (68,640     —                   (68,640
Interest expense
     5,607       —                  5,607       —                   5,607  
Other expense (income), net
     119       (964  
 
AA
 
     (845     —                   (845
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Interest and other expense (income), net
     5,726       (964              4,762       —                   4,762  
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Loss before provision for income taxes
     (72,219     (1,183              (73,402     —                   (73,402
Provision for income taxes
     41       —                  41       —                   41  
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Net loss
   $ (72,260   $ (1,183            $ (73,443   $ —                 $ (73,443
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
   $ (72,260   $ (1,183            $ (73,443   $ —                 $ (73,443
    
 
 
   
 
 
            
 
 
   
 
 
             
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding of New Grove Class A and Class B Common Stock—basic and diluted
                  
 
BB
 
     157,126,637             
 
BB
 
     125,667,037  
                             
 
 
                     
 
 
 
Net loss per share of New Grove Class A and Class B Common Stock—basic and diluted
                            $ (0.47                     $ (0.58
                             
 
 
                     
 
 
 
Weighted average shares outstanding of Grove common stock—basic and diluted
     4,568,540                                                     
    
 
 
                                                    
Net loss per share of Grove common stock—basic and diluted
   $ (15.82                                                   
    
 
 
                                                    
See accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
 
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NOTES TO UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1—Description of the Business Combination
On December 7, 2021, VGAC II entered into the Merger Agreement with Grove. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the closing, Grove will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of VGAC II, with Grove being the surviving corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary of VGAC II. At closing, VGAC II will change its name to Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. (“
New Grove
”). Following the closing, (a) New Grove will own all the equity interests of Grove and (b) the former equity holders of Grove will hold all of the outstanding New Grove Class B Common Stock.
Note 2—Basis of the Pro Forma Presentation
The Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with GAAP. Under this method of accounting, VGAC II will be treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of New Grove will represent a continuation of the financial statements of Current Grove with the Business Combination treated as the equivalent of Current Grove issuing stock for the net assets of VGAC II, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of VGAC II will be stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. Operations prior to the Business Combination will be presented as those of Current Grove in future reports of New Grove.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 assumes that the Business Combination occurred on September 30, 2021. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 present pro forma effect to the Business Combination as if it had been completed on January 1, 2020. The date of inception for VGAC II was January 13, 2021, therefore the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 presents only the historical audited statement of operations of Grove for the year ended December 31, 2020 on a pro forma basis as if the Merger and the other related events, summarized below, had been consummated on January 1, 2020.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information was derived from and should be read in conjunction with the following historical financial statements and the accompanying notes, which are included elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus:
 
   
the historical unaudited financial statements of VGAC II as of September 30, 2021 and for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) to September 30, 2021;
 
   
the (a) historical audited financial statements of Grove as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, and (b) historical unaudited condensed financial statements of Grove as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, and
 
   
other information relating to Grove and VGAC II included in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, including the Merger Agreement and the description of certain terms thereof set forth under the section titled “Business Combination.”
Management has made significant estimates and assumptions in its determination of the pro forma adjustments. As the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared based on these preliminary estimates, the final amounts recorded may differ materially from the information presented.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information does not give effect to any anticipated synergies, operating efficiencies, tax savings, or cost savings that may be associated with the Business Combination.
The pro forma adjustments reflecting the consummation of the Business Combination are based on certain currently available information and certain assumptions and methodologies that VGAC II believes are reasonable
 
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under the circumstances. The unaudited pro forma adjustments, which are described in the accompanying notes, may be revised as additional information becomes available and is evaluated. Therefore, it is likely that the actual adjustments will differ from the pro forma adjustments and it is possible the difference may be material. VGAC II believes that its assumptions and methodologies provide a reasonable basis for presenting all of the significant effects of the Business Combination based on information available to management at this time and that the pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions and are properly applied in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is not necessarily indicative of what the actual results of operations and financial position would have been had the Business Combination taken place on the dates indicated, nor are they indicative of the future results of operations or financial position of the post-combination company. They should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements and notes thereto of VGAC II and Grove.
Note 3—Pro Forma Adjustments
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared to illustrate the effect of the Business Combination and has been prepared for informational purposes only.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of
Regulation S-X as
amended by the final rule,
Release No. 33-10786 “Amendments
to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses.”
Release No. 33-10786 replaces
the existing pro forma adjustment criteria with simplified requirements to depict the accounting for the transaction (“
Transaction Accounting Adjustments
”) and present the reasonably estimable synergies and other transaction effects that have occurred or are reasonably expected to occur (“
Management’s Adjustments
”). Given such Management Adjustments, if any, would not enhance an understanding of the pro forma effects of the Transaction, VGAC II has elected not to present any Management’s Adjustments and will only be presenting Transaction Accounting Adjustments in the following unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.
VGAC II and Grove have not had any historical relationship prior to the Business Combination. Accordingly, no pro forma adjustments were required to eliminate activities between the companies.
The pro forma combined provision for income taxes does not necessarily reflect the amounts that would have resulted had the post-combination company filed income tax returns during the periods presented. VGAC II has a full valuation allowance on any of its net deferred assets and accordingly, has not recorded any provision for income taxes in its historical statements of operations. Therefore, the pro forma adjustments assume a 0% effective interest rate.
Transaction Accounting Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet
The adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 are as follows:
 
  (A)
The reclassification of $402.5 million of cash and investments held in the VGAC II Trust Account that becomes available at closing of the Business Combination.
 
  (B)
In connection with the signing of the Merger Agreement, VGAC II entered into subscription agreements with certain investors (the “
PIPE Investors
”). Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and VGAC II agreed to issue and sell to such investors 8.7 million shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock with par value of $0.0001, resulting in gross proceeds of $87.1 million. The costs related to the issuance of the PIPE Financing are adjusted against additional paid in capital (see adjustment D below).
 
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  (C)
Reflects the cash settlement of the $14.1 million liability for VGAC II’s deferred underwriting commissions related to its initial public offering.
 
  (D)
Represents the preliminary estimated direct and incremental transaction costs incurred by Grove related to the Business Combination, including underwriting/banking, legal, accounting and other fees for both the no redemption and maximum redemption scenarios, of which $25.4 million is allocated to the VGAC II ordinary shares, excluding those subject to the Sponsor Earnout, and PIPE Shares and reflected in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as a direct reduction to New Grove’s additional
paid-in
capital and are assumed to be cash settled. The direct and incremental costs related to liability-classified instruments totaling $2.1 million is expensed as of January 1, 2021 (see adjustment CC below). As of September 30, 2021, Grove had deferred transaction costs incurred of $1.3 million, of which $1.0 million was unpaid.
 
  (E)
Reflects the recapitalization of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption and VGAC II Class B ordinary shares into New Grove Class A Common Stock at $0.0001 par value.
 
  (F)
Represents the maximum redemptions scenario in which approximately 31,459,600 shares of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares are redeemed for $314.6 million, using a par value of $0.0001 per share at a redemption price of approximately $10.00 per share.
 
  (G)
Reflects the preliminary estimated fair value of contingently issuable Sponsor Earnout Shares and Grove Earnout Shares, excluding those allocated to the unvested Grove options and restricted stock units, that are expected to be accounted for as liability classified equity instruments that are earned upon achieving the triggering events, which include events that are not indexed to the common stock of New Grove. The preliminary fair value of these Earnout Shares was determined using the most reliable information currently available. The actual fair value could change materially once the final valuation is determined upon Closing. Refer to Note 5 for more information. Subsequent to the consummation of the Business Combination, this liability will be remeasured to its fair value at the end of each reporting period and subsequent changes in the fair value will be recognized in New Grove’s statement of operations within other income/expense.
 
  (H)
Reflects the elimination of VGAC II’s historical accumulated deficit with a corresponding adjustment to additional
paid-in
capital for New Grove in connection with the reverse recapitalization upon closing of the Business Combination.
 
  (I)
Reflects the conversion of Grove convertible preferred stock into shares of Grove common stock, and such shares will be converted into the right to receive shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Ratio concurrent with the closing of the Business Combination.
 
  (J)
Reflects the conversion of Grove Common Stock into shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Ratio concurrent with the closing of the Business Combination.
 
  (K)
Reflects the reclassification of Grove warrants from liability to equity classification as the warrants will become exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock rather than Grove convertible preferred stock upon closing of the Business Combination.
Transaction Accounting Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Operations
The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 are as follows:
 
  (AA)
Reflects the elimination of remeasurement losses on the Grove convertible preferred stock warrant liability.
 
  (BB)
As the Business Combination is being reflected as if it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented, the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding for pro forma basic and
 
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  diluted net income per share assumes that the shares issuable in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing have been outstanding for the entirety of the periods presented. If the maximum number of shares are redeemed, this calculation is retroactively adjusted to eliminate such shares for the entire period.
 
  (CC)
Represents the preliminary estimated direct and incremental transaction costs incurred by Grove related to the Business Combination, including underwriting/banking, legal, accounting and other fees for both the no redemption and maximum redemption scenarios, of which $2.1 million is allocated to the Sponsor Earnout Shares, Public Warrants, and Private Placement Warrants that are expected to be liability-classified and expensed.
The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 are as follows:
 
  (DD)
Reflects the elimination of interest income related to the investments held in the VGAC II trust account.
 
  (EE)
Reflects the elimination of remeasurement losses on the Grove convertible preferred stock warrant liability.
 
  (FF)
As the Business Combination is being reflected as if it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented, the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding for pro forma basic and diluted net income per share assumes that the shares issuable in connection with the Business Combination and the PIPE Financing have been outstanding for the entirety of the periods presented. If the maximum number of shares are redeemed, this calculation is retroactively adjusted to eliminate such shares for the entire period.
Note 4—Loss per Share
Represents the net loss per share calculated using the historical weighted average shares outstanding, and the issuance of additional shares in connection with the Business Combination, assuming the shares were outstanding since January 1, 2020. As the Business Combination is being reflected as if it had occurred at the beginning of the periods presented, the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding for basic and diluted net loss per share assumes that the shares issuable relating to the Business Combination have been outstanding for the entire periods presented. If the maximum number of shares are redeemed, this calculation is retroactively adjusted to eliminate such shares for the entire periods.
The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared assuming no redemption and maximum redemption into cash of VGAC II’s common stock for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the nine months ended September 30, 2021 (in thousands, except share and per share data):
 
   
Year Ended

December 31, 2020
   
Nine Months Ended

September 30, 2021
 
   
No

Redemption
   
Maximum

Redemption
   
No

Redemption
   
Maximum

Redemption
 
Pro forma net loss
  $ (73,443   $ (73,443   $ (97,943   $ (97,943
Weighted average shares outstanding of New Grove Class A and Class B Common Stock—basic and diluted
    157,126,637       125,667,037       178,598,507       147,138,907  
Net loss per share of New Grove Class A and Class B Common Stock—basic and diluted
  $ (0.47   $ (0.58   $ (0.55   $ (0.67
 
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Following the closing of the Business Combination, the following outstanding shares of common stock equivalents were excluded from the computation of pro forma diluted net loss per share for all the periods presented above because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:
 
    
Year Ended

December 31, 2020
    
Nine Months Ended

September 30, 2021
 
    
No

Redemption
    
Maximum

Redemption
    
No

Redemption
    
Maximum

Redemption
 
Private Placement Warrants
(1)
     6,700,000        6,700,000        6,700,000        6,700,000  
Public Warrants
     8,050,000        8,050,000        8,050,000        8,050,000  
Sponsor Earnout Shares
(2)
     3,490,375        3,490,375        3,490,375        3,490,375  
Grove common stock options
(3)
     18,641,090        18,641,090        27,587,267        27,587,267  
Grove restricted stock units
(3)
     —          —          637,327        637,327  
Grove common stock warrants
     1,389,924        1,389,924        1,105,274        1,105,274  
Grove common stock issued early exercise of options
     1,227,876        1,227,876        197,476        197,476  
Grove Earnout Shares
(4)
     14,000,000        14,000,000        14,000,000        14,000,000  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total
     53,499,265        53,499,265        61,767,719        61,767,719  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
(1)
One whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share. New Grove’s warrants are anti-dilutive on a pro forma basis and have been excluded from the diluted number of New Grove’s shares outstanding at the time of closing.
(2)
Sponsor Earnout Shares vest upon the achievement of the Share Price Milestones. Upon the closing of the Business Combination, these shares remain outstanding and unvested.
(3)
All outstanding Grove options and restricted stock units at the closing, whether vested or unvested, will convert into options or rights to purchase a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio. Additionally, holders of Grove options and restricted stock units will receive a pro rata share of the Grove Earnout Shares.
(4)
Grove Earnout Shares are contingently issuable upon the achievement of the Share Price Milestones.
Note 5—Earnout Shares
The Sponsor Earnout Shares and Grove Earnout Shares, excluding those related to unvested Grove options and restricted stock units, are expected to be accounted for as liability classified equity instruments that are earned upon achievement of the Share Price Milestones, which provide for settlement provisions that are not indexed to New Grove’s Class A common stock. The preliminary estimated fair value of these Earnout Shares is $147.8 million.
The estimated fair value of the Earnout Shares was determined by a Monte Carlo simulation valuation model using a distribution of potential outcomes on a rolling basis over the ten-year earnout period. The preliminary estimated fair value of the Earnout Shares was determined using the most reliable information currently available. Assumptions used in the preliminary valuation, which are subject to change at the closing of the Business Combination, were as follows:
Current stock price:
the current stock price was set at the current value per share for VGAC II Class A ordinary shares.
Expected volatility:
the volatility rate was determined using an average of historical volatilities of selected industry peers deemed to be comparable to Grove’s business, corresponding to the expected term of the awards.
Risk-free
 interest rate:
the risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of issuance for zero-coupon U.S. Treasury notes with maturities corresponding to the expected ten-year term of the earnout period.
 
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Expected term:
the expected term is the ten-year term of the earnout period.
Expected dividend yield:
the expected dividend yield is zero as Grove has never declared or paid cash dividends and has no current plans to do so during the expected term.
The actual fair values of the Earnout Shares are subject to change as additional information becomes available and additional analyses are performed and such changes could be material once the final valuation is determined at the closing of the Business Combination.
 
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INFORMATION ABOUT VGAC II
VGAC II is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which is referred to throughout this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as an initial business combination.
Our company’s founder is Sir Richard Branson, a renowned global entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group. The Virgin Group is a leading international investment group and one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands. Created in 1970 with the birth of Virgin Records, the Virgin Group has gone on to invest in, incubate, and grow a number of successful businesses in the private and public markets. Each Virgin branded company brings a fresh, innovative, and distinctive consumer proposition, shaking up the status quo to create businesses that lift experiences out of the ordinary. This focus on the consumer, since it is not tied to a specific product or industry, has given the brand the ability to expand into new sectors and new geographies. The Virgin Group has expanded into many sectors since its inception, driven by Sir Richard’s ambition to create the world’s most irresistible brand. These sectors include travel & leisure, financial services, health & wellness, technology & internet-enabled, music & entertainment, media & mobile, space, and renewable energy. The Virgin Group has built significant expertise across these sectors, which it has also successfully applied to investments in
non-Virgin
branded businesses in which it has seen the opportunity to generate attractive financial returns.
Given the Virgin Group’s resources, ranging from its experienced investment executives to skilled brand experts, VGAC II believes VGAC II’s team has the required investment, operational, diligence, and capital raising expertise to effect a business combination with an attractive target and to position it for long-term success in the public markets.
On March 25, 2021, VGAC II consummated the initial public offering of 35,000,000 units. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of VGAC II, par value $0.0001 per share, and
one-fifth
of one redeemable warrant of VGAC II, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share for $11.50 per share. The units were sold at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds to VGAC II of $350,000,000. Substantially concurrent with the closing of the initial public offering, VGAC II completed the private sale of 6,000,000 warrants to Sponsor at a purchase price of $1.50 per private warrant, generating gross proceeds to VGAC II of $9,000,000. On April 13, 2021, in connection with the underwriters’ election to fully exercise their over-allotment option, VGAC II sold an additional 5,250,000 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, and an additional 700,000 private placement warrants to the Sponsor, at $1.50 per private placement warrant, generating total proceeds of $51,450,000.
A total of $402,500,000, including $14,087,500 of the underwriters’ deferred discount, was placed in a
U.S.-based
trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds in the trust account that may be released to VGAC II to pay its taxes, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of VGAC II’s initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of all of VGAC II’s public shares if it is unable to complete its business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering, subject to applicable law, or (iii) the redemption of VGAC II’s public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to VGAC II’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) to modify the substance or timing of VGAC II’s obligation to redeem 100% of its public shares if it does not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or
pre-initial
business combination activity.
VGAC II’s units, Class A ordinary shares, and warrants are each traded on the NYSE under the symbols “VGII.U,” “VGII,” and “VGII.W,” respectively.
 
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Financial Position
As of September 30, 2021, VGAC II had approximately $402,520,541 held in the trust account, not taking into account payment of $14,087,500 of deferred underwriting fees. As a result, VGAC II offers a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because VGAC II is able to complete an initial business combination using VGAC II’s cash, debt, or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, VGAC II has the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow VGAC II to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires.
Effecting the Business Combination
Fair Market Value of Target Business
The rules of the NYSE require and the Existing Governing Documents provide that VGAC II must consummate an initial business combination with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commission held in trust) at the time of VGAC II’s signing a definitive agreement in connection with an initial business combination. The VGAC II Board made the determination as to the fair market value of an initial business combination upon standards generally accepted by the financial community. The VGAC II Board determined that this test was met in connection with the proposed Business Combination.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of an initial business combination, the prospects for VGAC II’s success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that VGAC II will not have the resources to diversify VGAC II’s operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. By completing an initial business combination with only a single entity, VGAC II’s lack of diversification may:
 
   
subject VGAC II to negative economic, competitive, and regulatory developments, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact on the particular industry in which VGAC II operates after an initial business combination; and
 
   
cause VGAC II to depend on the marketing and sale of a single product or limited number of products or services.
Redemption Rights for Public Shareholders upon Completion of the Business Combination
VGAC II will provide the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of an initial business combination at a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to VGAC II to pay its taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations and on the conditions described herein. As of September 30, 2021, the amount in the trust account was approximately $10.00 per public share. The
per-share
amount VGAC II will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions VGAC II will pay to the underwriters. The Sponsor, officers, and directors have entered into a letter agreement with VGAC II, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of an initial business combination.
 
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Limitations on Redemption Rights
The Existing Governing Documents provide that in no event will VGAC II redeem the public shares in an amount that would cause VGAC II’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. However, the Business Combination requires the retention of cash to satisfy certain conditions in accordance with the terms of the Business Combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration VGAC II would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, VGAC II will not complete the Business Combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. VGAC II has the option, however, to raise funds through the issuance of equity-linked securities or through loans, advances, or other indebtedness in connection with an initial business combination, including pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop arrangements VGAC II may enter into following consummation of this offering, in order to, among other reasons, satisfy such net tangible assets or minimum cash requirements. VGAC II does not expect to need to exercise this option in connection with the Business Combination.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if No Business Combination
The Existing Governing Documents provide that VGAC II has only 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering to complete an initial business combination. If VGAC II has not completed an initial business combination within such
24-month
period, VGAC II will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest income to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of VGAC II’s remaining shareholders and the VGAC II Board, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to VGAC II’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to VGAC II warrants, which will expire worthless if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination within the
24-month
time period.
The Sponsor, officers, and directors have entered into a letter agreement with VGAC II, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering. However, if the Sponsor or management team acquired public shares in or after the initial public offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination within the allotted
24-month
time period. The Sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with VGAC II, that they will not propose any amendment to the Existing Governing Documents (A) to modify the substance or timing of VGAC II’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if VGAC II does not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or
pre-initial
business combination activity, unless VGAC II provides the public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares upon approval of any such amendment at a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to VGAC II to pay VGAC II’s taxes, divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares. However, VGAC II may not redeem the public shares in an amount that would cause VGAC II’s net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001. If this optional redemption right is exercised with respect to an excessive number of public shares such that VGAC II cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement, VGAC II would not proceed with the amendment or the related redemption of the public shares at such time.
 
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VGAC II expects that all costs and expenses associated with implementing VGAC II’s plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the approximately $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although VGAC II cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing VGAC II’s plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay income taxes on interest income earned on the trust account balance, VGAC II may request the trustee to release to VGAC II an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If VGAC II were to expend all of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the
per-share
redemption amount received by shareholders upon VGAC II’s dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The funds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of VGAC II’s creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of the public shareholders. VGAC II cannot assure you that the actual
per-share
redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. While VGAC II intends to pay such amounts, if any, VGAC II cannot assure you that VGAC II will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.
Although VGAC II has sought to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses, and other entities with which VGAC II does business execute agreements with VGAC II waiving any right, title, interest, or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of the public shareholders, there is no guarantee that any future vendors, service providers, or other entities with which VGAC II does business will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against VGAC II’s assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, VGAC II’s management will consider whether competitive alternatives are reasonably available to VGAC II and will only enter into an agreement with such third party if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be in the best interests of VGAC II under the circumstances. Examples of possible instances where VGAC II may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. WithumSmith+Brown, PC, VGAC II’s independent registered public accounting firm, and the underwriters of VGAC II’s initial public offer have not executed agreements with VGAC II waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts, or agreements with VGAC II and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, the Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to VGAC II if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than WithumSmith+Brown, PC, VGAC II’s independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which VGAC II has entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality, or other similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under VGAC II’s indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, VGAC II has not asked the Sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor has VGAC II independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations, and VGAC II believes that the Sponsor’s only assets are securities of VGAC II. Therefore, VGAC II cannot assure you that
 
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the Sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for an initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, VGAC II may not be able to complete an initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of VGAC II’s officers or directors will indemnify VGAC II for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the funds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.00 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case less taxes payable, and the Sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, VGAC II’s independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against the Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While VGAC II currently expects that VGAC II’s independent directors would take legal action on VGAC II’s behalf against the Sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that VGAC II’s independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. Accordingly, VGAC II cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the
per-share
redemption price will not be less than $10.00 per share.
VGAC II has sought to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses, or other entities with which VGAC II does business execute agreements with VGAC II waiving any right, title, interest, or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. The Sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under VGAC II’s indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. VGAC II has access to up to approximately $1,000,000 from the proceeds of the initial public offering with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with VGAC II’s liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that VGAC II liquidates and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from VGAC II’s trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that VGAC II’s offering expenses exceed VGAC II’s estimate of $1,000,000, VGAC II may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds VGAC II intends to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than VGAC II’s estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds VGAC II intends to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If VGAC II files a bankruptcy or
winding-up
petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or
winding-up
petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, the funds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law, and may be included in VGAC II’s bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of VGAC II shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, VGAC II cannot assure you that VGAC II will be able to return $10.00 per share to the public shareholders. Additionally, if VGAC II files a bankruptcy or
winding-up
petition or an involuntary bankruptcy or
winding-up
petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy or insolvency laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy or insolvency court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by VGAC II shareholders.
Furthermore, the VGAC II Board may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to VGAC II’s creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and VGAC II to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. VGAC II cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against VGAC II for these reasons. VGAC II’s public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only (i) in the event of the redemption of the
 
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public shares if VGAC II does not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering, (ii) in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Existing Governing Documents (A) to modify the substance or timing of VGAC II’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with an initial business combination or to redeem 100% of the public shares if VGAC II does not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of the initial public offering or (B) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or
pre-initial
business combination activity, or (iii) if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of an initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event VGAC II seeks shareholder approval in connection with an initial business combination, a shareholder’s voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder’s redeeming its shares to VGAC II for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. These provisions of the Existing Governing Documents, like all provisions of the Existing Governing Documents, may be amended with a shareholder vote.
See
“Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Business Combination and VGAC II—If, after VGAC II distributes the proceeds in the trust account to the public shareholders, VGAC II files a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against VGAC II that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and VGAC II and the VGAC II Board may be exposed to claims of punitive damages.”
Employees
We currently have three officers: Josh Bayliss, Evan Lovell and Rayhan Arif. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to VGAC II’s matters, but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to VGAC II’s affairs until VGAC II has completed an initial business combination. VGAC II currently does not have and VGAC II does not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of an initial business combination.
Directors and Executive Officers
Our current officers and directors are as follows:
 
Name
  
Age
    
Position
Josh Bayliss
     48      Chief Executive Officer and Director
Evan Lovell
     52      Chief Financial Officer and Director
Rayhan Arif
     34      Chief Operating Officer
Latif Peracha
     41      Director
Elizabeth Nelson
     61      Director
Chris Burggraeve
     57      Director
Josh Bayliss, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Josh Bayliss has been a member of the VGAC II Board and has served as VGAC II’s Chief Executive Officer since VGAC II’s inception in January 2021. Since 2011, Mr. Bayliss has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin Group and has been responsible for the Virgin Group’s strategic development, licensing of the brand globally, and management of direct investments on behalf of the Virgin Group in various branded and unbranded companies around the world. From 2005 to 2011, Mr. Bayliss served as General Counsel of the Virgin Group. Prior to joining the Virgin Group, Mr. Bayliss was a senior associate at Slaughter and May, a leading international law firm. Mr. Bayliss has extensive experience as a director of a large number of companies across the Virgin Group globally, and currently serves as a director of Virgin Red (2018—present), Virgin’s group-wide loyalty program that is currently in development. Mr. Bayliss holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. VGAC II believes Mr. Bayliss’s extensive leadership experience, broad network of senior business executives, and deep understanding of the Virgin brand make him a valuable member of VGAC II’s management team and the VGAC II Board.
 
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Evan Lovell, Chief Financial Officer and Director
Evan Lovell has been a member of the VGAC II Board and has served as VGAC II’s Chief Financial Officer since VGAC II’s inception in January 2021. Since 2012, Mr. Lovell has served as the Chief Investment Officer of the Virgin Group, where he has been responsible for managing the Group’s portfolio and investments in North America. From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Lovell was the Founding Partner of Virgin Green Fund, a private equity fund investing in the renewable energy and resource efficiency sectors. From 1998 to 2008, Mr. Lovell served as an investment professional at TPG Capital, where he also served on the board of directors of a number of TPG portfolio companies. Mr. Lovell currently serves on the boards of several companies including Virgin Hotels (2012—present), Virgin Voyages (2014—present), BMR Energy LLC (2016—present), Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (2017—present), Virgin Orbit (2017—present), and 23andMe (2021—present). Mr. Lovell previously served on the board of directors of Virgin America Inc. (Nasdaq: VA) from 2013 until its acquisition by Alaska Air Group, Inc. in 2016. Mr. Lovell holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont. VGAC II believes Mr. Lovell’s broad experience directing the Virgin Group’s investments and management expertise from serving on boards of both public and private companies make him a valuable addition to VGAC II’s management team and the VGAC II Board.
Rayhan Arif, Chief Operating Officer
Rayhan Arif has served as our Chief Operating Officer since our inception. Mr. Arif is an Investment Director at the Virgin Group, where he has worked since 2017. He is responsible for investing the Virgin Group’s capital across a range of opportunities and supporting the strategic development of Virgin’s portfolio companies in the Americas. Mr. Arif currently serves on the boards of Virgin Mobile Latin America and BMR Energy. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Arif served as an investment professional at AEA Investors, a global private equity firm focused on leveraged buyouts and growth capital investments. From 2012 to 2013, Mr. Arif worked on the strategy team of Zipcar, a leading
car-sharing
network. Prior thereto, Mr. Arif was a management consultant at Bain & Company. Mr. Arif received a B.A. in Economics from Harvard College and an M.B.A from Columbia Business School. We believe that Mr. Arif’s investment and operational experience make him a valuable addition to our management team.
Latif Peracha, Director
Mr. Peracha is a General Partner at M13 Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage consumer technology companies. He currently serves as a director on the boards of Feelmore Labs, Rho Technologies, and Emerge. Prior to joining M13 in 2019, Mr. Peracha was a Managing Director at the Virgin Group, where he was responsible for both supporting the Virgin Group’s portfolio as well as direct venture investments in the Americas. Mr. Peracha joined Virgin in 2011 and during his tenure he was a board observer at Ring, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Orbit and Virgin Hotels and served on the boards of Virgin Mobile Latin America and The Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Before Virgin, Mr. Peracha worked at IAC where he focused on corporate and business development for Ticketmaster, their biggest operating company at the time. Mr. Peracha holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan. We believe that Mr. Peracha’s experience in investing in technology businesses and his extensive networks in the sector will enhance our ability to source and evaluate potential investment opportunities. Additionally, we believe that Mr. Peracha’s experience on the boards of a number private companies makes him well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Elizabeth Nelson, Director
Ms. Nelson is an advisor and investor in emerging growth technology companies who has served on many public and private company boards. She currently serves on the boards of BerkeleyLights Inc (NASDAQ: BLI) since 2019, and Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ: UPWK) since 2015. From 2012 to 2021 she served on the board of Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK), from 2012 to 2019 she served as Lead Independent Director on the board of
 
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Zendesk, Inc (NYSE: ZEN), and from 2013 to 2017 she served on the board of Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P). From 1996 until 2006, Ms. Nelson served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Macromedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACR), a software development company acquired by Adobe Systems. Ms. Nelson holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. We believe that Ms. Nelson will be a valuable member of our board of directors because her network across the technology sector will enhance our sourcing processes and her financial expertise will support our review of potential investment opportunities. Additionally, we believe that Ms. Nelson’s experience on the boards of public and private companies makes her well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Chris Burggraeve, Director
Mr. Burggraeve served as Global Chief Marketing Officer of AB InBev, the leading global brewer (2007-2012). Previously he worked for The Coca-Cola Company (1995-2007), where he became Group Marketing Director for the European Union Group, having started his early brand career at P&G. He has served on a number of marketing industry and
non-profit
boards, most notably the World Federation of Advertisers. Since 2013, he has operated Vicomte LLC, his own CEO/Board marketing strategy advisory. He is an active angel investor and serves on the boards of several private and public consumer and tech companies: Seaters (2014-present), Toast Holdings (2016-present), AYR Wellness, Inc. (CSE: AYR.A) (2019-present). From 2012-2018 he served as an Operating Advisor to Verlinvest, a leading family owned evergreen investment group. He has been an adjunct faculty member at the NYU Stern School of Business since 2012, and is an active author (“
Marketing is Finance is Business
” and “
Marketing is not a Black Hole
”) and speaker. Mr. Burggraeve holds degrees in Economics and Business (KU Leuven—Belgium, CEU Nancy—France), and is a TRIUM Global MBA (NYU Stern/London School of Economics/HEC Paris). We believe that Mr. Burggraeve brings an ability to identify and nurture purposeful brands, and that his extensive networks in the consumer and technology sectors will enhance our sourcing processes. Additionally, we believe that Mr. Burggraeve’s experience on the boards of a number of public and private companies makes him well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
The VGAC II Board consists of five members, divided into three classes with only one class of directors being appointed in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to VGAC II’s first general meeting) serving a three-year term. In accordance with the NYSE’s corporate governance requirements, VGAC II is not required to hold an annual general meeting until one year after VGAC II’s first fiscal year end following VGAC II’s listing on the NYSE. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Latif Peracha, will expire at VGAC II’s first annual general meeting. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Elizabeth Nelson and Chris Burggraeve, will expire at the second annual general meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Josh Bayliss and Evan Lovell, will expire at the third annual general meeting.
Only holders of Class B ordinary shares will have the right to appoint directors in any general meeting held prior to or in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. Holders of the public shares will not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. These provisions of the Existing Governing Documents relating to the rights of holders of Class B ordinary shares to appoint directors may be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of the ordinary shares voting in a general meeting.
VGAC II’s officers are appointed by the VGAC II Board and serve at the discretion of the VGAC II Board, rather than for specific terms of office. The VGAC II Board is authorized to appoint officers as it deems appropriate pursuant to the Existing Governing Documents.
 
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Director Independence
The rules of the NYSE require that a majority of the VGAC II Board be independent within one year of the initial public offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person who, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder, stockholder, or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). VGAC II currently has three “independent directors” as defined in NYSE rules and applicable SEC rules. The VGAC II Board has determined that Latif Peracha, Elizabeth Nelson, and Chris Burggraeve are “independent directors” as defined in NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules. VGAC II’s independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Committees of the Board of Directors
The VGAC II Board has three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee, and a nominating and corporate governance committee.
Both VGAC II’s audit committee and VGAC II’s compensation committee are composed solely of independent directors. Subject to
phase-in
rules, the rules of the NYSE and Rule
10A-3
of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and the rules of the NYSE require that the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee operates under a charter that has been approved by the VGAC II Board and has the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee is available on VGAC II’s website (https://www.vgacquisition.com/). Information contained on VGAC II’s website is not part of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, and the inclusion of VGAC II’s website address in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.
Audit Committee
Latif Peracha, Elizabeth Nelson, and Chris Burggraeve serve as the members of the audit committee and Ms. Nelson serves as chair of the audit committee. Mr. Peracha, Mr. Nelson, and Mr. Burggraeve are independent of and unaffiliated with the Sponsor. Under NYSE listing standards and applicable SEC rules, all the directors on the audit committee must be independent.
Latif Peracha, Elizabeth Nelson, and Chris Burggraeve are financially literate and the VGAC II Board has determined that Ms. Nelson qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise. The principal functions of the audit committee include:
 
   
assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of VGAC II’s financial statements, (2) VGAC II’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) VGAC II’s independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of VGAC II’s internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm; the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by VGAC II;
 
   
pre-approving
all audit and
non-audit
services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing
pre-approval
policies and procedures;
 
   
reviewing and discussing with the independent registered public accounting firm all relationships the registered public accounting firm have with VGAC II in order to evaluate their continued independence;
 
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setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (1) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the registered public accounting firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues; 
 
   
meeting to review and discuss VGAC II’s annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing VGAC II’s specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”;
 
   
reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation
S-K
promulgated by the SEC prior to VGAC II entering into such transaction; and
 
   
reviewing with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and VGAC II’s legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory, or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding VGAC II’s financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The members of VGAC II’s nominating and corporate governance are Latif Peracha, Elizabeth Nelson, and Chris Burggraeve. Latif Peracha serves as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Under NYSE listing standards, all the directors on the nominating and corporate governance committee must be independent.
The purpose and responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee include:
 
   
identifying, screening, and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by the VGAC II Board, and recommending to the VGAC II Board candidates for nomination for appointment at the annual general meeting or to fill vacancies on the VGAC II Board;
 
   
developing and recommending to the VGAC II Board and overseeing implementation of VGAC II’s corporate governance guidelines;
 
   
coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the VGAC II Board, its committees, individual directors, and management in the governance of VGAC II; and
 
   
reviewing on a regular basis VGAC II’s overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.
The charter of the nominating and corporate governance committee also provides that the nominating and corporate governance committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and has been directly responsible for approving the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.
VGAC II has not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the VGAC II Board considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of VGAC II’s business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of VGAC II shareholders. Prior to an initial business combination, holders of the public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to the VGAC II Board.
 
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Compensation Committee
Latif Peracha, Elizabeth Nelson, and Chris Burggraeve serve as the members and Chris Burggraeve serves as chair of the compensation committee. Under NYSE listing standards, all the directors on the compensation committee must be independent. The principal functions of the compensation committee include:
 
   
reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to VGAC II’s chief executive officer’s compensation;
 
   
evaluating VGAC II’s chief executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of VGAC II’s chief executive officer’s based on such evaluation;
 
   
reviewing and making recommendations to the VGAC II Board with respect to the compensation, and any incentive compensation and equity based plans that are subject to VGAC II Board approval of all of VGAC II’s other officers;
 
   
reviewing VGAC II’s executive compensation policies and plans;
 
   
implementing and administering VGAC II’s incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
 
   
assisting management in complying with VGAC II’s proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
 
   
approving all special perquisites, special cash payments, and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for VGAC II’s officers and employees;
 
   
producing a report on executive compensation to be included in VGAC II’s annual proxy statement; and
 
   
reviewing, evaluating, and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, as indicated above, other than the payment to an affiliate of the Sponsor of up to $10,000 per month, for up to 24 months, for office space, and secretarial and administrative support and reimbursement of expenses, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting, or other similar fees, will be paid to any of VGAC II’s existing shareholders, officers, directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination.
The Existing Governing Documents also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, independent legal counsel, or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel, or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by NYSE and the SEC.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
VGAC II adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to VGAC II directors, officers, and employees. You will be able to review this document by accessing VGAC II’s public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the committees of the VGAC II Board will be provided without charge upon request from us. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” If VGAC II makes any amendments to VGAC II’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics other than technical, administrative, or other
non-substantive
 
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amendments, or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to VGAC II’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, or controller or persons performing similar functions requiring disclosure under applicable SEC or NYSE rules, VGAC II will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on VGAC II’s website. The information included on VGAC II’s website is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or in any other report or document VGAC II files with the SEC, and any references to VGAC II’s website are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Conflicts of Interest
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
 
   
duty to act in good faith in what the director or officer believes to be in the best interests of the company as a whole;
 
   
duty to exercise powers for the purposes for which those powers were conferred and not for a collateral purpose;
 
   
directors should not improperly fetter the exercise of future discretion;
 
   
duty to exercise powers fairly as between different sections of shareholders;
 
   
duty not to put themselves in a position in which there is a conflict between their duty to the company and their personal interests; and
 
   
duty to exercise independent judgment.
In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having the general knowledge, skill, and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience of that director.
As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the Existing Governing Documents or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Certain of VGAC II’s officers and directors presently have, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, or contractual obligations to other entities, including entities that are affiliates of the Sponsor, pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entity. Accordingly, if any of VGAC II’s officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity. VGAC II does not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of VGAC II’s officers or directors have materially affected or will materially affect VGAC II’s ability to complete an initial business combination.
 
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Below is a table summarizing the Virgin Group-related and other entities to which VGAC II’s executive officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties, contractual obligations, or other material management relationships:
 
Individual
  
Entity
  
Entity’s Business
  
Affiliation
Josh Bayliss   
Virgin Group
Virgin Group Holdings Limited
Corvina Holdings Limited
Virgin Investments Limited
Virgin Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
Virgin Red Limited
  
Investment Firm
Investment Firm
Investment Firm
Investment Firm
Investment Firm
Loyalty/Rewards
  
Chief Executive Officer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
       
Evan Lovell   
Virgin Group
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc.
VO Holdings, Inc.
Virgin Hotels, LLC
Virgin Cruises Limited
Sport Group Limited
BMR Energy Ltd.
BMR Energy LLC
23andMe Holding Co.
  
Investment Firm
Space
Space
Hospitality
Travel
Health & Wellness
Energy
Energy
Personal genomics and biotechnology
  
Chief Investment Officer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
       
Rayhan Arif   
BMR Energy
Virgin Mobile LATAM
  
Energy
Wireless Communications
  
Director
Director
       
Latif Peracha   
M13
Feelmore Labs
Rho Technologies
Emerge
  
Venture Capital
Health & Wellness
FinTech
Technology
  
General Partner
Director
Director
Director
       
Elizabeth Nelson   
Nokia Corporation
Upwork Inc.
Berkeley Lights Inc.
  
Wireless Communications
Technology Healthcare
  
Director
Director
Director
       
Chris Burggraeve   
Vicomte LLC
Seaters A.I.
Toast Holdings
AYR Wellness, Inc.
  
Marketing
Marketing
Consumer Goods
Medicinal
  
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Director
Director
Director
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
 
   
VGAC II’s officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full-time to VGAC II’s affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between VGAC II’s operations and VGAC II’s search for a business combination and their other businesses. VGAC II currently does not have and does not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of an initial business combination. Each of VGAC II’s officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation, and VGAC II’s officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to VGAC II’s affairs.
 
   
VGAC II’s initial shareholders purchased founder shares prior to the date of the initial public offering and purchased private placement warrants in a transaction that closed simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering. The Sponsor, officers, and directors have entered into a letter agreement with VGAC II, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to
 
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their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of an initial business combination. Additionally, the Sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if VGAC II fails to complete an initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. If VGAC II does not complete an initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, the private placement warrants will expire worthless. Furthermore, the Sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign, or sell any of their founder shares and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion thereof until the earlier to occur of: (i) one year after the completion of an initial business combination or (ii) the date following the completion of an initial business combination on which VGAC II completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of VGAC II shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities, or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share
sub-divisions,
share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any
30-trading-day
period commencing at least 150 days after an initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lockup.
 
   
The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable until 30 days following the completion of an initial business combination. Because each of VGAC II’s officers and directors will own ordinary shares or warrants directly or indirectly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate an initial business combination.
 
   
Each of Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Lovell invested $300,000 in the Sponsor and hold interests in the Sponsor that represent an indirect interest in 1,246,600 Class B ordinary shares and 197,939 private placement warrants. Mr. Arif, Mr. Burggraeve, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Peracha invested $50,000, $100,000, $100,000 and $100,000, respectively, in the Sponsor indirectly through an investment in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC (an affiliate of the Sponsor), and hold interests in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC that represent an indirect interest in 73,341, 70,216, 70,216 and 70,216 Class B ordinary shares, respectively, and 33,212, 66,550, 66,550 and 66,550 private placement warrants, respectively. All of such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents).
 
   
The fact that the Virgin Group and the Sponsor will collectively own 6,572,125 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which collectively will represent up to approximately 4.4% of outstanding shares of New Grove Common Stock and approximately [●]% of the voting power of New Grove Common Stock assuming that 100% of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares are redeemed.
In no event will the Sponsor or any of VGAC II’s existing officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, be paid by the company any finder’s fee, consulting fee, or other compensation prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of an initial business combination. Further, commencing on March 25, 2021, VGAC II will also pay the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof up to $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial and administrative services.
VGAC II cannot assure you that any of the above mentioned conflicts will be resolved in VGAC II’s favor.
The Sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares and any shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of an initial Business Combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by
 
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the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. The Existing Governing Documents provide for indemnification of VGAC II’s officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default, or willful neglect.
VGAC II purchased a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures VGAC II’s officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement, or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures VGAC II against VGAC II’s obligations to indemnify VGAC II’s officers and directors. VGAC II also entered into indemnity agreements with them.
Our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest, or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account, and have agreed to waive any right, title, interest, or claim of any kind they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to VGAC II and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever (except to the extent they are entitled to funds from the trust account due to their ownership of public shares). Accordingly, any indemnification provided will only be able to be satisfied by VGAC II if (i) VGAC II has sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) VGAC II consummates an initial business combination. VGAC II’s indemnification obligations may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against VGAC II’s officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against VGAC II’s officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit VGAC II and VGAC II shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent VGAC II pays the costs of settlement and damage awards against VGAC II’s officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions. VGAC II believes that these provisions, the insurance, and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
Executive Compensation and Director Compensation and Other Interests
None of VGAC II’s officers or directors have received any cash compensation from VGAC II for services rendered to VGAC II. Commencing on March 25, 2021, VGAC II will pay the Sponsor or an affiliate thereof up to $10,000 per month for office space, secretarial, and administrative support services. In addition, the Sponsor, officers, and directors, or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any
out-of-pocket
expenses incurred in connection with activities on VGAC II’s behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. VGAC II’s audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to the Sponsor, officers or directors, or VGAC II’s or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made from funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such reimbursements, VGAC II does not expect to have any additional controls in place governing VGAC II’s reimbursement payments to VGAC II directors and officers for their
out-of-pocket
expenses incurred in connection with VGAC II’s activities on VGAC II’s behalf in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination. Other than these payments and reimbursements, no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, has or will be paid by VGAC II to the Sponsor, officers, and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, prior to completion of an initial business combination.
After the completion of an initial business combination, directors or members of VGAC II’s management team who remain with VGAC II may be paid consulting or management fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the proxy solicitation materials or tender offer materials furnished to VGAC II shareholders in connection with a proposed initial business combination. VGAC II has not established any limit on the amount of such fees that may be paid by the combined company to VGAC II directors or members of management. It is unlikely that the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of the proposed initial business combination, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any
 
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compensation to be paid to VGAC II’s officers will be determined, or recommended to the board of directors for determination, either by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors or by a majority of the independent directors on the VGAC II Board.
VGAC II does not intend to take any action to ensure that members of VGAC II’s management team maintain their positions with VGAC II after the consummation of an initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of VGAC II’s officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with VGAC II after an initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with VGAC II may influence VGAC II’s management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but VGAC II does not believe that the ability of VGAC II’s management to remain with VGAC II after the consummation of an initial business combination will be a determining factor in VGAC II’s decision to proceed with any potential business combination. VGAC II is not party to any agreements with VGAC II’s officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Legal Proceedings
To the knowledge of VGAC II’s management, there is no litigation currently pending or contemplated against VGAC II or any of VGAC II’s officers or directors in their capacity as such or against any of VGAC II’s property.
Properties
VGAC II currently utilizes office space at 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012 and at 179 Harrow Road, London, W2 6NB, U.K. from the Sponsor and the members of VGAC II’s management team as VGAC II’s executive offices. VGAC II considers its current office space adequate for its current operations.
Periodic Reporting and Audited Financial Statements
VGAC II registered VGAC II’s units, Class A ordinary shares, and warrants under the Exchange Act and has reporting obligations, including the requirement that VGAC II files annual, quarterly, and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, VGAC II’s annual reports contain financial statements audited and reported on by VGAC II’s independent registered public accountants.
VGAC II is a Cayman Islands exempted company. Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies conducting business mainly outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Cayman Islands Companies Act. As an exempted company, VGAC II received, a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains, or appreciations will apply to VGAC II or its operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains, or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax will be payable (i) on or in respect of VGAC II’s shares, debentures, or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by VGAC II to VGAC II shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.
VGAC II is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, VGAC II is eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in VGAC II’s periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a
non-binding
advisory vote on
 
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executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find VGAC II’s securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for VGAC II’s securities and the prices of VGAC II’s securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. VGAC II intends to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
VGAC II will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the initial public offering, (b) in which VGAC II has total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which VGAC II is deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares that are held by
non-affiliates
exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th (or, if after the Business Combination, September 30th), and (2) the date on which VGAC II has issued more than $1.0 billion in
non-convertible
debt during the prior three-year period. Following the Business Combination, VGAC II expects that New Grove will remain an emerging growth company until [●] .
Additionally, VGAC II is a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation
S-K.
Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. Following the Business Combination, VGAC II expects that New Grove will no longer be a smaller reporting company.
 
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VGAC II’S MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis provides information that VGAC II’s management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of VGAC II’s results of operations and financial condition. This discussion and analysis should be read together with VGAC II’s audited financial statements and related notes that are included elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. This discussion and analysis should also be read together with the section of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus entitled “Information About VGAC II.” In addition to historical financial analysis, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, as described under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements.” Actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” to “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Company” are intended to mean the business and operations of VGAC II.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on January 13, 2021 formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or other similar Business Combination with one or more businesses. We intend to effectuate our Business Combination using cash derived from the proceeds of the initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, shares and debt.
We expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to complete a business combination will be successful.
Recent Developments
On December 7, 2021, we entered into the Merger Agreement with VGAC II Merger Sub, and Grove. The Merger Agreement provides for, among other things, the following transactions: (i) at least one day prior to the Closing Date, the Domestication, in connection with which (A) VGAC II’s name will be changed to “Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc.,” (B) each then-issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically into one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock, (C) each then-issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share of VGAC II will convert automatically into one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock, and (D) each then-issued and outstanding common warrant of VGAC II will convert automatically into one warrant to purchase one share of New Grove Class A Common Stock; and (ii) on the Closing Date at the Effective Time, VGAC II Merger Sub will merge with and into Grove, with Grove as the surviving company in the merger and, after giving effect to such merger, continuing as a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Grove.
In connection with the Business Combination, VGAC II will adopt a dual class stock structure, comprised of New Grove Class A Common Stock, which will carry one vote per share, and New Grove Class B Common Stock, which will carry ten votes per share. The New Grove Class B Common Stock will be subject to conversion to New Grove Class A Common Stock upon any transfers of New Grove Class B Common Stock (except for certain permitted transfers).
In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, based on an implied equity value of $1.4 billion: (a) each share of Grove Common Stock and Grove Preferred Stock (on an
as-converted
to common stock basis) (other than dissenting shares) will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) a number of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, as determined pursuant to
 
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an exchange ratio set forth in the Merger Agreement and (ii) a number of shares of Grove Earnout Shares, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus; (b) each outstanding option to purchase Grove Common Stock (whether vested or unvested) will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) comparable options that are exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, with a value determined in accordance with the Exchange Ratio (and, with regard to options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, in a manner compliant with Section 424(a) of the Code) and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; (c) each award of Grove RSUs will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable award of restricted stock units to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares; and (d) each warrant to acquire shares of Grove Common Stock or Grove Preferred Stock will be assumed by New Grove and converted into (i) a comparable warrant to acquire shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock and (ii) the right to receive a number of Grove Earnout Shares. The implied equity value of $1.4 billion includes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of options (whether vested or unvested) to purchase Grove Common Stock but excludes the value of the options exercisable for shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are issued and outstanding in respect of Company Unvested 2021 Options.
The Merger Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants of each of the parties thereto that are customary for transactions of this type. VGAC II and Grove have also agreed to take all necessary action such that, effective immediately after the closing of the Business Combination, the VGAC II board of directors (the “
Board
”) shall consist of nine directors, of whom one individual shall be designated by VGAC II, with the remaining eight individuals designated by Grove. In addition, VGAC II has agreed to adopt an equity incentive plan in an amount not to exceed 15% of VGAC II’s equity interests on a fully-diluted basis with an annual evergreen provision in an amount not to exceed 5% on a fully-diluted basis.
Results of Operations
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any operating revenues to date. Our only activities from inception through September 30, 2021 were organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for the initial public offering, described below. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our initial Business Combination. We expect to generate
non-operating
income in the form of interest income on marketable securities held after the initial public offering. We expect that we will incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses in connection with searching for, and completing, a business combination.
For the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) through September 30, 2021, we had a net income of $4,460,101 which consisted of operating expenses of $1,485,953 and offering costs of $570,496 allocated to warrants offset by, a change in the fair value of the warrant liability of $6,496,009, and interest earned on marketable securities held in the trust account of $20,541.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
On March 25, 2021, we consummated the initial public offering of 35,000,000 units, at a price of $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $350,000,000. Simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we consummated the sale of 6,000,000 private placement warrants to the Sponsor at a price of $1.50 per private placement warrant generating gross proceeds of $9,000,000.
On April 13, 2021, in connection with the underwriters’ election to fully exercise of their over-allotment option, we consummated the sale of an additional 5,250,000 units and the sale of an additional 700,000 private placement warrants, generating total gross proceeds of $51,450,000.
 
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Following the initial public offering, the sale of the private placement warrants, and the underwriters election to fully exercise their over-allotment option on April 13, 2020, a total of $402,500,000 was placed in the trust account, and we had $2,474,475 of cash held outside of the trust account, after payment of costs related to the initial public offering, and available for working capital purposes. We incurred $2,887,500 in transaction costs, including $1,050,000 of underwriting fees, and $1,837,500 of deferred underwriting fees.
For the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) through September 30, 2021, net cash used in operating activities was $1,370,603. Net income of $4,460,101 was impacted by interest earned on marketable securities of $20,541, a
non-cash
charge for the change in the fair value of warrant liability of $6,496,009, allocation of initial public offering costs of $570,496, and changes in operating assets and liabilities, which provided $115,350 of cash from operating activities.
At September 30, 2021, we had cash and marketable securities held in the trust account of $402,520,541. We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account, which interest shall be net of taxes payable and excluding deferred underwriting commissions, to complete our Business Combination. We may withdraw interest from the trust account to pay taxes, if any. To the extent that our share capital or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete a business combination, the 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.
At September 30, 2021, we had cash of $58,873 held outside of the trust account. We intend to use the funds held outside the trust account primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a business combination.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a business combination, our Sponsor or an affiliate of our Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete a business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that a business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts, but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants, at a price of $1.50 per warrant, at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.
We do not believe that we will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimate of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking
in-depth
due diligence and negotiating a business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial Business Combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our Business Combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our Business Combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination.
Off-Balance
Sheet Financing Arrangements
We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered
off-balance
sheet arrangements as of September 30, 2021. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating
off-balance
sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any
off-balance
sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any
non-financial
assets.
 
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Contractual Obligations
We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay the Sponsor a monthly fee of $10,000 for office space, secretarial and administrative support services, provided to VGAC II. We began incurring these fees on March 25, 2021 and will continue to incur these fees monthly until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and VGAC II’s liquidation.
The underwriters are entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per unit, or $14,087,500 in the aggregate. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the trust account solely in the event that we complete a business combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:
Warrant Liability
We account for the warrants issued in connection with our initial public offering in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC
815-40
under which the warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as liabilities. Accordingly, we classify the warrants as liabilities at their fair value and adjust the warrants to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is subject to
re-measurement
at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized in our statement of operations. The initial fair value of the public warrants and the private placement warrants was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. As of September 30, 2021 fair value of the public warrants was estimated using the Company’s publicly traded warrant price. The fair value of the private placement warrants was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation approach.
Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to Possible Redemption
We account for our Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“
ASC
”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.” Class A ordinary shares subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable ordinary shares (including ordinary shares that features redemption rights that is either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within our control) is classified as temporary equity. At all other times, ordinary shares are classified as shareholders’ equity. Our Class A ordinary shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of our control and subject to occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption is presented as temporary equity, outside of the shareholders’ equity section of our balance sheet.
Net Income (Loss) per Ordinary Share
We apply the
two-class
method in calculating earnings per share. Net income per ordinary share, basic and diluted for Class A redeemable ordinary shares is calculated by dividing the interest income earned on the trust account by the weighted average number of Class A redeemable ordinary shares outstanding since original issuance. Net loss per ordinary share, basic and diluted for Class B
non-redeemable
ordinary shares is calculated by dividing the net income (loss), less income attributable to Class A redeemable ordinary shares, by the weighted average number of Class B
non-redeemable
ordinary shares outstanding for the periods presented.
 
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our financial statements.
Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
VGAC II does not expect that its disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have commenced our remediation efforts in connection with the identification of the material weakness surrounding internal controls over financial reporting for complex financial instruments discussed above and have taken the following steps subsequent to the quarter ended September 30, 2021:
 
   
We have implemented procedures intended to ensure that we identify and apply the applicable accounting guidance to all complex transactions.
 
   
We are establishing additional monitoring and oversight controls designed to ensure the accuracy and completeness of our financial statements and related disclosures.
There have been no changes to our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2021 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
 
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INFORMATION ABOUT GROVE
OUR VISION
Grove is transforming the consumer products industry into a force for human and environmental good by relentlessly creating and curating planet-first, high-performance brands and products. Because sustainability is the only future, and what we do now matters.
 
 
 
OVERVIEW
Grove is a digital-first, sustainability-oriented consumer products innovator. We use our connection with consumers to create and curate authentic, disruptive brands and products. Grove builds natural products that perform as well as or better than many leading CPG brands (both conventional and natural), while being healthier for consumers and the planet.
Grove’s omnichannel distribution strategy enables us to reach consumers where they want to shop. We operate an online
direct-to-consumer
website and mobile application (“
DTC platform
”) where we both sell our Grove-owned brands (“
Grove Brands
”) and partner with other leading natural and mission-based CPG brands, providing consumers the best selection of curated products across many categories and brands. In the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2021, we generated approximately 56% of our gross merchandise volume from Grove Brands, and 60% from home care products. As we grow our product assortment and distribution in beauty and personal care, we expect the contribution of sales from these categories to increase.
Over the last five years, our Grove Co. brand has emerged as a market leader in several important categories including sustainable home care and
direct-to-consumer
natural home care. Grove Co. has also quickly established itself as a leader in the hand, dish, and cleaning categories at Target.
Grove is a public benefit corporation
and a Certified B Corporation, meaning we adhere to third party standards for prioritizing social, environmental, and community wellbeing. We have a history of doing well by doing good, which is supported by our flywheel: as we have grown, our product development capabilities and data have improved. That improved innovation grows both topline and expands margins as our innovation tends to be both market expanding and margins accretive.
 
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Company History
Grove started in 2012 under the name “ePantry” as an online retailer for third-party natural household, beauty and personal care brands. We leveraged our ecommerce platform to learn about the industry, gain significant insight into consumer preferences and determine how we might drive change. Early on, it became clear that the current carbon, plastic, and ingredient footprint of our industry is unsustainable, and that there will be massive share shift to products that perform while supporting human and environmental health.
Our key long-term strategic advantage comes from a combination of our authentic mission and our direct relationships with customers. We gained differentiated insights on consumer preferences and provided a platform for them to tell us what they value in each product category we carried. We paired this insight with
best-in-class
product innovation capabilities, and in 2016 we launched Grove Co., our flagship home care brand. We have since brought more than 400 Grove Brand products to customers across our portfolio of brands, and Grove Co. has grown into the largest brand by revenue on our DTC platform.
After building a robust portfolio of highly efficacious,
good-for-the-world
products, we have recently pushed into an omnichannel model in order to reach consumers where and how they shop. We continue to operate our DTC platform where we maintain direct relationships with over 1.5 million consumers annually who enjoy our
best-in-class
assortment of natural home, beauty and personal care products. In addition, we launched a
 
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nationwide partnership with Target in April 2021, and we continue to actively pursue opportunities to develop our
brick-and-mortar
retail distribution platform and expand our sales to third-party ecommerce channels.
Company Performance
Our mission driven approach, deep consumer-centric sustainable portfolio and omnichannel strategy have driven strong financial performance.
The company’s fiscal year-end is December 31. The following financial highlights are calculated based on 2019 data and the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2021:
 
   
Gross margin increased by 1,400 basis points from 36% in 2019 to 50% in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021;
 
   
Gross profit increased from $83 million in 2019 to $196 million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021; and
 
   
We significantly improved Adjusted EBITDA from ($145) million in 2019 to ($92) million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, marking a $53 million improvement.
Adjusted EBITDA is a measure that is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. For further information about how we calculate adjusted EBITDA, limitations of its use and a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss and the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP,
see—“Non-GAAP
Financial Measure—Adjusted EBITDA.”
OUR PURPOSE
We believe that the consumer products industry has contributed to the current environmental crises. We need to create business models and products that meet the environmental needs of our time and the growing demand of consumers that are aware of the importance of each of our roles in the future.
Grove is transforming the consumer products industry into a force for human and environmental good by relentlessly creating and curating planet-first, high-performance brands and products. Because sustainability is the only future, and what we do now matters.
 
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Our ability to foster positive change is fundamental to our business, rather than an afterthought to profits or a way to mitigate the negative impacts of “business as usual”. This is codified within decision making at every level of our company, from our corporate structure, our material selection process to the way we ship our products. The depth and authenticity of our mission is a sustainable competitive advantage in a world where consumers urgently demand more conscientious products. We also believe that our success is driven by our exceptional team, and we believe that our authentic mission is a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive market.
 
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Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation
 
 
 
 
We believe that authentic commitment to our vision, and to “doing well by doing good,” is a durable competitive advantage. As a way to codify our values, Grove became a public benefit corporation (PBC) in 2021. We are devoted to the development, promotion and distribution of consumer products as a positive force for human and environmental health. As a PBC, we have a legal duty to prioritize not just stockholders’ financial interests, but also the best interest of those materially affected by our business operations, including consumers, employees, partners, the environment and the communities in which we operate. In addition, Grove is a Certified B Corporation, meaning we adhere to rigorous third-party standards for prioritizing social, environmental and community wellbeing, and our performance is periodically independently audited against this framework.
 
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Leading our Industry in Sustainability
 
 
Sustainability
and conscientious business practices are our reason for being and are true differentiators of our business—from our brands, to every product we carry, to our policies and practices within the workplace. Our sustainability objectives are rooted in the areas most material to our business and our industry that we believe connect with growing areas of consumer interest and demand: plastic, carbon and forests. We have set ambitious goals to lead across all categories—from being plastic free across our DTC Platform by 2025, to being carbon neutral by 2030 and to planting one million trees by the end of 2022, which are detailed further below.
As of today, we are 100% plastic neutral, a Certified CarbonNeutral® company and have planted nearly 800,000 trees in the U.S.—well on track to reach our goal next year.
OUR MARKET OPPORTUNITY
Traditional HPC Retail is a Large and Attractive Market for Grove
Our business is focused on addressing the household and personal care (“
HPC
”) market, which is approximately a $1 trillion global market, according to Euromonitor (2022 Edition). We started by building a digital-first business, which solidified our consumer feedback loop and enabled us to develop efficiently and scale our Grove Brands. However, we estimate that approximately 90% of consumers still buy at diversified retail, so we believe our retail presence allows us to reach more consumers, and ultimately, improve our brand awareness. As such, with our distinctive product innovation capabilities firmly in place, as well as the strong brand and product portfolio, we are now expanding into third-party distribution where we will be able to monetize this innovation in the $180 billion U.S. market according to Euromonitor (2022 Edition), and ultimately, in the global HPC market.
 
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The retail market is many times the size of the market where we built our original consumer connection, and we believe it can be a core driver of capital-efficient growth over the long term.
 
 
In addition to our retail growth potential, Grove sits at the intersection of two fast-growing segments of the HPC market: digital, and natural and sustainable products. We believe consumers will continue to shift from
in-store
to online shopping, and from conventional to natural and sustainable products, and Grove is well-positioned to take advantage of both industry tailwinds to help us to achieve higher growth than our incumbent competitors.
 
 
 
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Growth of HPC Ecommerce
We believe that the HPC market is increasingly moving omnichannel. While the DTC market is modest in size today, we expect that over time the secular trend towards online purchasing will continue. HPC products are still much earlier in their ecommerce adoption than many other industries. Euromonitor expects household care ecommerce in the U.S. to grow at approximately 18% CAGR through 2025.
With our established DTC platform and distribution, connection to our customer community, and ability to innovate and quickly bring new brands and products to market on our platform, we believe we are well positioned to capitalize on this long-term trend.
Shift to Clean and Natural
We believe the scale of the market opportunity for clean and natural HPC products is matched by the scale of the environmental problem. In the U.S., 28 billion pounds of plastic packaging is created annually according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and globally up to 24 billion pounds of plastic enters the ocean each year according to research by Jenna Jambeck,
Science,
Feb 2015. And consumers in the U.S. are taking notice.
We expect continued outperformance of natural products as consumers become more conscious of the impact that products used in their homes have on their health and on the environment. Industry sources expect the clean and natural segment to grow at an approximately 9% CAGR through 2025.
 
 
Current environmental crises and growing public awareness of the negative impact the HPC industry has on the planet make changes in our categories inevitable over the coming years. In our industry, we expect consumers to evaluate the HPC products they choose increasingly on the basis of greenhouse gas emissions and plastic waste associated with those products, and that the transition of the industry to cleaner and more sustainable product offerings will be driven by this shift in consumer demand. Grove’s commitment to sustainable innovation across the three pillars of plastic reduction, carbon reduction and ingredient integrity, positions us
as a beneficiary of the trends towards higher quality sustainability-focused products, which continue to gain momentum.
 
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Penetration of natural products is still nascent in our categories even though over 70% of consumers value sustainability, transparency, and social impact. We believe that adoption of natural products is accelerating: in consumer surveys we found 63% of customers who bought natural HPC did so for the first time in just the last two years. We believe that in the coming years, consumer spending on natural products will continue to increase in proportion to the overall HPC market, which represents a growing opportunity for further market penetration as we increase our channel distribution and product offering.
We believe our positioning as a market leader in developing products and packaging formats that reduce plastic and waste will continue to allow us to simultaneously capitalize on the market opportunity, while helping to solve one of the largest environmental crises we face as an industry.
OUR STRENGTHS
Revolutionary, Customer-Centric Brands
At Grove, we are constantly exploring new formats, new formulas and new systems that meet our consumers’ needs while doing what is right for the planet. Every brand and product we develop follows our innovation trifecta: consumer centricity, efficacy and sustainability. We are consumer-centric: we innovate to fulfill consumer demands of today and tomorrow, and we target price points that are accessible for most U.S. consumers and are in line overall with other scale market-leading branded CPG products. We also seek to raise the bar on efficacy, especially among natural brands. We believe that consumers do not have to compromise on sustainability for performance and vice-versa, and we are committed to creating clean and sustainable products that are better for both home and planet. We understand that our success is dependent on our community, and we always seek to over-deliver for our consumer in every product across every axis.
Differentiated Innovation Enabled by Our DTC Platform
Our innovation process is informed by our highly engaged customer base, which provides real-time insights giving Grove access to better, more specific data and a more rapid test and learn cycle than competitors. We utilize data derived from extensive customer engagement in assessing demand and market acceptance for new
 
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products prior to full scale launch. Our Grove Brands leverage our DTC platform as a feedback-rich channel where we iterate, improve our products, and ultimately maximize success at full-scale launch, both on our DTC platform and in retail channels. As an example of industry recognition for innovation, Peach not Plastic, our line of plastic-free hair and skincare bars was awarded the Fast Company Innovation by Design Award, Women’s Health 2021 Beauty Award and Byrdie’s Best Eco Bodycare Product. Grove Co. was awarded EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Engaged and Loyal Customer Base
Our growth and innovation advantage is only possible because of our deep connection with our customer base. Grove customers interact frequently with our web platform, our app, and their carts, presenting opportunities for us to cross-sell and
up-sell,
and gather additional data points to power our innovation. Our customers have created a vibrant digital community across social media platforms, creating content and driving word of mouth brand awareness.
Home and personal care are categories where the strongest brands are built around customers who often develop brand affinities that can last a lifetime. The loyalty of our customer base is best demonstrated by our average long-term stable net revenue retention across our cohorts of approximately 50%. This asymptotic retention is indicative of the long-term relationship we are building with customers that is fueled by the inherent retention dynamic of reusable product formats as well as high engagement with our flexible monthly shipments feature and our mobile app. In the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, approximately 84% of our net revenue came from customers who had the flexible monthly shipments feature turned on. The stickiness of our customer base has enabled us to achieve high returns on our marketing investments, giving us the confidence to aggressively fuel growth.
 
 
Highly Experienced Team and Innovation-Focused Culture
Grove is a people-oriented company. We believe that the core of our success starts with our ability to continue to attract and retain top talent. We are led by a team of industry veterans with highly relevant sustainability, consumer, and technology expertise, who leverage a wealth of knowledge in management roles at
 
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both public and private companies ranging from
start-ups
to Fortune 500 companies. We have created an innovation-focused, entrepreneurial culture that has powered our rapid growth, through our unique combination of talent from both the CPG industry and Silicon Valley. We operate in a data-rich environment that empowers employees to generate insights to improve our business and informs decisions across the organization. Our team is united by a common mission and vision for a more sustainable future.
VALUE PROPOSITION TO CONSUMERS
Grove’s products are a unique blend of
best-in-class
sustainability, efficacy, consumer centricity and modern design offered at accessible prices and supported by exceptional customer service and a strong online community. We believe our Grove Brand products, whether sold on our DTC platform or at retailers, make it easy for consumers to make environmentally and family-friendly purchasing decisions. Consumers trust our standards, knowing that our products prioritize plant-based ingredients, are cruelty-free, and are free of synthetic colors, synthetic fragrances, parabens, phthalates, BPA, and toxic varnishes (based on ingredient declarations, third-party certifications, and independent testing), and are as effective as many traditional competitor products. Our products and packaging help consumers reduce their single use plastic usage and environmental footprint. Grove products are designed for consumers to create the best version of their homes and feel good about the choices they are making for their families and the environment.
Our DTC platform gives our customers access to a wide assortment of curated, high-quality, environmentally-friendly products at competitive prices, with many products and scents exclusive to our platform. We offer our flexible monthly shipment service to help customers stay on top of their home and personal care regimen. Customers can subscribe to individual products at appropriate cadences to make sure they never run out. We leverage data about customer activity and preferences to further enhance the customer experience by personalizing pages to better fit customer shopping needs.
Our team of Grove Guides provides concierge customer service on topics ranging from delivery options to product recommendations. Grove Guides provide personal service to our customers and are available through multiple channels including phone, text, email and chat. We believe the combination of high-quality products and a friendly support team has allowed us to gain the trust of our customers, which in turn provides us with the differentiated consumer insights that power our innovation flywheel.
In 2021, Grove launched in Target to provide a true omnichannel experience to customers. As we expand our
brick-and-mortar
retail distribution platform, we believe that this presence, coupled with our DTC platform, will enable us to meet the consumer wherever they are.
VALUE PROPOSITION TO PARTNERS
Grove believes that we can go farther together in achieving the shared goal of making our industry more sustainable. We remain committed to building high value long-term relationships with other leading brands that can complement the Grove Brand products in our DTC offering. For our third-party brand partners, our DTC platform provides a unique way for them to tell their brand and product stories to consumers at scale. We provide a fast-growing channel that enables brands to reach customers directly which they are unable to through typical
brick-and-mortar
channels. For many of our partners, we are a profitable, top five distribution channel and our platform is essential to their operations. Our direct connection to consumers aids our partners by providing valuable product feedback at a rate typically much faster than retail channels. As a result of our scale and strict product standards, we believe placement on our platform provides a positive brand association for our partners.
Additionally, being a digitally native company, our customers tend to be young, digitally-inclined and social media-savvy which helps retailers drive digital engagement and build omnichannel accessibility.
Our flagship Grove Brand products that are sold at retail outlets offer an attractive value proposition to our
brick-and-mortar
retail partners. Our products offer
low-risk,
incremental revenue stemming from our DTC proof
 
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points and the benefit of association with our earth-friendly market positioning. Retailers understand the importance of offering consumers
zero-waste
options, and Grove’s assortment is a market leader. Since launch at Target, our products have been leaders in repeat rate and units per trip among the cleaners, dish, and hand soap categories. We also believe that our Grove Brand vessel and refill system drives repeat store visits to our retail partners, as our customers return to restock on our effective and high-quality refill system.
OUR GROWTH STRATEGY
We believe the opportunity ahead of us is significant, both in terms of the market and environmental impact, and we are capitalizing on the opportunity across a number of growth vectors.
Retail & Omnichannel Strategy
We believe that the future of CPG purchasing is omnichannel. Certain consumers will prefer the convenience of a DTC experience, some will prefer to buy
in-store
as part of a regular shopping rhythm, and others will prefer a hybrid as consumer purchasing behavior continues to evolve.
We kicked off our expansion into
brick-and-mortar
retail in April 2021, with the launch of a curated assortment of Grove Co. best sellers in cleaning, hand and dish categories at Target, in a nationwide partnership both in store and on Target.com, including endcap, category and mobile app activation. To date, we have seen early success with this strategy. According to Numerator, a data and market research company, in July 2021 for Target stores where we had been rolled out, our products were:
 
   
#1 brand in units per store per trip:
Cleaners, dish and hand categories, all brands;
 
   
#1 brand in repeat sales:
Cleaners (#2 in dish and hand), all brands; and
 
   
#1 brand in % of basket:
Dish (#2 in cleaners and hand), all brands.
We plan to increase our retail presence in two ways 1) by growing our retail assortment, expanding into new product categories and brands, and 2) aggressively expanding into more retail doors with additional retail partnerships to reach more and more consumers no matter where they shop.
We believe our retail strategy will generate additional brand awareness, drive significant household penetration and produce growth in our business by introducing tens of millions of consumers to Grove Co. and our suite of Grove Brands while allowing us to capitalize on our DTC advertising more effectively over the long term. As we execute our retail strategy, we expect to realize meaningful growth in distribution of our Grove Brands and, most importantly, demonstrate mission-driven leadership and positive impact on the environment.
New Customer Acquisition and Increased Existing Customer Engagement
We grow by acquiring new customers and increasing engagement with our existing customers over the long term. We are driving new customer acquisition by diversifying our customer acquisition models and accelerating the growth of our brand awareness. To do this, we have expanded our marketing mix to include broad reach offline channels including TV and radio, and we are also investing more heavily in brand marketing. Our aided awareness among natural shoppers increased from 31% in June 2021 to 34% in September 2021 driven by our brand marketing (online channels, TV and retail presence at Target).
Word of mouth is also a key driver of our growth - with nearly one third of our new customers reporting that they first heard of Grove from friends or family. Additionally, as we have begun to sell products through other retailers, we are now also acquiring new customers via these retailer channels.
We also grow through increased engagement and share-of-wallet with our existing customer base. There are many factors that result in increased customer engagement, ranging from increased presence in broad reach
 
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advertising channels, improving the quality of our product recommendations, optimizing our promotional and loyalty programs, investing in our mobile app experience, growing our product assortment and introducing a wider variety of innovative, and sustainable products. Increasing engagement with our existing customer base not only generates increased sales in the near term, but also correlates strongly with higher lifetime value, which we can re-invest into additional marketing to grow our customer base and awareness.
Product Category Expansion
We have a history of regular and strategic expansion into additional product categories, which has multiple benefits: we are able to serve loyal customers with choices in more categories, and we can drive increased profitability through new, margin accretive products, and increased average order value on our DTC Platform.
Grove started as a provider of home care products with laundry, dish, and surface cleaning products. We have since expanded into personal care, beauty and pet care, expanding our addressable market and increasing our exposure to higher margin categories. We plan to leverage the Grove brand and associated brand equity to continue to expand our current category assortment as well as launch new categories in the future.
International Expansion
We believe the need for high-efficacy HPC products that are better for the health of both home and planet is universal. We currently operate solely in the U.S., however the global market for HPC products is greater than 5x that of the U.S., according to Euromonitor. Additionally, we estimate that many economic regions outpace the U.S. when it comes to sustainable shopping preference, and we believe that there is significant opportunity for Grove to satisfy the needs of global consumers. We receive regular interest from both consumers and distributors in international markets and will continue to explore ways to meet this market opportunity. We believe that international expansion could be a long-term driver of business growth.
Acquisition Opportunities
We have a history of successful acquisitions to expand into new product lines, with five acquisitions to date across vitamins, minerals, and supplements, personal care, and pet care. We will continue to pursue opportunistic acquisitions in spaces that we consider to be attractive.
 
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OUR BRANDS
 
 
Grove’s Brand Strategy
Increasingly, consumers are demanding brands that are thoughtfully designed with a focus on consumer needs and preferences, and that meet higher standards than ever in sustainability and health. The shift away from plastic in HPC products is a clear consumer and industry trend. Combined with our mission, we believe that our direct relationship with consumers gives us a durable competitive advantage in building the brands to lead that change. All our product innovation work leverages our three pillars of development: consumer centricity, efficacy, and sustainability. To date, we have leveraged this to build the largest DTC natural HPC brand in Grove Co. We also create value for consumers by building other brands and providing additional product options in other categories.
 
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Grove Brands
All Grove Brand products meet the Grove Standard, which means they prioritize plant-based ingredients, are cruelty-free, and are free of synthetic colors, synthetic fragrances, parabens, phthalates, BPA, and toxic varnishes (based on ingredient declarations, third-party certifications, and independent testing). Currently, Grove offers 400+ individual products across multiple brands in the home, personal care, and beauty space.
 
 
 
 
 
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The Grove Co. Brand
Grove Co. is our flagship brand and the cornerstone of our portfolio, representing approximately 90% of Grove Brands revenue in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021.
 
 
The Grove Co. Brand is a market leader in
zero-waste
and plastic reduction. It is the thought leader in the home care space and was brought to life under the core proposition: Sustainably Powerful for a Healthy Home and Planet. This is underpinned by clean, safe formulations (no harsh chemicals & 100% naturally derived fragrances), and innovative formats with sustainable packaging and uncompromised performance. Grove Co. products allow consumers to care for their homes, live more sustainably and fully recycle our packaging and formats where such facilities are available to consumers. With an assortment of products ranging from household cleaners to hand and dish soaps to paper-free home tissues and laundry, Grove Co. is the largest brand on our DTC platform and the largest independent natural CPG brand in the U.S. Grove Co. will be our flagship brand as we increasingly look to develop third-party distribution channels.
Incubator Brands
The rest of our portfolio consists of incubator brands sold on our DTC platform, for which we continue to build brand propositions and product assortments, honing each before expanding into third-party distribution. While still early in the product distribution cycle, each of our incubator brands are category leaders by revenue on the Grove DTC platform.
 
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Peach not Plastic (“
Peach
”):
Peach is clean, vegan, and 100% plastic-free, making sustainability easy and fun. Peach is on a mission to remove plastic from beauty and personal care routines with innovative hair, face, and body care products. While the plastic problem is serious, choosing to live sustainably does not have to be. Peach brings optimism and cheerfulness to the space as a way of empowering consumers to take the leap and show that they can make better choices with Peach while not compromising performance. The positive vibes are infused in every aspect of the brand, from the inclusivity promise, the fun shapes and vibrant colors to our expressive scents and optimistic mantras—because “Sustainability looks great on you.”
 
 
Rooted Beauty:
What matters most in skincare are nutrients and ingredients. Rooted Beauty crafts accessible, efficacious skincare products with a potent mix of antioxidants that make up our signature R7 Complex, which through years of clinical trials are proven to help hydrate, smooth, brighten and protect for more radiant, youthful looking skin.
 
 
 
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Superbloom:
Made with the latest botanical science and clean ingredients, Superbloom’s 100% vegan formulas are carefully crafted with highly effective ingredients like bakuchiol and alpine rose stem cells to defend the skin from modern aggressors like pollution, blue light and free radicals. Superbloom is also clinically proven to hydrate and reduce fine lines and wrinkles and validated by consumers to make skin more vibrant and radiant.
 
 
Honu:
An easy-to-navigate line of high-quality (no fillers) dietary supplements with efficacious ingredients like astaxanthin, melatonin, PLE (fern extract) and others backed by years of clinical trials, while reducing plastic with all glass packaging and soon-to-be aluminum lids.
 
 
 
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Sustain:
Feminine care products designed with organic cotton and Fair-Trade Rubber.
 
 
Good Fur:
Grove’s newest brand is a fresh take on pet grooming, including organic ingredients, aluminum refill bottles, and 100% natural fragrances. Good Fur treats pets like family and leaves them smelling great.
 
 
Third-Party Brands (
52% of sales in the last twelve months ended September 30, 2021)
In addition to Grove Brands, we offer a curated portfolio of third-party brands on our DTC platform, providing consumers with a selection of over 2,000 SKUs across more than 150 brands. By carrying third-party products, we are not only able to better serve our customers by providing a wider product assortment, but we are able to understand both category demand and the product attributes that our consumers value before investing in development of our own products.
 
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We carry a wide range of clean and natural products within home, beauty and personal care, including products aimed at baby and pet care. We take a data-driven approach to category expansion by leveraging the insights garnered through our DTC platform. No single third-party brand represented more than 15% of our total net revenue in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021.
Since our inception, we have attracted and maintained strong relationships with a diverse group of clean and natural brands within home care, beauty and personal care, from emerging brands such as Aunt Fannie’s, Hello, and Terra Beauty Bars to globally recognized brands such as Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation, Method, Burt’s Bees and Babyganics. Prior to onboarding new brand partners, all brands undergo a thorough review process to ensure they meet our rigorous sustainability criteria, including goals to reduce and eliminate plastic, safe and transparent ingredient standards, certified cruelty-free products, and ethical production.
These brand relationships provide customers with breadth across product categories, while reinforcing Grove’s position as the destination for discovery and providing us with valuable data on customer purchasing behavior and preferences. On the other hand, we offer a highly compelling proposition to our third-party brands, providing access to more than 1.5 million environmentally-conscious and digitally-savvy customers who shop our DTC platform.
We consider these third-party brands to be important long-term partners both in serving our customers on our digital platform and in changing the industry for the better. We expect to continue to collaborate with these brands to help them bring complementary products to consumers and our digital strategy is enhanced by their success. Over the long term, we do not view the trends driving Grove’s growth as winner-take-all, but rather that lifting the industry towards zero waste will be the “new normal” and will materially benefit Grove.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION
We believe we have a durable competitive advantage in product development, based on the data and consumer insights garnered through our DTC platform. We estimate that we can develop products up to 6x faster than most traditional CPG companies using a variety of strategies only available as a result of our DTC platform:
 
   
We can test market acceptance of product attributes prior to or as part of product launch, including fragrance, price point, marketing messaging, sustainability and more. We can assess market acceptance of products on our DTC platform prior to a product ready date to determine consumer interest via our waitlist feature.
 
   
We can quickly gather consumer feedback by including samples in existing shipments, conducting online focus groups, and asking our consumers directly. We can then improve the products where possible and relaunch or drop underperforming SKUs at very little cost.
 
   
We can launch products on our DTC platform at any point, without the constraints of retailer shelf reset timelines.
 
   
We have a deep understanding of our consumers based on historical purchasing behavior, demographic information, and the ways in which they engage with our community and platform.
 
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In addition, our research and product development team brings both HPC product experience as well as digital channel
know-how
to our innovation road map. We believe the combination of
best-in-class
data along with our innovation capabilities allows us to consistently produce high-quality, efficacious products with a speed to market unmatched in our industry.
Our Innovation Advantage Drives Growth and Margin Improvement
Our ability to quickly launch and iterate new products utilizing our rich consumer data has been a material driver of our growth, with our Grove Brands net revenue increasing 69x since the first half of 2017, while simultaneously enhancing the margin profile of our business, as gross product margins on Grove Brands products are approximately 28 percentage points higher than third-party brands sold on the Grove DTC platform.
 
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LEADING OUR INDUSTRY IN SUSTAINABILITY
Our corporate sustainability ethos and sustainable product offering are Grove’s primary differentiator. Our customers demonstrate a prioritization for our carefully curated and screened products that align with their values around environmental health and safety. As part of that value proposition, we pride ourselves on our industry-leading work in sustainability around the areas most material to our business: plastic, carbon and forests.
 
 
 
I.
Plastic
: The HPC industry has been built on seemingly cheap and disposable
single-use
plastic packaging. As consumers awaken to the reality of the plastic pollution crisis, they are urgently and increasingly demanding bold new solutions.
 
 
 
 
Plastic Neutral:
Grove is leading the industry in becoming a plastic-neutral consumer products retailer. For every ounce of plastic we sell, we fund the collection of an equal amount of ocean-bound or terrestrial plastic pollution to mitigate our plastic footprint while we transition to long-
 
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term plastic-free solutions. We work with two partners, rePurpose Global and Plastic Bank, to fund plastic pollution collection and infrastructure development in the Philippines, India, Kenya and Colombia.
 
 
 
 
Plastic-Free by the End of 2025:
Our industry has historically addressed the plastic pollution crisis by setting unrealistic goals about recycled content that will be impossible to achieve given the realities of recycling infrastructure. Our goal to be plastic-free by the end of 2025 is meant to engender bold action and spur our industry towards innovation. This is necessary in order to move away from plastics that are contributing to fossil fuel extraction, global pollution and the erosion of core ecosystems.
 
 
II.
Forests:
Our industry is heavily dependent on natural fiber, and paper goods are a staple of home essentials. Without a robust commitment to a deforestation-free supply chain or to increase the recycled content within paper products, the HPC industry supports a fiber industry which is increasingly at odds with the reforestation and biodiversity protection that climate science calls for with increasing urgency. Our aim is to restore forests through our business, both by avoiding use of paper products that contribute to deforestation as well as by actively funding reforestation, both directly and through our carbon offset program.
 
 
 
 
One Million Trees:
Through the Arbor Day Foundation, we have planted over 795,000 trees and are on track to meet our goal of one million trees by the end of 2022. This initiative is included within the One Trillion Trees Initiative, to which Grove is a signatory.
 
 
 
 
Tree-Free Paper:
Grove’s line of tree-free paper products is made entirely from Forest Stewardship Council
®
certified
bamboo, a sustainable and fast-regenerating fiber. Not only do Grove’s paper products offer a high-quality alternative to traditional paper products that contribute to deforestation, but they reforest our planet by funding our Arbor Day Partnership with each purchase.
 
 
III.
Carbon
:
Our goal is to decouple the growth of our business from our carbon footprint through a focus on mitigation and supplier engagement. For our remaining emissions, we are committed to the highest standard of offset purchases, with a focus on nature-based projects which prioritize habitat protection, biodiversity and supporting local and indigenous communities.
 
 
 
 
CarbonNeutral
®
Certified Company:
We are proud to be a Certified CarbonNeutral
®
company as of 2021—meaning that we have purchased carbon offsets to neutralize all of the emissions related to the business activities that are under our direct control, which excludes manufacturing and supply chain. In order to maintain this certification, we are required to continue to reduce or offset the carbon emissions generated by our business activities, consumer shipments and several other areas of our company indicated by the CarbonNeutral
®
protocol. This codifies our commitment to maintain our values as our business grows.
 
 
 
 
Net Zero by 2030
: Expanding upon our efforts to mitigate and neutralize our direct emissions, we are committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by or before 2030 for our entire carbon footprint for GHG Protocol Scopes 1-3 (which include all business activities, product manufacturing and our supply chain). We plan to achieve this through a primary focus on mitigation, with nature-based offsets augmenting the effort. We plan to disclose progress on achieving these goals in our annual sustainability report.
 
 
 
 
Science-Based Targets:
With a priority on reducing our emissions as much as possible, we have set Science-Based Targets for emissions reduction across Scopes 1-3. We are currently on track to meet these goals as detailed in our annual sustainability report and will continue to report on that progress.
 
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OUR CUSTOMERS
 
 
It has been our intention to build a brand that appeals to a broad consumer population, and we have found that our customer base is diverse and expansive, reinforcing our belief that our product offerings, brands, and value proposition span gender, age, geography, ethnicity, and household income across the United States. From the beginning, we have prioritized getting to know our customers. This has provided invaluable insight into who they are, what is important to them, and how to continuously meet and exceed their needs with our unique brand offering.
The successful launch of our Target partnership was the first step in our omnichannel expansion strategy into
brick-and-mortar
distribution and established that Grove can have mass-market appeal with an attractive and growing demographic. The top 20 locations for our sales at Target stores (for the month of September 2021) were spread across West Coast, East Coast and the
Mid-West
and had very little overlap with our top 10 DTC zip codes, providing evidence of the potential demand for Grove’s products across the U.S.
 
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The common thread among our customers is that they care deeply about their families and their homes, want safe and effective products, and are conscientious about the impact they have on the planet. Motivated by a desire to learn and discover, they are spending more time engaging with the natural HPC category and making sustainable choices as part of their environmentally conscious lifestyle. Of note, we see success in geographies across political and demographic groups, not just with a niche of dark green consumers.
Our customers exhibit strong alignment to our sustainability values and agreement that our products meet rigorous standards that are good for them, their families, and the environment. In consumer surveys, we learned that more than 90% of our customers find that Grove is easy to use, allows them to discover new products, provides products that meet their standards, and has high standards for quality and ingredients. Our customers also tell us that they believe Grove offers natural and sustainable products, delivers on its promise, helps them make good decisions, and offers a wide variety of products. Overall, our customers demonstrate a powerful ability to further amplify our purpose and brand mission.
OUR OMNICHANNEL PRESENCE
We reach consumers through both DTC and Retail channels to maximize exposure to our consumers. Our omnichannel approach enables us to reach more customers with differentiated offerings. Our channels are complementary to each other and learnings from each further enhance the entire Grove community.
 
   
DTC
. Our website enables consumers to view our entire product portfolio including Grove Brand and third-party products across a variety of categories. Through the website, we are able to offer customers exclusive deals and offers, share newly launched products and display our wide array of seasonal bundles. We offer customers our flexible monthly shipment service to help them stay on top of their home care regimen. Customers can subscribe to individual products at appropriate cadences to make sure they never run out. We leverage data to further enhance the customer experience by personalizing pages to better fit the customers shopping needs. Our DTC shoppers can reach out to our Grove Guides team for any questions pertaining to their orders. Customers can call, chat, text, or email our Grove Guides team to modify orders, ask about new products, request a refund, or learn more about our sustainability practices. All of our shipments are carbon neutral and all plastic sold is offset through our partnerships with rePurpose Global and Plastic Bank.
 
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Retail
. We kicked off our expansion into
brick-and-mortar
retail in April 2021, with the launch of a curated assortment of Grove Co. best sellers in cleaning, hand and dish categories at Target, in a nationwide partnership both in store and on Target.com, including endcap, category and mobile app activation. Our products are in all Target stores across the United States, in over 1,900 retail doors. We believe our partnership is a key investment for Target in the sustainability space and it includes
exclusive-for-Target
scents and seasonal scents and products. We believe our retail strategy will generate additional brand awareness and drive significant household penetration by introducing tens of millions of consumers to Grove Co. and our suite of Grove Brands. We continue to actively pursue opportunities to develop additional third-party distribution channels.
OUR MARKETING STRATEGY
We have a three-pronged marketing strategy. Each aspect of our marketing strategy reinforces the others and has allowed us to rapidly expand our customer base while building strong brand loyalty.
 
  1.
Build a vibrant and engaged online community of consumers who care deeply about both home and planet. In our customer insights surveys, we found that while 61% of consumers self-identify as buying some natural products (across home, personal care, beauty and food), many are unfamiliar with natural and sustainable brands and are only buying products from a small handful of brands, or in one or two categories. They are early on in their journey of switching to natural and sustainable products, and recommendations from friends, family, influencers and other shoppers are especially powerful. On an average day, our community will comment, share or post thousands of times. This vibrant and ever-evolving dialogue has been instrumental in breaking down barriers to trial.
 
  2.
Efficiently acquire new customers using performance marketing across a wide variety of digital and offline marketing channels. We pair insights and content sourced directly from our community with sophisticated
in-house
media measurement and optimization capabilities. This combination has enabled us to efficiently acquire a large customer base and build both interest and desire for our Grove Brands and product lines.
 
  3.
Enable customers to try a variety of natural and/or sustainable products, starting with their first order. This emphasis on product and brand discovery differentiates us from many other brands in the natural
  and sustainable market who offer a limited selection, or only have a presence in one part of the home. The natural and sustainable products industry is highly fragmented, with no clear market leader, forcing consumers to spend time and energy to research and discover new products. By moving beyond a single category, we provide our customers with a whole-home solution that not only matches their values, but is also easy, affordable, and
low-risk
(due to our price matching policy and 100% Happiness Guarantee, in which we commit to respond to customer service inquiries within 24 hours, and allow customers to return products within 30 days of delivery, or cancel their subscriptions at any time if they are not completely satisfied).
This strategy is self-reinforcing—community engagement and online content creation drive our new customer acquisition via performance marketing, which in turn grows our community and expands the number of consumers trying new natural and sustainable products. This grows our community and expands awareness for us and the brands we offer. While this flywheel has been instrumental in rapidly growing the adoption of Grove Brands, we believe we are only at the beginning of our brand-building journey, and that brand awareness expansion can significantly propel both our DTC platform and our sales via retail partners.
SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS
Supply Chain
We maintain a diversified global supply chain for sourcing our Grove Brand products to ensure product quality and integrity. Grove suppliers are required to meet standards around workplace safety and conditions,
 
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human rights record and product liability coverage. In addition, Grove is a member of Amfori’s Global BSCI audit platform that is working to improve social performance in human supply chains.
We work with the most respected product certifications companies in the world to substantiate the work that we do. One or more of these certifications touch every one of our Grove Brands. Tying our supply chain to our emissions reduction goals, we have set Science-Based Targets (SBTs) for Scopes 1-3 and are collecting emissions data from all top suppliers.
Freight
Our freight strategy focuses on inbound and outbound transportation. For inbound shipments, we utilize
state-of-the-art
transportation management systems that optimize time and costs. For outbound fulfillment parcel shipping, we partner with national as well as regional carriers to ensure timely and efficient delivery to our customers. We utilize a rate-shop service to identify best pricing and time in transit for our delivery points.
Fulfillment
We have three fulfillment centers capable of reaching approximately 91% of our consumers with two-day or faster shipping. We do not rely on third-party logistics partnerships for DTC operations and our fulfillment centers are capable of processing substantially greater throughput than our current volume with no additional investments. We also continue to explore the opportunities to automate operations to improve our margin profile and to ensure a seamless shopping experience for customers.
 
 
COMPETITION
The markets in which we operate are highly competitive.
Our Grove Brands face significant competition from both established, well-known legacy HPC players as well as from emerging
direct-to-consumer
brands. Select competitors include: The Clorox Company (parent
 
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company of Burt’s Bees), Colgate-Palmolive Company (parent company of Tom’s of Maine and hello), The Honest Company, Procter & Gamble (parent company of Native), Reckitt Benckiser Group plc., SC Johnson (parent company of method and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day), and Unilever PLC (parent company of Seventh Generation). Certain of these and other competitive brands are also vendor partners on our DTC platform.
We compete based on a variety of factors, including product efficacy, clean formulation, sustainability and value. We believe that we compete favorably across these factors.
Our DTC platform competes with players across two primary channels:
(i) brick-and-mortar
businesses including supermarkets, warehouse clubs and mass merchants and (ii) ecommerce platforms and online retailers.
We compete based on a variety of factors, including product availability, value, trust, and convenience, as well as our ability to connect with and establish direct relationships with our consumers. We believe that we compete favorably across these factors.
TEAM AND CULTURE
 
 
 
We strive to make our workplace, our products, our services, and our communities more equitable and inclusive. We engage Grove and the communities we touch through programs designed to eradicate barriers, encourage self-reflection and awareness, and celebrate different perspectives. We believe an inclusive culture contributes to Grove’s success in spreading healthy habits.
Our People
We value our employees; they are our most important asset and key to the success of our company and mission. We seek to recruit and retain talented and engaged team members who are committed to our values, goals, and our community. The passion of our employees is evident in the design and delivery of our products, the support we provide to our consumers and the impact we are making in our community and industry.
 
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As of November 2021, we had approximately 900 full-time employees, as well as a smaller number of part-time and temporary employees; 69% of our total employee population is located in our fulfillment centers.
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
We believe that a more inclusive and equitable HPC industry starts with a strong commitment within our workplace. From the beginning, we have been focused on building a team where all employees and customers are seen, heard and feel valued. We began our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion journey by engaging our employees and leaders in trainings that require critical thinking, programs that inspire grassroots action, and conversations that open us up to diversity of thought. This foundational framework was more important for us to focus on before we hit the checkmarks, because a company with good-looking numbers means nothing if we cannot thrive.
FACILITIES
Our corporate headquarters is located in San Francisco, California, and we use this facility for engineering, finance, marketing, human resources, legal, information technology and security, physical product development, research and science, supply chain, and other administrative functions.
We also lease three fulfillment center locations in Reno, Nevada; St. Peters, Missouri; and Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, which we use for inbound and receiving, packing and shipping, transportation, operations technology, warehouse IT, operations management, and human resources.
TECHNOLOGY
Our technology and data platform was built from the
ground-up
to help Grove customers find, use, and love natural products. Our development technology is designed with the goal of enabling rapid iteration, testing, and optimization throughout the customer experience, a seamless post-order, fulfillment, and customer service experience, and complete, accurate, and insightful data collection and analysis. Our ecommerce platform has been built
in-house
in order to maximize flexibility and speed of prototyping. Additionally, our DTC platform creates significant advantages for our physical product development via differentiated data, rapid access to customer insights, and a route to market that powers innovation and adoption of our own distinctive brands.
Our data platform and approach focuses on several areas we believe necessary to unlock value in data:
 
   
Large
 & Unique Data Asset
. Our technology collects, structures, and analyzes data we have collected over eight years. Our mix of proprietary and commercial data ingestion tools process tens of millions of records daily, delivering a complete and unified picture of customer activity across platforms and touchpoints. Our
speed-to-insight
gives us access to HPC trends long before they are seen in
brick-and-mortar
retail.
 
   
The Right People
. Our analytics staff is organized into four groups: analytics, data engineering, analytics engineering, and data science. This structure allows us to deliver raw data, structured reporting, insights, and algorithms efficiently across the different functional groups at Grove. For example, merchandisers and analysts monitor and react to
on-site
buying trends in near real time, and modify
on-site
presentation of products to drive success in key campaigns.
 
   
Pragmatic Algorithms
. Our data science team develops models for recommendations, automated merchandising decisions, and operational forecasting. Our curated catalog, purchase history data and subscription data are used to build algorithms to predict which products customers are most likely to repurchase, or buy for the first time, which we use to make
on-site
and
in-app
recommendations to encourage product discovery and drive higher average order value.
 
   
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
. We invest in cybersecurity to protect intellectual property, customer data, manage reputational risk, and maintain business continuity across our devices, applications, and
 
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corporate networks. We strive to ensure ongoing compliance with the requirements under relevant standards including PCI and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). Additionally, our teams use the standards, guidelines, and practices from the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to understand and manage cybersecurity risk. We continually monitor and proactively address identified cyber security risks through a combination of automated tools, external audits, and recurring review from our internal cybersecurity working group and report any material findings and incidents to the audit committee. Our data privacy practices are designed to ensure security, compliance, and privacy while collecting, storing, and creating insights from the data.
Our technology investment in the customer experience includes:
 
   
Subscription Engine
. Our subscription engine generates repeat orders for our customers based on their purchase history. This allows for repeat purchase behavior with a large number of different products, which each are consumed at different rates.
 
   
Flexible Monthly Shipments Feature
. The majority of our shipments are run through a proprietary engine that generates shipments scheduled to arrive at a future date, part of an optional service called “Flexible Monthly Shipments”. The system publishes events that remind customers to engage with their order, allowing customers to edit and modify order items or purchase their order at any time by choosing “Ship Now”.
 
   
Marketing Campaigns
. In order to send relevant campaigns and messages to our customers, our ecommerce platform integrates with commercial
Software-as-a-Service
marketing solutions, as well as custom-built marketing and messaging services to reach customers in channels where commercial software is unable to meet our needs. Our proprietary campaign offer systems allow us to incentivize new products, offer free gifts and drive incremental orders for seasonal items.
TRADEMARKS AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We protect our intellectual property through a combination of trademarks, domain names, copyrights, trade secrets and patents, as well as contractual provisions and restrictions on access to our proprietary technology. Our principal trademark assets include the trademarks “Grove,” “Grove Co.,” and “Grove Collaborative,” which are registered in the U.S. and targeted foreign jurisdictions, as well as our logos, taglines and multiple product brand names. We have applied to register or registered many of our trademarks in the U.S. and other jurisdictions, and we will pursue additional trademark registrations to the extent we believe they would be beneficial and cost-effective.
We have four issued U.S. patents, five pending U.S. patent applications, 11 issued foreign patents and two patent applications pending through the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Our issued patents will begin expiring in December 2038. We intend to pursue additional patent protection to the extent we believe it would be beneficial and cost-effective.
We are the registered holder of multiple domestic and international domain names that include “grove” and similar variations. We also hold domain registrations for many of our product names and other related trade names and slogans. In addition to the protection provided by our intellectual property rights, we enter into confidentiality and proprietary rights agreements with our employees, consultants, contractors and business partners. Our employees are also subject to invention assignment agreements. We further control the use of our proprietary technology and intellectual property through provisions in both our customer terms of use on our website and the terms and conditions governing our agreements with other third parties.
GOVERNMENT REGULATION
The vitamins/dietary supplements, cosmetic products and medical device products we sell under our own brands and from third-party brands are subject to regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (the “
FDA
”).
 
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Substantially all of our products are subject to regulation by one or more of the following: the Consumer Product Safety Commission (the “
CPSC
”), the EPA, the Federal Trade Commission (the “
FTC
”), as well as various other federal, state, and local regulatory authorities. These laws and regulations principally relate to the ingredients or components, proper labeling, advertising, packaging, marketing, manufacture, registration, safety, shipment and disposal of our products.
Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “
FDCA
”), cosmetics are defined as articles or components of articles that are applied to the human body and intended to cleanse, beautify or alter its appearance, with the exception of soap. The labeling of cosmetic products is also subject to the requirements of the FDCA, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, the Poison Prevention Packaging Act and other FDA regulations. Cosmetics are not subject to
pre-market
approval by the FDA, however certain ingredients, such as color additives, must be
pre-authorized.
If the safety of the products or ingredients has not been adequately substantiated, a specific warning label is required. Other warnings may also be mandated pursuant to FDA regulations. The FDA monitors compliance of cosmetic products through market surveillance and inspection of cosmetic manufacturers and distributors to ensure that the products neither contain false nor misleading labeling and that they are not manufactured under unsanitary conditions. Inspections also may arise from consumer or competitor complaints filed with the FDA. In the event the FDA identifies false or misleading labeling or unsanitary conditions or otherwise a failure to comply with FDA requirements, we may be required by a regulatory authority or we may independently decide to conduct a recall or market withdrawal of our product or to make changes to our manufacturing processes or product formulations or labels.
Our tampon, feminine and sexual health products are regulated as medical devices by the FDA and must be manufactured by an establishment registered with the FDA and in conformity with applicable regulatory clearances and quality system regulations.
The FDA may change the regulations as to any product category, requiring a change in labeling, product formulation or analytical testing.
We are subject to regulation by the CPSC under the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, and other laws enforced by the CPSC. These statutes and the related regulations establish safety standards and bans for consumer products. The CPSC monitors compliance of consumer products under its jurisdiction through market surveillance and has the authority to conduct product safety related inspections of establishments where consumer products are manufactured, held, or transported. The CPSC has the authority to require the recall of noncompliant products or products containing a defect that creates a substantial risk of injury to the public. The CPSC may seek penalties for regulatory noncompliance under certain circumstances. CPSC regulations also require manufacturers of consumer products to report to the CPSC certain types of information regarding products that fail to comply with applicable regulations, that contain a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, or that create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. Certain state laws also address the safety of consumer products and mandate reporting requirements, and noncompliance may result in penalties or other regulatory action.
Certain of our products are also subject to regulation by the EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (“
FIFRA
”). FIFRA establishes a system of pesticide, including disinfectant products, regulation to protect applicators, consumers and the environment. Under FIFRA, certain of our cleaning products, including the disinfectant products, may require approval from and registration with the EPA prior to sale. Products subject to FIFRA must comply with specified approval, registration, manufacture, labeling, and reporting requirements, among other requirements. The EPA is authorized to take enforcement action to prevent the sale or distribution of
no-compliant
disinfectant products, including to prevent the sale or distribution of unregistered disinfectants and to prevent the sale or distribution of registered pesticides that are not permitted to make claims permitted by the terms of their registration, among other areas of
non-compliance.
The EPA may seek penalties for regulatory noncompliance under certain circumstances. Manufacturers subject to FIFRA may also be required to report certain types of information regarding disinfectant products to the EPA. Certain state
 
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laws may also address requirements applicable to cleaning products, and
non-compliance
may result in penalties or other regulatory action.
The USDA enforces federal standards for organic production and use of the term “organic” on certain product labeling. These laws prohibit a company from selling or labeling products as organic unless they are produced and handled in accordance with the applicable federal law.
The FTC, FDA, USDA, EPA, and other government authorities also regulate advertising and product claims regarding the characteristics, quality, safety, performance and benefits of our products. These regulatory authorities typically require a safety assessment of the product and reasonable basis to support any factual marketing claims. What constitutes a reasonable basis for substantiation can vary widely from market to market, and there is no assurance that our efforts to support our claims will be considered sufficient. The most significant area of risk for such activities relates to improper or unsubstantiated claims about the composition, use, efficacy and safety of our products and their environmental impacts. If we cannot adequately support safety or substantiate our product claims, or if our promotional materials make claims that exceed the scope of allowed claims for the classification of the specific product, the FDA, FTC or other regulatory authority could take enforcement action, impose penalties, require us to pay monetary consumer redress, require us to revise our marketing materials or stop selling certain products and require us to accept burdensome injunctions, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the FTC regulates the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising as well as relationships between advertisers and social media influencers pursuant to principles described in the FTC’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (the “
Endorsement Guides
”). The Endorsement Guides provide that an endorsement must reflect the honest opinion of the endorser and cannot be used to make a claim about a product that the product’s marketer could not itself legally make. They also say that if there is a connection between an endorser and the marketer that consumers would not expect and it would affect how consumers evaluate the endorsement, that connection should be disclosed. Another principle in the Endorsement Guides applies to ads that feature endorsements from people who achieved exceptional, or even above average, results from using a product. If the advertiser does not have proof that the endorser’s experience represents what people will generally achieve using the product as described in the ad, then an ad featuring that endorser must make clear to the audience what results they can generally expect to achieve, and the advertiser must have a reasonable basis for its representations regarding those generally expected results. Although the Endorsement Guides are advisory in nature and do not operate directly with the force of law, they provide guidance about what the FTC staff generally believes the Federal Trade Commission Act (the “
FTC Act
”) requires in the context using of endorsements and testimonials in advertising and any practices inconsistent with the Endorsement Guides can result in violations of the FTC Act’s proscription against unfair and deceptive practices.
To the extent we may rely on endorsements or testimonials, we will review any relevant relationships for compliance with the Endorsement Guides and we will otherwise endeavor to follow the FTC Act and other legal standards applicable to our advertising. However, if our advertising claims or claims made by our social media influencers or by other endorsers with whom we have a material connection do not comply with the Endorsement Guides or any requirement of the FTC Act or similar state requirements, the FTC and state consumer protection authorities could subject us to investigations and enforcement actions, impose penalties, require us to pay monetary consumer redress, require us to revise our marketing materials and require us to accept burdensome injunctions, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations.
We are also subject to a number of U.S. federal and state laws and regulations that affect companies conducting business on the Internet, including consumer protection regulations that regulate retailers and govern the promotion and sale of merchandise. Many of these laws and regulations are still evolving and being tested in courts, and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. These may involve user privacy, data protection, content, intellectual property, distribution, electronic contracts and other communications,
 
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competition, protection of minors, consumer protection, telecommunications, product liability, taxation, economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions and online payment services. In particular, we are subject to federal, state, and local laws regarding privacy and protection of people’s data. Foreign data protection, privacy and other laws and regulations can be more restrictive than those in the U.S. Federal and state laws in the U.S. and foreign laws and regulations are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. In addition, the application, interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. The
CCPA
requires companies that process information on California residents to make new disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices, allows consumers to opt out of the sale of personal information with third parties and prohibits covered businesses from discriminating against California residents (for example, charging more for services) for exercising any of their rights under the CCPA. The law also provides a private right of action and statutory damages for certain data breaches that result in the loss of personal information. In addition, California voters recently approved the
CPRA
, that goes into effect on January 1, 2023. The CPRA will significantly modify the CCPA, and will impose additional data protection obligations on companies doing business in California, potentially resulting in further complexity. The law will, among other things, give California residents the ability to limit the use of their sensitive information, provide for penalties for CPRA violations concerning California residents under the age of 16, and establish a new California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the law. There are also a number of legislative proposals pending before the U.S. Congress, various state legislative bodies and foreign governments concerning privacy and data protection which could affect us. Some observers have noted that the CCPA could mark the beginning of a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States, which could increase our potential liability and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If our privacy or data security measures fail to comply with applicable current or future laws and regulations, we may be subject to litigation, regulatory investigations, enforcement notices requiring us to change the way we use personal data or our marketing practices, fines or other liabilities, as well as negative publicity and a potential loss of business.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we are subject to various claims, charges and litigation matters that arise in the ordinary course of business. We believe these actions are a normal incident of the nature and kind of business in which we are engaged. While it is not feasible to predict the outcome of these matters with certainty, we do not believe that any asserted or unasserted legal claims or proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
 
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GROVE’S MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the section titled “Selected Historical Financial Information for Grove,” our audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 and the related notes, and our unaudited interim condensed financial statements as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2021 and the related notes included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from management’s expectations as a result of various factors, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements”. Throughout this section, unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Grove”, “we,” “us” and “our” in this section are to the business and operations of Grove prior to the Business Combination.
OVERVIEW
Grove is a digital-first, sustainability-oriented consumer products innovator. We use our connection with consumers to create and curate authentic, disruptive brands and products. Grove builds natural products that perform as well as or better than many leading CPG brands (both conventional and natural), while being healthier for consumers and the planet.
Grove’s omnichannel distribution strategy enables us to reach consumers where they want to shop. We operate an online direct-to-consumer website and mobile application (“
DTC platform
”) where we both sell our Grove-owned brands (“
Grove Brands
”) and partner with other leading natural and mission-based CPG brands, providing consumers the best selection of curated products across many categories and brands. In the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2021, we generated approximately 56% of our gross merchandise volume from Grove Brands, and 60% from home care products. As we grow our product assortment and distribution in beauty and personal care, we expect the contribution of sales from these categories to increase.
Over the last five years, our Grove Co. brand has emerged as a market leader in several important categories including sustainable home care and direct-to-consumer natural home care. Grove Co. has also quickly established itself as a leader in the hand, dish, and cleaning categories at Target.
Grove is a public benefit corporation and a Certified B Corporation, meaning we adhere to third party standards for prioritizing social, environmental, and community wellbeing. We have a history of doing well by doing good, which is supported by our flywheel: as we have grown, our product development capabilities and data have improved. That improved innovation grows both topline and expands margins as our innovation tends to be both market expanding and margin accretive.
 
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Company History
Grove started in 2012 under the name ePantry as an online retailer for third-party natural household, beauty and personal care brands. We leveraged our ecommerce platform to learn about the industry, gain significant insight into consumer preferences and determine how we might drive change. Early on, it became clear that the current carbon, plastic, and ingredient footprint of our industry is unsustainable, and that there will be massive share shift to products that perform while supporting human and environmental health.
We believe our key long-term strategic advantage comes from a combination of our authentic mission and our direct relationships with customers. We gained differentiated insights on consumer preferences and provided a platform for them to tell us what they value in each product category we carried. We paired this insight with best-in-class product innovation capabilities, and in 2016 we launched Grove Co., our flagship home care brand. We have since brought more than 400 Grove Brand products to customers across our portfolio of brands, and Grove Co. has grown into the largest brand by revenue on our DTC platform.
After building a robust portfolio of highly efficacious, good-for-the-world products, we have recently pushed into an omnichannel model in order to reach consumers where and how they shop. We continue to operate our DTC platform where we maintain direct relationships with over 1.5 million consumers annually who enjoy our best-in-class assortment of natural home and personal care products. In addition, we launched a
 
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nationwide partnership with Target in April 2021, and we continue to actively pursue opportunities to develop our brick-and-mortar retail distribution platform and expand our sales to third-party ecommerce channels.
Company Performance
Our mission driven approach, deep consumer-centric sustainable portfolio and omnichannel strategy have driven strong financial performance.
The company’s fiscal year-end is December 31. In 2019 and the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2021:
 
   
Gross margin increased by 1,400 basis points from 36% in 2019 to 50% in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021;
 
   
Gross profit increased from $83 million in 2019 to $196 million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021; and
 
   
We significantly improved Adjusted EBITDA from ($145) million in 2019 to ($92) million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, marking a $53 million improvement.
Adjusted EBITDA is a measure that is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. For further information about how we calculate adjusted EBITDA, limitations of its use and a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP, see—Non-GAAP Financial Measure—Adjusted EBITDA.”
Key Factors Affecting Our Operating Performance
We believe that the growth of our business and our future success are dependent on many factors. While each of these factors presents significant opportunities for us, they also pose important challenges that we must successfully address to enable us to sustain the growth of our business and improve our operations while staying true to our mission, including those discussed below and in the section of this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement titled “Risk Factors.”
Ability To Grow our Brand Awareness
Our brand is integral to the growth of our business and is essential to our ability to engage with our community. Our performance will depend on our ability to attract new customers and encourage consumer spending across our product portfolio. Despite rapid growth in our brand awareness, we believe Grove still only has aided brand awareness of approximately 34% among shoppers who have or intend to purchase natural products, which is lower than many Home and Personal Care peers. We believe the core elements of continuing to grow our awareness, and thus increase our penetration, are highlighting our products’ qualities of being natural, sustainable and effective, the efficacy of our marketing efforts and the success of our continued retail rollout. Beyond preserving the integrity of our brand, our performance will depend on our ability to augment our reach and increase the number of consumers aware of Grove and our product portfolio.
Ability to Continue to Innovate in Products and Packaging
Our continued product innovation is integral to our future growth. We have successfully developed and launched over 400 individual products in recent years. The research, development, testing and improvement has been led by the Grove R&D team, which includes experienced chemists and formulators, who work closely with our Sustainability team. These new and innovative products, as well as our focus on environmentally responsible packaging, have been key drivers to our revenue growth to date. An important element of our product development strategy is our ability to engage directly with customers through our DTC platform to assess
 
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demand and market preferences. To the extent our customers increasingly access our products through retail channels, we will need to innovate our modalities of customer engagement to maintain this important feedback loop. Our continued success in research and development and ability to assess customer needs and develop sustainable and effective products will be central to attracting and retaining consumers in the future and to growing our market penetration and our impact on human and environmental health.
Ability to Expand our Retail Distribution
We have a significant opportunity to expand our distribution in retail channels, both broadening our partner reach and introducing our products across more doors, as well as deepening our retail distribution in terms of the number of individual products. Our success and speed of doing so will impact our financial performance. We will pursue partnerships with a wide variety of retailers, including
big-box
retailers, online retailers, grocery stores, drugstores and specialty retailers. Our ability to execute this strategy will depend on a number of factors, such as retailers’ satisfaction with the sales and profitability of our products. In the near-term, retail expansion will require partnerships with retailers on launches and we may choose to invest in promotions to drive sales and awareness over time. To the extent we are successful in retail expansion over the next several years, we expect to see potential negative effects on gross margins resulting from the retail cost structure to be approximately offset by savings in fulfillment costs driven by bulk shipping to retailers versus individualized fulfillment to consumers, through our fulfillment centers.
Cost-Efficient Acquisition of New Customers and Retention of Existing Customers on our DTC Platform
Our ability to attract new customers is a key factor for our future growth. To date we have successfully acquired new customers through many online and offline marketing channels. As a result, revenue has increased each year since our launch. In recent periods, changes in the algorithms used for targeting and purchasing online advertising, supply demand dynamics in the market, and other factors have caused the cost of marketing on these channels to increase consistently. Failure to effectively adapt to changes in online marketing dynamics or otherwise to attract customers on a cost-efficient basis would adversely impact our profitability and operating results. We have several initiatives underway that we believe may lower marketing and customer acquisition cost, but these may not be successful and our inability to drive success in new marketing initiatives would adversely impact our profitability and operating results.
To date, we have been successful in attracting customers who have, on a cohort basis, continued to
re-order
products and stayed active, thus generating a continuing revenue stream over time. The retention of these customer cohorts has been combined with increasing profitability of customer cohorts over time, driven by the trends in customer behavior that increased Net Revenue per DTC Order as well as the Grove Brands % Net DTC
 
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Revenue in their orders. These trends have led to an increasing profitability of cohorts over time, as shown by the following chart:
 
 
In 2020, new customer acquisition, customer acquisition cost, average order value, promotion rates, and growth in order volume by cohort were favorably impacted to a substantial degree by the onset of the
COVID-19
pandemic. This was driven both by the increasing use of online retail platforms by customers sheltering in place and by substantially higher demand for many of our product categories, especially personal care and household paper and cleaning products, experienced substantially higher demand. Our results through September 30, 2021 indicate that we have so far been able to continue to grow our business since the
COVID-19
pandemic, though 2021 growth is significantly lower than the growth we saw during the early phases of the
COVID-19
pandemic. Post-pandemic consumer behavior patterns are a risk to our business and will impact our financial performance.
The future activity level and profitability of our DTC customer base will depend on our ability to continue to offer a compelling value proposition to consumers including strong selection, pricing, customer service, smooth and compelling web and mobile app experience, fast and reliable fulfillment, and curation within natural and sustainable products. Our success is also dependent on our ability to maintain relevance with our consumers on a regular basis through high performing products and a consumer-friendly refill and fulfillment process, and most importantly to provide consumers with products that consistently outperform their expectations. Our ability to execute on these key value-driving areas for consumers, and to remain competitive and compelling in a post-pandemic landscape, are necessary for our future growth. Failure to achieve these things would materially impact our operating results and financial performance.
Ability to Drive Operating Efficiency and Leverage as We Scale
We believe we are in the early stages of realizing a substantial opportunity to transform the consumer products industry into a force for human and environmental good by relentlessly creating and curating planet-first, high-performance brands and products. We have made substantial operating and capital expenditures to build our operations for this opportunity and believe that realization will require sustained and increasing levels of investment for the foreseeable future. Funding these capital requirements is the principal purpose for the
 
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financing we expect to achieve from this transaction. To achieve profitability over the longer term, we will need to leverage economies of scale in sourcing our products, generating brand awareness, acquiring customers, creating operating leverage over headcount and other overhead, and fulfilling orders. Our retail strategy is designed, in part, to help accelerate achievement of this scale, as we leverage the retail presence of our partners and minimize the fulfillment costs associated with our DTC platform and create new revenue streams for our product development efforts. However, we believe that maintaining our DTC presence will remain a key driver of our product innovation and customer satisfaction strategies and serves the need of an important and growing group of consumers that wants to shop online. If we are unable to achieve sufficient operating leverage in our business, we may need to curtail our expenditures, which would in turn compromise our prospects for growth and or negatively impact our ability to operate profitably.
Impact of
COVID-19
The global
COVID-19
pandemic has impacted and will continue to impact our operating results, financial condition and cash flows.
We have implemented a number of measures to protect the health and safety of our workforce. These measures include substantial modifications to employee travel, employee work locations, and virtualization or cancellation of
in-person
meetings, among other modifications. In our fulfillment centers, as well as for the staff employees who work in our offices, we are following the guidance from public health officials and applicable government agencies, including implementation of enhanced cleaning measures, social distancing guidelines and the wearing of masks.
During the height of the
COVID-19
outbreak in Q2 and Q3 2020, we perceived a marked increase in the attention and demand for our products, especially personal care and household paper and cleaning products. At the same time, the pandemic caused significant uncertainty in the overall business environment, including risks to business continuity in our fulfillment centers, as well as in inbound freight and inventory supply disruptions. We navigated this situation by significantly reducing our expenses for paid customer acquisition, while investing in the health and safety of our employees.
The inventory supply challenges adversely affected revenue due to an above-average
out-of-stock
rate. We responded to this and the ongoing challenges in global logistics by temporarily building up an increased level of inventory that can absorb more unpredictability within our inbound freight procurement processes. We continue to work with our existing manufacturing, logistics and other supply chain partners to ensure our ability to service our customers. We recognize that the
COVID-19
pandemic may impact the global supply chain in ways that negatively impact our ability to source our products and the cost at which we are able to source products. While we have a number of efforts in place to ensure we maintain strong service levels for our consumers, if we are unable to navigate cost inflation and supply chain disruptions it will have a material impact on our operating results and financial performance.
Overall, we believe that the
COVID-19
pandemic has led to an increase in revenue and profitability leading to better operating results in 2020. The positive drivers were the increase in organic new customer acquisition, in general a more favorable customer marketing environment with lower advertising cost, a reduced need for promotion, and a higher activity level of our existing customer base. These factors drove up both revenue and profitability and more than offset the operational and inventory challenges which the company successfully navigated. As COVID restrictions are lifted and to the extent the pandemic subsides, we do not expect that the rate of growth experienced in 2020 will continue.
Even after the
COVID-19
pandemic subsides, we may experience materially adverse impacts to our business as a result of its economic impact. For additional discussion of
COVID-19-related
risks, see “Risk Factors”.
 
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Key Operating and Financial Metrics
In addition to our financial statements, included elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, we assess the performance of our overall business based on the following metrics and measures, including identifying trends, formulating financial projections, making strategic decisions, assessing operational efficiencies and monitoring our business.
Over the coming years, we expect to grow our omnichannel presence both in core assortment and adjacent categories as well as consumers and channels, which we believe will lead to meaningful growth of our Grove Brands distribution revenue but most importantly mission driven leadership and positive impact on the environment.
We believe that the future of CPG brand building and consumer demand is omnichannel. Our DTC platform remains a core part of our strategy and customer value proposition in addition to providing key data and customer feedback driving our innovation process. We kicked off our expansion into brick and mortar retail in April 2021, with the launch of a curated assortment of Grove Co. products at Target. Our products are currently sold across the United States in over 1,900 retail doors. As we aim to continue our leadership in both omnichannel and sustainability, we will aggressively expand our presence into physical retail over the next few years to reach more and more consumers no matter where they shop.
Our current operating metrics reflect our core strategic focus on growing our Grove Brands omnichannel presence and revenue, as well as our key DTC platform metrics.
 
(in
thousands
, except DTC Net Revenue Per Order and percentages)
  
Years Ended December 31,
   
Nine Months
Ended September 30,
 
  
2018
   
2019
   
2020
   
2020
   
2021
 
Financial and Operating Data
          
Grove Brands % Net Revenue
     28     37     45     44     49
DTC Total Orders
     2,833       5,618       6,860       5,226       5,152  
DTC Active Customers
     959       1,696       1,732       1,807       1,707  
DTC Net Revenue Per Order
   $ 37     $ 41     $ 53     $ 52     $ 56  
Grove Brands % Net Revenue
We define Grove Brands % Net Revenue as total net revenue across all channels attributable to Grove Brands, including: Grove Co, Honu, Peach, Rooted Beauty, Seedling, Superbloom and Sustain divided by our total net revenue. On our DTC Platform our total net revenue includes revenue from both Grove Brands and third-party brands that we carry, whereas for our retail sales total net revenues is comprised exclusively of revenue from Grove Brand products. We view Grove Brands % Net Revenue as a key indicator of the success of our product innovation and growth strategy, and customers’ acceptance of our products.
DTC Total Orders
We determine our number of DTC Total Orders by counting the number of customer orders submitted through our website and mobile applications that have been shipped within the period. The metric includes orders that have been refunded, excludes reshipments of customer orders for any reason including damaged and missing products, and excludes retail orders. Changes in Total Orders in a reporting period capture both the inflow of new customers, as well as changes in order frequency of existing customers. We view the number of Total DTC Orders as a key indicator of the growth and vitality of our DTC platform and expect to continue to drive growth through new customer acquisition and by increasing existing customer engagement. We believe the modest decline in this metric in the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as reflective of demand moderation resulting from the relaxation of the COVID-driven dynamics that greatly accelerated growth in the 2020 period, and from what we believe was material consumer
stock-up
during 2020 that dampened demand for our category from both Grove customers and in the market as a whole in 2021.
 
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DTC Active Customers
As of the last day of each reporting period, we determine our number of DTC Active Customers by counting the number of individual customers who submitted orders through our DTC platform, and for whom an order has shipped, at least once during the preceding
364-day
period. The change in active customers in a reporting period captures both the inflow of new customers as well as the outflow of customers who have not made a purchase in the last 364 days. We view the number of active customers as one of the key indicators of our growth of our DTC channel. We believe the modest decline in this metric in the nine months ended September 30, 2021 is reflective of demand moderation resulting from the relaxation of the COVID-driven dynamics that greatly accelerated growth in the 2020 period, and from what we believe was material consumer
stock-up
during 2020 that dampened demand for our category from both Grove customers and in the market as a whole in 2021.
DTC Net Revenue Per Order
We define DTC Net Revenue Per Order as our DTC Total Net Revenue in a given reporting period, divided by the DTC Total Orders in that period. We view DTC Net Revenue per Order as a key indicator of the profitability of our DTC business.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin
We prepare and present our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“
GAAP
”). In addition, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA, when taken together with our financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, provides meaningful supplemental information regarding our operating performance and facilitates internal comparisons of our historical operating performance on a more consistent basis by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our business, results of operations or outlook. For these reasons, management uses Adjusted EBITDA in evaluating our operating performance and resource allocation and forecasting. As such, we believe Adjusted EBITDA provides investors with additional useful information in evaluating our performance.
We calculate adjusted EBITDA as net loss, adjusted to exclude: (1) stock-based compensation expense; (2) depreciation and amortization; (3) remeasurement of convertible preferred stock warrant liability; (4) interest expense; (5) loss on extinguishment of debt, and (6) provision for income taxes. We define Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue. Because Adjusted EBITDA excludes these elements that are otherwise included in our GAAP financial results, this measure has limitations when compared to net loss determined in accordance with GAAP. Further, Adjusted EBITDA is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. For these reasons, investors should not consider Adjusted EBITDA in isolation from, or as a substitute for, net loss determined in accordance with GAAP.
The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP, to adjusted EBITDA, for each of the periods presented.
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  
2018
   
2019
   
2020
   
2020
   
2021
 
Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA
        
(in thousands)
 
Net loss
   $ (81,695   $ (161,470   $ (72,260   $ (58,943   $ (103,909
Stock-based compensation
     1,593       11,960       7,762       5,474       10,858  
Depreciation and amortization
     571       2,361       4,115       3,028       3,633  
Remeasurement of convertible preferred stock warrant liability
     651       430       964       453       1,526  
Interest expense
     619       2,052       5,607       4,568       3,272  
Loss on extinguishment of debt
     —         —         —         —         1,027  
Provision for income taxes
     1       12       41       31       39  
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total Adjusted EBITDA
   $ (78,260   $ (144,655   $ (53,771   $ (45,389   $ (83,554
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Adjusted EBITDA margin
     (75 )%      (62 )%      (15 )%      (17 )%      (28 )% 
 
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Components of Results of Operations
Revenue, Net
We generate revenue primarily from the sale of both third-party and our Grove Brands products through our DTC platform. Customers purchase products through the website or mobile application through a combination of directly selecting items from the catalog, items that are suggested by our recurring shipment recommendation engine, and featured products that appear in marketing
on-site,
in emails and on our mobile app. Most customers purchase a combination of products recommended by us based on previous purchases and new products discovered through marketing or catalog browsing. Customers can have orders auto-shipped to them on a specified date or shipped immediately through an option available on the website and mobile application. In the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, approximately 84% of our net revenue came from customers who had the flexible monthly shipments feature turned on. We also generate revenue from the sale of our Grove Brands products to the retail channel.
We recognize revenue from the sale of our products through our DTC platform net of discounts, sales tax, customer service credits and estimated refunds. Sales tax collected from customers is not considered revenue and is included in accrued liabilities until remitted to the taxing authorities.
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold consists of the product costs of merchandise, inbound freight costs, vendor allowances, costs associated with inventory shrinkage and damages and inventory write-offs and related reserves.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit represents revenue less cost of goods sold. Gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenue. We generally record higher gross margins associated with sales of Grove Brands products compared to sales of third-party products. To help induce first-time customers to purchase on our DTC platform, we generally offer higher discounts and free product offerings, and as a result our overall margins can be adversely affected in periods of rapid new customer acquisition. Our gross margin also fluctuates from period to period based on promotional activity, product and channel mix, the timing of promotions and launches, and
in-bound
transportation rates, among other factors. Our gross profit and gross margin may not be comparable with that of other retailers because we include certain fulfillment related costs in selling, general, and administrative expenses while other retailers may include these expenses in cost of merchandise sold.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses consist of advertising, product development, and selling, general and administrative expenses.
Advertising
Advertising expenses are expensed as incurred and consist primarily of our customer acquisition costs associated with online advertising, as well as advertising on television, direct mail campaigns and other media. Costs associated with the production of advertising are expensed when the first advertisement is shown. We expect advertising costs to increase in the future as we seek to increase brand awareness and acquire new customers to drive continued sales growth.
Product Development
Product development expenses relate to the product and packaging innovation in our Grove Brands product lines and costs related to the ongoing support and maintenance of the Company’s proprietary technology, including the Company’s DTC platform, as well as amortization of capitalized internally developed software.
 
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Product development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, including salaries, bonuses, benefits and stock-based compensation expense. Product development costs also include allocated facilities, equipment, depreciation and overhead costs. We expect product development costs to increase in the future as we invest in the expansion of our product line, innovative packaging and product improvements.
Selling, General and Administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and benefit costs for personnel involved in general corporate functions, including stock-based compensation expense, and certain fulfillment costs, as further outlined below. Selling, general and administrative expenses also include the allocated facilities, equipment, depreciation and overhead costs, marketing costs including qualified cost of credits issued through our referral program, costs associated with our customer service operation and costs of environmental offsets. We expect selling, general and administrative expense to increase in the future as we scale our fulfillment costs, grow our selling and administrative infrastructure and incur costs associated with operating as a public company.
Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment centers, including costs attributable to receiving, inspecting and warehousing inventories, picking, packing and preparing customer orders for shipment (“
Fulfillment Labor
”), shipping and handling expenses, packing materials costs and payment processing and related transaction costs. These costs are included within selling, general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations. We expect fulfillment costs to increase in the future on an absolute basis and on a per order basis primarily from rate increases from our carriers.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our leasing and debt financing arrangements.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net consists primarily of losses on remeasurement of our convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities and investment income earned on our cash and cash equivalents balances. In 2019, other income (expense) included a $2.7 million gain related to the acquisition of Sustain LLC.
Provision for Income Taxes
We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. We recognize the benefits of
tax-return
positions in the financial statements when they are more likely than not to be sustained by the taxing authority, based on the technical merits at the reporting date. We consider many factors when evaluating and estimating our tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments, and which may not accurately forecast actual outcomes. We recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, if any, as income tax expense.
 
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our results of operations for each period presented:
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  
2019
    
2020
    
2020
    
2021
 
    
(in thousands)
 
Revenue, net
   $ 233,116      $ 364,271      $ 271,233      $ 296,421  
Cost of goods sold
     149,681        188,267        141,683        147,179  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Gross profit
     83,435        176,004        129,550        149,242  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Operating expenses:
           
Advertising
     77,842        55,547        43,816        90,611  
Product development
     13,604        18,655        13,855        16,436  
Selling, general and administrative
     155,158        168,295        126,427        140,609  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Operating loss
     (163,169      (66,493      (54,548      (98,414
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Interest expense
     2,052        5,607        4,568        3,272  
Loss on extinguishment of debt
     —          —          —          1,027  
Other expense (income), net
     (3,763      119        (204      1,157  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Interest and other expense (income), net
     (1,711      5,726        4,364        5,456  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Loss before provision for income taxes
     (161,458      (72,219      (58,912      (103,870
Provision for income taxes
     12        41        31        39  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net loss
   $ (161,470    $ (72,260    $ (58,943    $ (103,909
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
The following table sets forth our statements of operations data expressed as a percentage of revenue:
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  
2019
   
2020
   
2020
   
2021
 
    
(as a percentage of revenue)
 
Revenue, net
     100     100     100     100
Cost of goods sold
     64       52       52       50  
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Gross profit
     36       48       48       50  
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Operating expenses:
        
Advertising
     33       15       16       31  
Product development
     6       5       5       6  
Selling, general and administrative
     67       46       47       47  
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Operating loss
     (70     (18     (20     (34
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Interest expense
     1       2       2       1  
Loss on extinguishment of debt
     —         —         —         —    
Other expense (income), net
     (2     —         —         —    
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Interest and other expense (income), net
     (1     2       2       1  
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Loss before provision for income taxes
     (69     (20     (22     (35
Provision for income taxes
     —         —         —         —    
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net loss
     (69 )%      (20 )%      (22 )%      (35 )% 
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
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Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021
Revenue, Net
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
 
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Revenue, net:
           
Grove Brands
   $ 120,139      $ 145,516      $ 25,377        21
Third-party products
     151,094        150,905        (189      —  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
Total revenue, net
   $ 271,233      $ 296,421      $ 25,188        9
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
Revenue increased by $25.2 million, or 9%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily driven by an increase in DTC Net Revenue Per Order offset by a decrease in DTC Total Orders caused by a reduction in DTC Active Customers as of September 30, 2021 as compared to September 30, 2020. The decrease in DTC Active Customers was primarily driven by a decrease in new customer acquisition in the nine months ended September 30, 2021. Grove Brands revenue increased by $25.4 million, or 21% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily driven by continued catalog expansion in Grove Brands SKUs.
Cost of Goods Sold and Gross Profit
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
   
Change
 
  
2020
   
2021
   
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Cost of goods sold
   $ 141,683     $ 147,179     $ 5,496        4
Gross profit
     129,550       149,242       19,692        15
Gross margin
     48     50        2
Cost of goods sold increased by $5.5 million, or 4%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to increased product costs associated with the increased sales of our products. Gross margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 increased by 158 basis points compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020 primarily due to improved mix of Grove Brands products as well as a decrease in number of first orders as a percentage of total orders.
Operating Expenses
Advertising Expenses
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
 
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Advertising
   $ 43,816      $ 90,611      $ 46,795        107
Adverting expenses increased by $46.8 million, or 107% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to lower investment in advertising in 2020 as we were able to leverage the higher organic growth resulting from the
COVID-19
pandemic, and, in general a more favorable customer marketing environment with lower advertising cost. Online and television advertising expenses increased by $23.2 million and $15.2 million, respectively, for the nine months ended
September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
 
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Product Development Expenses
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
 
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Product development
   $ 13,855      $ 16,436      $ 2,581        19
Product development expenses increased by $2.6 million, or 19% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to a $1.6 million increase in salaries and other personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, driven by increased headcount, and $0.4 million increase in professional and consulting fees as a result of as a result of ongoing maintenance and support of our proprietary technology and our continued investment in the development of products in our Grove Brands product lines. In addition, there was a $0.6 million increase in amortization of internally developed software.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
 
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Selling, general and administrative
   $ 126,427      $ 140,609      $ 14,182        11
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $14.2 million, or 11% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Professional and consulting fees increased by $6.2 million as a result of the overall growth of the business and our efforts in preparing to become a public company. Stock-based compensation related to stock options granted to employees increased by $4.9 million due an increase in options granted, as we invested in our talent. Facilities expenses and other general and administrative expenses, excluding stock-based compensation, increased by $4.5 million, primarily due to increased headcount and investment in marketing. Fulfillment costs decreased by $1.4 million, including a $1.1 million decrease in shipping and handling expenses and $0.5 million decrease in Fulfillment Labor, driven by a decrease in the volume of orders.
Interest Expense
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
 
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Interest expense
   $ 4,568      $ 3,272      $ (1,296      (28 )% 
Interest expense decreased by $1.3 million, or 28% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to the pay down of a loan facility in April 2021. See the section titled “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Loan Facilities” below for further details.
Loss on extinguishment of debt
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
    
(in thousands)
      
Loss on extinguishment of debt
   $ —        $ 1,027      $ 1,027      *
 
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*
Percentage change not meaningful.
Loss on extinguishment of debt resulted from refinancing of certain of our loan facilities during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. See the section titled “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Loan Facilities” below for further details.
Other expense (income), net
 
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
    
Change
  
2020
    
2021
    
Amount
    
%
    
(in thousands)
      
Other expense (income), net
   $ (204    $ 1,157      $ 1,361      *
 
*
Percentage change not meaningful.
Other expense (income), net changed by $1.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to a loss on remeasurement of our convertible preferred stock warrant liability driven by an increase in the fair value of the underlying securities.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020
Revenue, net
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Change
 
  
2019
    
2020
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Revenue, net:
           
Grove Brands
   $ 86,717      $ 164,372      $ 77,655        90
Third-party products
     146,399        199,899        53,500        37
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
Total revenue, net
   $ 233,116      $ 364,271      $ 131,155        56
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
Revenue increased by $131.2 million, or 56%, for 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily driven by increases in DTC Net Revenue Per Order and Active Customers in 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily driven by higher activity levels from our existing customer base as a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic. Grove Brands revenue increased by $77.7 million, or 90% for 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily driven by continued expansion in Grove Brands SKUs, and continued adoption and repeat ordering of Grove Brands products by our customers.
Cost of Goods Sold and Gross Profit
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
   
Change
 
  
2019
   
2020
   
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Cost of goods sold
   $ 149,681     $ 188,267     $ 38,586        26
Gross profit
     83,435       176,004       92,569        111
Gross margin
     36     48        12
Cost of goods sold increased by 38.6 million, or 26%, for 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily due to increased product costs associated with the increased sales of our products. Gross margin for 2020 increased by 1,253 basis points compared 2019 primarily due improved mix of Grove Brands products as well as a decrease in number of lower-margin first orders as a percentage of total orders.
 
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Operating Expenses
Advertising Expenses
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Change
 
  
    2019    
    
    2020    
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Advertising
   $ 77,842      $ 55,547      $ (22,295      (29 )% 
Advertising expenses decreased by $22.3 million, or 29% for 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily due to a decrease in investment in advertising in 2020 resulting from the
COVID-19
pandemic as we significantly reduced our expenses for paid customer acquisition, while able to leverage higher organic growth. Online advertising and direct mail campaign expenses decreased by $17.9 million and $2.8 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Product Development Expenses
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Change
 
  
    2019    
    
    2020    
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Product development
   $ 13,604      $ 18,655      $ 5,051        37
Product development expenses increased by $5.1 million, or 37% for 2020 as compared to 2019. As we hired more employees for the ongoing maintenance and support of our proprietary technology and our continued investment in the development of products in our Grove Brands product lines, salaries and other personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation increased by $5.3 million. The increased hiring resulted in less reliance on professional fees, which decreased by $1.6 million. In addition, there was a $0.9 million increase in amortization of capitalized internally developed software.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Change
 
  
2019
    
2020
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Selling, general and administrative
   $ 155,158      $ 168,295      $ 13,137        8
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $13.1 million, or 8% for 2020 as compared to 2019. Facilities expenses and other general and administrative expenses, excluding stock-based compensation, increased by $12.4 million primarily due to increased headcount and IT expenses incurred to support the growth of the business, and increase in environmental offsets. Fulfillment costs increased by $5.4 million, including an $8.6 million increase in shipping and handling expenses, driven by an increase in volume of customer orders, offset by $5.0 million decrease in fulfillment labor as a result of efficiencies gained as operations scaled with the growth of the business. Stock-based compensation decreased by $4.7 million. In 2019, we recorded $7.3 million in stock-based compensation related to secondary sales of shares held by employees and
non-employees.
Stock-based compensation related to stock options granted to employees increased by $2.6 million due to an increase in options granted, as we invest in our talent, and option value driven by increase in common stock fair value.
Interest Expense
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Change
 
  
    2019    
    
    2020    
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Interest expense
   $ 2,052      $ 5,607      $ 3,555        173
 
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Interest expense increased by $3.6 million, or 173% for 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily due to a higher balance of outstanding debt in 2020.
Other Expense (Income), Net
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Change
 
  
    2019    
    
    2020    
    
Amount
    
%
 
    
(in thousands)
        
Other expense (income), net
   $ (3,763    $ 119      $ 3,882        (103 )% 
Other expense (income), net changed by $3.9 million for 2020 as compared to 2019, primarily due to a $2.7 million gain recorded in 2019 related to the acquisition of Sustain LLC and a $1.1 million decrease in interest income due to a reduction in U.S. interest rates on interest earned from our cash equivalents.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since inception, we have incurred operating losses and negative cash flows from operations and have funded our operations primarily through cash flows from the proceeds from the sale of our capital stock and the incurrence of debt. As of September 30, 2021, we had $109.2 million of cash and cash equivalents. Based on our current operating plans, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalent balances will be sufficient to support our working capital requirements through at least the next 12 months from the date our unaudited interim condensed financial statements were issued. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our revenue growth rate, level of expenditures in advertising and marketing activities and all other areas of the company, impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic and other factors described in “Risk Factors”. We may, in the future, enter arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products and technologies. We may from time to time seek additional equity or debt financing. Any future equity financing may be dilutive to our existing investors, and any future debt financing may include debt service requirements and financial and other restrictive covenants that may constrain our operations and growth strategies. In the event that we require additional financing, we may not be able to raise such financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to expand our operations and invest in continued product innovation, we may not be able to compete successfully, which would harm our business, operations, and financial condition.
Contractual Obligations and Other Commitments
Our most significant contractual obligations relate to our loan facilities, purchase commitments on inventory and operating lease obligations on our fulfillment centers and corporate offices. As of September 30, 2021, we had $46.3 million of enforceable and legally binding inventory purchase commitments predominantly due within one year. For information on our contractual obligations for operating leases, please see “Leases” in Note 7 of the Notes to our audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement.
Loan Facilities
Silicon Valley Bank Loan Facilities
In December 2016, we entered into a loan and security agreement (the “
SVB Loan Facility
”) with Silicon Valley Bank (“
SVB
”). The terms of the SVB Loan Facility, as amended and restated, provided for: (i) a revolving line of credit not to exceed $25.0 million (“
Loan Revolver
”), (ii) growth capital advance (“
Term Loan
”) of $3.9 million and (iii) a letter of credit sublimit of $6.0 million. The Term Loan had a maturity date in December 2022 and bore interest at Prime Rate, payable monthly. The Loan Revolver borrowing capacity was limited to 60% of eligible inventory balances.
 
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In April 2021, we entered into an amendment to the SVB Loan Facility. The terms of the amendment provided for the Loan Revolver letter of credit sublimit to increase to $10.0 million and an increased borrowing capacity to 65% of eligible inventory balances. The Loan Revolver borrowing capacity is reduced by outstanding letters of credit and credit available to the Company from certain credit card facilities, which amounted to $10.0 million as of September 30, 2021. The Loan Revolver incurs a facility fee of 0.20% per annum assessed on the daily average undrawn portion of revolving line of credit. The amended Loan Revolver bears an interest rate equal to the greater of prime rate or 3.25% and matures on March 31, 2023. Interests on the Loan Revolver is payable monthly in arrears. In April 2021, all of our outstanding borrowings under the SVB Term Loan were refinanced directly through the SVB and Hercules Loan Facility (see below).
The SVB Loan Facility is collateralized by substantially all of our assets on a first priority basis and contains customary events of default and covenants that restrict our ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, other than permitted indebtedness, enter into mergers or acquisitions, sell or otherwise dispose of assets, pay dividends, or repurchase stock, subject to customary exceptions. The SVB Loan Facility contains a financial covenant which requires us to maintain minimum liquidity of $45.0 million. Minimum liquidity is defined as the sum of the aggregate amount of unrestricted and unencumbered cash deposited with SVB plus amounts available to be drawn under the loan revolver, as adjusted for any outstanding standby letters of credit issued by SVB.
As of September 30, 2021, we had $5.9 million outstanding under the Loan Revolver and have available borrowings of $6.0 million. We were in compliance with all covenants under the SVB Loan Facility.
Silicon Valley Bank and Hercules Loan Facility
In April 2021, we entered into a Mezzanine Loan and Security Agreement (“
SVB and Hercules Loan Facility
”) with SVB and Hercules Capital, Inc. (“
Hercules
”). The SVB and Hercules Loan Facility provides for a draw period, which runs from the effective date until March 31, 2022, for advances of up to $60.0 million. In April 2021, we drew $25.0 million, which was used to directly settle the amounts outstanding under the SVB Term Loan and the Triplepoint Loan Facility (see below). In September 2021, we drew an additional $25.0 million on Draw A of the SVB and Hercules Loan Facility. The SVB and Hercules Loan Facility bears interest at the greater of 8.75% or prime plus 5.5%, payable monthly. The principal repayment period commences on November 1, 2022 and continues for 30 monthly installments with an additional final payment equal to 6.75% of the aggregate term loan advances. SVB and Hercules have committed to fund 51.0% and 49.0%, respectively, of all draws made under the SVB and Hercules Loan Facility.
The SVB and Hercules Loan Facility is collateralized on a second priority basis, subordinate to the SVB Loan Facility, by substantially all of our assets and contains restrictive covenants that are substantially similar to the SVB Loan Facility. The SVB and Hercules Loan Facility does not include any financial covenants.
As of September 30, 2021, we owe an aggregate of $49.1 million under the SVB and Hercules Loan Facility and have available borrowings of $10.0 million under Draw A. We drew down this $10.0 million of available borrowings in December 2021. As of September 30, 2021, we were in compliance with all covenants under the SVB and Hercules Loan Facility.
Triplepoint Loan Facility
In April 2018, we entered into an agreement, as amended and restated from time to time, with Triplepoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. and its affiliates (collectively, “
Triplepoint
”) which provided for various term loans (the “
Triplepoint Loan Facility
”). We made two draws of $20.0 million each on the loan facility with Triplepoint in January 2020. The first draw was repaid in July 2020 and the second draw was repaid in April 2021 directly by proceeds from the SVB and Hercules Loan Facility, at which time the Triplepoint Loan Facility was terminated.
 
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Atel Loan Facility
In July 2018, we entered into an equipment financing arrangement (the “
Atel Loan Facility
”) with Atel Ventures, Inc. (“
Atel
”) to fund purchases of machinery and warehouse equipment that are held as collateral under the Atel Loan Facility. As of September 30, 2021, we had an aggregate of $2.2 million outstanding borrowing under the Atel Loan Facility through four separate loans that will be fully repaid in October 2021, November 2021, April 2023, and May 2023, respectively. As of September 30, 2021, we were in compliance with all of our covenants under the Atel Loan Facility.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented:
 
    
Year Ended December 31,
    
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  
2019
    
2020
    
2020
    
2021
 
    
(in thousands)
 
Net cash used in operating activities
   $ (124,805    $ (83,656    $ (54,004    $ (88,753
Net cash used in investing activities
     (12,307      (4,820      (3,370      (4,268
Net cash provided by financing activities
     107,447        228,170        102,148        25,715  
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
   $ (29,665    $ 139,694      $ 44,774      $ (67,306
  
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities of $54.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to net loss of $58.9 million, partially offset by
non-cash
adjustments of $10.6 million, and a cash outflow related to net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $5.7 million.
Non-cash
adjustments primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $5.5 million and depreciation and amortization of $3.0 million. Changes in cash flows related to operating assets and liabilities primarily consisted of a $4.1 million increase in other assets primarily related to prepaid expenditures, a $3.0 million increase in inventory and a $2.8 million net decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses due to a reduction in inventory receipts and timing of invoices from and payments to our vendors and suppliers. This outflow was partially offset by a $2.4 million increase in deferred revenue due to an increase in active VIP members and growth in volume of customer orders and a $1.5 million increase in other liabilities primarily due to an increase in early exercise of stock options.
Net cash used in operating activities of $88.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was primarily due to net loss of $103.9 million, partially offset by
non-cash
adjustments of $19.9 million, and a cash outflow related to net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $4.7 million.
Non-cash
adjustments primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $10.9 million, depreciation and amortization of $3.6 million, inventory reserve expense of $1.9 million, loss on remeasurement of convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities of $1.5 million, and loss on extinguishment of debt of $1.0 million. Changes in cash flows related to operating assets and liabilities primarily consisted of a $14.8 million increase in inventory to support the growth across our business, a $2.1 million increase in other assets. This outflow was partially offset by a $12.8 million increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses timing of invoices from and payments to our vendors and suppliers.
Net cash used in operating activities of $124.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to net loss of $161.5 million, partially offset by
non-cash
adjustments of $13.5 million and a net cash inflow related to changes in operating assets and liabilities of $23.2 million.
Non-cash
adjustments primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $12.0 million and depreciation and amortization of $2.4 million, offset by a gain on purchase of a business of $2.7 million. Changes in cash flows related to operating assets and liabilities primarily consisted of a $17.5 million increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses driven by timing of
 
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invoices from and payments to our vendors and suppliers, a $4.6 million increase in deferred revenue due to increase in active VIP members and growth in volume of customer orders and a $3.0 million increase in other liabilities. This inflow was partially offset by a $1.7 million increase in inventory.
Net cash used in operating activities of $83.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to net loss of $72.3 million, partially offset by
non-cash
adjustments of $16.0 million, and a net cash outflow related to changes in operating assets and liabilities of $27.4 million.
Non-cash
adjustments primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $7.8 million, depreciation and amortization of $4.1 million and inventory reserve expense of $1.8 million. Changes in cash flows related to operating assets and liabilities primarily consisted of a $18.6 million cash outflow related to increased inventory to support the growth across our business in 2020 and a $10.7 million decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses due to timing of invoices from and payments to our vendors and suppliers. This outflow was partially offset by a $2.1 million increase in deferred revenue due to increase in active VIP members and growth in volume of customer orders.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities of $3.4 million and $4.3 million, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2021 were due to purchases of property and equipment.
Net cash used in investing activities of $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 was due to purchases of $10.7 million in property and equipment, $8.6 million in short-term investments and $0.9 million in intangible assets, and $0.8 million in business acquisition, partially offset by proceeds from the maturities of short-term investments of $8.7 million.
Net cash used in investing activities of $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 was due to purchases of property and equipment.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities of $102.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 primarily consisted of proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs, of $90.0 million and issuance of debt of $43.5 million, partially offset by $32.6 million of repayment of debt.
Net cash provided by financing activities of $25.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 primarily consisted of issuance of debt of $50.0 million, partially offset by $21.5 million of repayment of debt and $2.5 million payment in connection with debt extinguishment.
Net cash provided by financing activities of $107.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 consisted of proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock of $96.5 million and issuance of debt of $17.2 million, partially offset by $6.0 million for repayment of debt.
Net cash provided by financing activities of $228.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted of proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock of $214.8 million, issuance of debt of $43.5 million and exercise of stock option awards of $3.3 million, partially offset by $33.1 million for repayment of debt.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any
off-balance
sheet financing arrangements or any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, including entities sometimes referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, that were established for the purpose of facilitating
off-balance
sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
 
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Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of our financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that can have a significant impact on the amounts reported in those financial statements and accompanying notes. We believe that the estimates, assumptions and judgments involved in the accounting policies described below have the greatest potential impact on our financial statements and, therefore, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies. Accordingly, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement.
Inventories
Inventory is recorded at the lower of weighted average cost and net realizable value. The cost of inventory consists of merchandise costs and
in-bound
freight, net of any vendor allowances. Inventory valuation requires us to make judgments, based on currently available information, about the likely method of disposition, such as through sales to individual customers or liquidations, and expected recoverable values of each disposition category. We record inventory reserves based on the excess of the carrying value or average cost over the amount we expect to realize from the ultimate sale of the inventory.
Convertible Preferred Stock Warrant Liability
We classify warrants to purchase shares of our convertible preferred stock that are contingently redeemable as liabilities. Such warrants are measured and recognized at fair value and are subject to remeasurement at each balance sheet date.
As of September 30, 2021, the fair value of the convertible preferred stock warrant liability is measured using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Inputs to that model include the warrants’ expected remaining term, the risk-free interest rate, expected volatility based on representative peer companies, and the estimated fair value of the underlying securities. Generally, increases and decreases in the fair value of the underlying securities and the expected term would result in directionally similar impacts to the fair value measurement. At the end of each reporting period, we recognize changes in fair value within other expense (income), net in our statements of operations. We will continue to adjust the convertible preferred stock warrant liability for changes in the fair value until the earlier of the exercise or expiration of the warrants or in the event that all of the Company’s preferred stock are converted into common stock, at which time all such warrants will be converted into warrants to purchase shares of common stock and the liability will be reclassified to additional
paid-in
capital.
Stock-Based Compensation
We recognize the cost of share-based awards granted to employees and
non-employees
based on the estimated grant-date fair value of the awards.
For stock option awards with service only vesting conditions, we recognize expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the award. We estimate the grant-date fair value of the stock option awards with service only vesting conditions using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model utilizes inputs and assumptions which involve inherent uncertainties and generally require significant judgment. As a result, if factors or expected outcomes change and significantly different assumptions or estimates are used, our stock-based compensation could be materially different. Significant inputs and assumptions include:
Fair value of Common Stock
– As our common stock is not currently publicly traded, the fair value of our underlying common stock was determined by our board of directors based upon a number of objective and subjective factors, as described in the section titled “—Common Stock Valuation” below.
 
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Expected Term
 – Our expected term represents the period that our stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and is determined using the simplified method (based on the
mid-point
between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term).
Expected Volatility
 – Because we are privately held and there is no active trading market for our common stock, the expected volatility was estimated based on the average volatility for publicly traded companies that we consider to be comparable, over a period equal to the expected term of the stock option grants.
Risk-Free Interest Rate
 – The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of option.
Expected Dividend
 – We have never paid dividends on our common stock and has no plans to pay dividends on our common stock. Therefore, we used an expected dividend yield of zero.
For restricted stock unit (“
RSU
”) awards with performance vesting conditions, we evaluate the probability of achieving the performance vesting condition at each reporting date. We begin to recognize expense for RSUs with performance vesting conditions using an accelerated attribution method when it is deemed probable that the performance condition will be met. The fair value of RSU awards is determined using the price of our common stock on the grant date, as determined by our board of directors.
For awards with both market and service vesting conditions, we recognize expense over the derived service period using an accelerated attribution method. The fair value of stock option awards with both market and performance conditions is estimated using multifactor Monte Carlo simulations. The Monte Carlo simulation model incorporates the probability of satisfying a market condition and utilizes inputs and assumptions which involve inherent uncertainties and generally require significant judgment, including our stock price, contractual terms, maturity and risk-free interest rates, as well as volatility.
Common Stock Valuation
Given the absence of a public market of our common stock, and in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants,
Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as
Compensation
, our board of directors exercises significant judgment and considers numerous factors to determine the best estimate of fair value of our common stock, including the following:
 
   
independent third-party valuations of our common stock;
 
   
the rights, preferences and privileges of our redeemable convertible preferred stock relative to our common stock;
 
   
our operating results, financial position and capital resources;
 
   
our stage of development and current business conditions and projections, including the introduction of new products;
 
   
the lack of marketability of our common stock;
 
   
the hiring of key personnel and the experience of our management;
 
   
the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or a sale of our company given the prevailing market conditions;
 
   
and the nature and history of our business;
 
   
industry trends and competitive environment;
 
   
trends in consumer spending, including consumer confidence; and
 
   
the overall economic, regulatory and capital market conditions.
 
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We performed valuations of our common stock that took into account the factors described above. We primarily used a combination of the market and income approach to determine the equity value of our business. The income approach estimates equity value based on the expectation of future cash flows that a company will generate. These future cash flows, and an assumed terminal value, are discounted to their present values using a discount rate based on a weighted-average cost of capital that reflects the risks inherent in the cash flows. The market approach estimates equity value based on a comparison of the subject company to comparable public companies in a similar line of business. From the comparable companies, a representative market value multiple is determined and then applied to the subject company’s financial forecasts to estimate the value of the subject company. The resulting common stock value is then discounted by a
non-marketability
factor. Public company trading revenue multiple comparisons provide a quantitative analysis that our board of directors’ reviews in addition to the qualitative factors described above in order to determine the fair value of our common stock.
Application of these approaches involves the use of estimates, judgment, and assumptions that are highly complex and subjective, such as those regarding our expected future revenue, expenses, and future cash flows, discount rates, market multiples, the selection of comparable companies and the probability of possible future events. Changes in any or all of these estimates and assumptions or the relationships between those assumptions impact our valuations as of each valuation date and may have a material impact on the valuation of our common stock.
For valuations after the completion of this offering, our board of directors will determine the fair value of each share of underlying common stock based on the closing price of our common stock as reported on the date of grant. Future expense amounts for any particular period could be affected by changes in our assumptions or market conditions.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus/information statement for additional details regarding recent accounting pronouncements.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. Our market risk exposure is primarily the result of fluctuations in interest rates.
Interest Rate Risk
We had cash and cash equivalents of $109.2 million as of September 30, 2021, which consisted of bank accounts and money market funds. Interest-earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes and have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest rate risk exposure. Due to the short-term nature of our investments, we have not been exposed to, nor do we anticipate being exposed to, material risks due to changes in interest rates.
Interest rates under our Loan Revolver with Silicon Valley Bank and our loan facilities with Silicon Valley Bank and Hercules are tied to the prime rate with a floor of 3.25% and 8.75%, respectively and therefore carry interest rate risk. As of September 30, 2021, we have $5.9 million principal outstanding under the Loan Revolver with Silicon Valley Bank, at an interest rate of 3.25%, and an aggregate of $49.1 million principal outstanding under our loan facilities with Silicon Valley Bank and Hercules, at an interest rate of 8.75%. Fluctuations in interest rates have not been significant to date. A hypothetical 10% change in interest rates would not result in a material impact on our financial statements.
 
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Inflation Risk
We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition. If our costs were to become subject to significant inflationary pressures, we may not be able to fully offset such higher costs through price increases, product innovation, and sales velocity. Our inability or failure to do so could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Emerging Growth Company Status
Each of VGAC II and Grove is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. The JOBS Act permits companies with emerging growth company status to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards, delaying the adoption of these accounting standards until they would apply to private companies. Following the closing of the Business Combination, New Grove expects to use this extended transition period to enable it to comply with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date New Grove (1) is no longer an emerging growth company or (2) affirmatively and irrevocably opts out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting standards as of public company effective dates.
 
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EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION OF GROVE
This section discusses the material components of the executive compensation program for Grove’s named executive officers who are identified in the 2021 Summary Compensation Table below. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that are based on New Grove’s current plans, considerations, expectations and determinations regarding future compensation programs. Actual compensation programs that New Grove adopts following the completion of the business combination may differ materially from the existing and currently planned programs summarized or referred to in this discussion.
Overview
We have opted to comply with the executive compensation disclosure rules applicable to emerging growth companies as VGAC II is an emerging growth company. The scaled down disclosure rules are those applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as such term is defined in the rules promulgated under the Securities Act. Such rules, in the context of an S-4 Registration Statement, require compensation disclosure for Grove’s principal executive officer and its two most highly compensated executive officers other than the principal executive officer whose total compensation for 2021 exceeded $100,000, who were serving as executive officers as of December 31, 2021 and who will continue with the combined company. We refer to these individuals as “named executive officers.” For 2021, Grove’s named executive officers were:
 
   
Stu Landesberg, Chief Executive Officer;
 
   
Delida Costin, Chief Legal and People Officer; and
 
   
Jennie Perry, Chief Marketing Officer
We expect that New Grove’s executive compensation program will evolve to reflect its status as a newly publicly-traded company, while still supporting New Grove’s overall business and compensation objectives.
2021 Compensation of Named Executive Officers
Cash Compensation
Base salaries are intended to provide a level of compensation sufficient to attract and retain an effective management team, when considered in combination with the other components of the executive compensation program. In general, Grove provides a base salary level designed to reflect each executive officer’s scope of responsibility and accountability. While cash bonuses have been provided on a discretionary basis in prior years, none of our named executive officers received a cash bonus with respect to 2021.
Equity Awards
To further focus Grove’s executive officers on Grove’s long-term performance, Grove has granted equity compensation in the form of stock options and restricted stock units (“RSUs”).
In 2021, the Grove board of directors granted equity awards to the named executive officers with respect to the following number of shares: Mr. Landesberg, 3,991,892 stock options; Ms. Costin, 450,000 stock options, 50,000 RSUs; and Ms. Perry, 700,000 stock options. The 2021 stock options generally vest in quarterly installments over four years, subject to the grantee’s continued service through the applicable vesting date. The RSUs granted to Ms. Costin vest in quarterly installments over two years following a liquidity event, provided that such liquidity event occurs within five years of the date of grant. The stock options granted to Ms. Perry, who joined Grove in February 2021, vest 25% on the one-year anniversary of the grant date and in quarterly installments thereafter through the four-year anniversary of the grant date. In addition, of the stock options granted to Mr. Landesberg in 2021, 864,910 of the stock options will vest on the earlier of (i) if Grove’s shares are not publicly traded, such time as Grove closes a preferred or common equity financing in the amount of at least $25.0 million at a price per share of at least $15.03, (ii) if Grove’s shares (or its successor’s shares) are publicly traded, such time as the
 
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20-day
trading day volume-weighted average price is at least $15.03 per share, or (iii) immediately prior to the consummation of certain corporate transactions in which the holders of shares of Grove common stock will receive, in exchange for such shares, cash or other consideration the aggregate amount of $15.03 per share. The consummation of the business combination will constitute a liquidity event for purposes of the RSUs and the RSUs will remain subject to the service-based vesting requirements set forth in the award agreements.
In connection with the business combination, outstanding equity awards of Grove will be assumed by VGAC II and converted into equity awards with respect to New Grove common stock. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the business combination agreement and as described above, holders of options and RSUs will receive Earnout Shares, which will be forfeited in the event the service-based vesting conditions applicable to the underlying stock options and RSUs are not achieved prior to the achievement of the performance milestones with respect to such Earnout Shares.
Please see the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2021 Fiscal Year-End table for a summary of the equity awards held by the named executive officers as of December 31, 2021.
2021 Summary Compensation Table
The following table shows information regarding the compensation of the named executive officers for services
performed in the year ended December 31, 2021.
 
Name and Principal
Position
  
Year
    
Salary
($) (1)
    
Bonus
($)
    
Option
Awards
($) (2)
    
Stock
Awards
($) (3)
    
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
    
All Other
Compensation
($)
    
Total

($)
 
Stuart Landesberg
     2021        255,000        —          18,387,940        —          —          —          18,642,940  
Chief Executive Officer and President
                       
Delida Costin
     2022        425,000        —          1,854,572        436,500        —          —          2,716,072  
Chief Legal and People Officer
                       
Jennie Perry
     2022        404,134        —          2,897,846        —          —          —          3,301,980  
Chief Marketing Officer
                       
 
(1)
Ms. Perry jointed Grove on February 8, 2021. Amounts reported in this column for Ms. Perry reflect a base salary of $450,000 prorated to her start date.
(2)
Amounts reported in this column for Mr. Landesberg and Mses. Costin and Perry reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of stock options awarded in 2021, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation based on the following assumptions: risk-free interest rate of 0.67% - 0.69%; expected volatility of 73.66% - 73.74%; expected term of 6.0 – 6.1 years; and expected dividend rate of 0.00%. As noted above, 864,910 of the stock options granted to Mr. Landesberg vest based on market conditions. The fair value for Mr. Landesberg’s stock options with a market based vesting condition was determined using the probability weighted expected term method (“PWERM”), which involves the estimation of future potential outcomes as well as values and probabilities associated with each potential outcome. Two potential scenarios were used in the PWERM that utilized 1) the value of the Company’s common equity, and 2) a Monte Carlo simulation to specifically value the award. The total grant date fair value of the award, based on the probable satisfaction of the market-based vesting conditions, was determined to be $5.5 million. Under FASB ASC Topic 718, due to the vesting conditions related to Mr. Landesberg’s 864,910 stock options, there is no grant date fair value below or in excess of the amount reflected in the table above for Mr. Landesberg that could be calculated and disclosed based on the achievement of the underlying conditions.
 
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(3)
The amount reported in this column for Ms. Costin reflects the grant date fair value of $8.73 for her RSUs, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, calculated based on the Company’s most recent Section 409A valuation available prior to the grant date.
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2021 Fiscal Year-End
The following table presents information regarding the outstanding stock options and RSUs held by each of the named executive officers as of December 31, 2021. In connection with the closing of the business combination, the Grove equity awards will be adjusted to reflect equity awards with respect to New Grove, with the number of shares and exercise price adjusted to maintain the value of the awards prior to the closing of the business combination.
 
   
Option Awards
   
Equity Incentive
Plan Awards
 
Name
 
Grant
Date
   
Vesting
Commencement
Date
   
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
   
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
   
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options (#)
   
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
   
Option
Expiration
Date
   
Number
of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights
That
Have Not
Vested
(#)
   
Market
or Payout
Value of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights
That
Have Not
Vested
($)
 
Stuart Landesberg
    3/30/2018 (2)      12/18/2017       2,256,324       —         —         0.75       3/29/2028       —         —    
    5/31/2019 (3)      12/21/2018       3,638,130       —         —         2.25       5/30/2029       —         —    
    2/15/2021 (4)      1/1/2021       586,309       2,540,673       —         4.43       2/14/2031       —         —    
    2/15/2021 (5)      (5     —         —         864,910       4.43       2/14/2031       —         —    
Delida Costin
    5/31/2019 (6)      5/20/2019       205,000       150,000       —         2.25       5/30/2029       —         —    
    1/15/2020 (7)      1/7/2020       110,000       —         —         2.25       1/14/2030       —         —    
    2/15/2021 (8)      1/1/2021       84,375       365,625       —         4.43       2/14/2031       —         —    
    9/22/2021 (9)      N/A       —         —         —         —         —         50,000       436,500  
Jennie Perry
    2/15/2021 (10)      2/8/2021       —         700,000       —         4.43       2/14/2031       —         —    
 
(1)
As of December 31, 2021, Grove’s equity was not publicly traded and, therefore, there was no ascertainable public market value for the equity on such date. The market value reported in this table is based upon a Section 409A valuation analysis of Grove’s equity as of August 31, 2021, the most recent report available.
(2)
This option vests 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and then vests quarterly for the next 36 months, subject to Mr. Landesberg’s continuous employment through each applicable vesting date, with accelerated vesting if Mr. Landesberg’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or he resigns for good reason. Because these options may be early exercised for restricted stock, they are reported in this table as “Exercisable.”
(3)
This option vests 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and then vests quarterly for the next 36 months, subject to Mr. Landesberg’s continuous employment through each applicable vesting date, with accelerated vesting if Mr. Landesberg’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or he resigns for good reason. Because these options may be early exercised for restricted stock, they are reported in this table as “Exercisable.”
(4)
This option vests on the earlier of (i) if Grove’s shares are not publicly traded, such time as Grove closes a preferred or common equity financing in the amount of at least $25.0 million at a price per share of at least $15.03, (ii) if Grove’s shares (or its successor’s shares) are publicly traded, such time as the 20-day trading day volume-weighted average price is at least $15.03 per share, or (iii) immediately prior to the consummation of certain corporate transactions in which the holders of shares of Grove common stock will receive, in exchange for such shares, cash or other consideration the aggregate amount of $15.03 per share, subject to Mr. Landesberg’s continuous employment on the date of such milestone.
(5)
This option vests 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and then vests quarterly for the next 36 months, subject to Ms. Costin’s continuous employment through each applicable vesting
 
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  date, with accelerated vesting following a change in control if Ms. Costin’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or she resigns for good reason.
(6)
This option vests 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and then vests quarterly for the next 36 months, subject to Ms. Costin’s continuous employment through each applicable vesting date, with accelerated vesting following a change in control if Ms. Costin’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or she resigns for good reason. Because these options may be early exercised for restricted stock, they are reported in this table as “Exercisable.”
(7)
This option vests 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and then vests quarterly for the next 36 months, subject to Ms. Costian’s continuous employment through each applicable vesting date, with accelerated vesting following a change in control if Ms. Costian’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or she resigns for good reason. Because these options may be early exercised for restricted stock, they are reported in this table as “Exercisable.”
(8)
This option vests quarterly for 48 months starting with the first quarter following the vesting commencement date, subject to Ms. Costin’s continuous employment through each applicable vesting date, with accelerated vesting following a change in control if Ms. Costin’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or she resigns for good reason.
(9)
The vesting the RSUs requires the satisfaction of both of two conditions: an event condition and a service condition. The event condition will be satisfied if a liquidity event occurs prior to the expiration date (five years from the grant date) subject to Ms. Costin’s continuous employment through the date of such liquidity event. The service condition is satisfied with respect to 1/8th of the RSUs on the date of the liquidity event and quarterly for the next 18 months, subject to Ms. Costin’s continuous employment through the applicable vesting date. Any RSU for which both conditions are satisfied shall become vested. The vesting of the RSUs accelerate following a change in control if Ms. Costin’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or she resigns for good reason.
(10)
This option vests 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and then vests quarterly for the next 36 months, with accelerated vesting following a change in control if Ms. Perry’s employment is terminated by Grove without cause or she resigns for good reason.
Additional Narrative Disclosure
Severance Arrangements
Grove generally executes an offer of employment before an executive joins Grove. This offer describes the basic terms of the executive’s employment, including his or her start date, starting salary, annual incentive target and equity awards. The terms of the executive’s employment are based thereafter on sustained good performance rather than contractual terms, and Grove’s policies will apply as warranted. Grove does not generally provide contractual severance rights to its employees.
401(k) Plan
Grove maintains a qualified 401(k) savings plan which allows participants to defer a portion of their compensation to the 401(k) saving plan on a before-tax basis. Grove provides discretionary matching employer contributions on behalf of its eligible participants. Grove did not make any matching contributions in 2021.
Director Compensation
2021 Director Compensation Table
Grove’s historical director compensation program has consisted of equity awards. In 2021, Messrs. Glazer and Replogle and Ms. Beaudoin were granted stock options with respect to 133,333, 333,343 and 372,576 shares of Grove common stock, respectively, and Messrs. Glazer and Replogle were granted RSUs with respect to 133,333 and 333,343 shares of Grove common stock, respectively. Mr. Glazer’s stock options and RSUs will vest 25% on the one-year anniversary of the vesting commencement date and in subsequent 1/12th increments for each subsequent quarter of continuous service. Mr. Replogle’s stock options and RSUs will each vest 30% on the one-
 
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year anniversary of the vesting commencement date, 7.5% for each subsequent quarter of continuous service for the following year and then 5% for each quarter subsequent quarter of continuous service for the following two years. Ms. Beaudoin’s stock options will vest quarterly over a period of four years.
The following table provides information regarding the compensation of our outside directors for 2021 and who will continue with the combined company. As Grove’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer, respectively, Messrs. Landesberg and Clark do not receive any additional compensation for their service on the Grove board of directors. Please see the 2021 Summary Compensation Table for the compensation paid or awarded to Mr. Landesberg.
 
Name
  
Stock
Awards($)(1)
    
Option
Awards($)(2)
    
Total($)
 
Catherine Beaudoin
        
David Glazer
        
John Replogle
        
 
(1)
The amount reported in this column for Messrs. Glazer and Replogle reflects the grant date fair value of $
            
for RSUs awarded in 2021, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, calculated based on the Company’s most recent Section 409A valuation available prior to the grant date. As of December 31, 2021, Messrs. Glazer and Replogle held outstanding RSUs with respect to 133,333 and 333,343 shares of Grove common stock, respectively.
(2)
Amounts reported in this column for Ms. Beaudoin and Messrs. Glazer and Replogle reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of stock options awarded in 2021, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation based on the following assumptions: risk-free interest rate of
    
% -
    
%; expected volatility of
    
% -
    
%; expected term of
    
    
 years; and expected dividend rate of 0.00%. As of December 31, 2021, Ms. Beaudoin and Messrs. Glazer and Replogle held outstanding options with respect to 133,333, 333,343 and 372,576 shares of Grove common stock, respectively.
 
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MANAGEMENT OF NEW GROVE FOLLOWING THE BUSINESS COMBINATION
The following sets forth certain information, as of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, concerning the persons who are expected to serve as directors and executive officers of New Grove following the consummation of the Business Combination.
Executive Officers, Significant Employees, and Directors After the Business Combination
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the business and affairs of New Grove will be managed by or under the New Grove Board. The directors, executive officers, and significant employees of New Grove upon consummation of the Business Combination will include the following:
 
Name
  
Age
    
Position
Executive Officers
     
Stuart Landesberg
     36      Chief Executive Officer and Director
Christopher Clark
     36      Chief Technology Officer and Director
Delida Costin
     52      Chief Legal and People Officer; Secretary
Janae De Crescenzo
     37      Interim
Co-Chief
Financial Officer
Phil Moon
     36      Interim
Co-Chief
Financial Officer
Jennie Perry
     55      Chief Marketing Officer
Andrew Rendich
     54      Chief Operating Officer
Jon Silverman
     48      Senior Vice President, Physical Goods
Non-Employee
Directors
     
Catherine Beaudoin
     58      Director
David Glazer
     38      Director
John Replogle
     55      Director
Executive Officers of New Grove
Stuart Landesberg.
Mr. Landesberg, 36, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Grove. Mr. Landesberg
co-founded
Grove Collaborative in 2012 and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since inception. Prior to
co-founding
Grove, he worked for TPG Capital, where he was involved in consumer and internet investments. Mr. Landesberg started his career in the investment banking division of Lehman Brothers. Mr. Landesberg earned a B.A. in Economics and Spanish from Amherst College where he graduated
magna cum laude
with distinction. VGAC II and Grove believe Mr. Landesberg’s extensive direct to consumer industry experience, as well as his institutional knowledge as the
co-founder
of Grove qualify him to serve on the New Grove Board.
Christopher Clark.
Mr. Clark, 36,
co-founded
Grove in 2012 and has served as its Chief Technology Officer since 2013. Prior to joining Grove, in 2012 Mr. Clark led project engineering at Kaggle, Inc. and was a product manager and engineer at Blackbaud from 2007-2012. Mr. Clark earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University. VGAC II and Grove believe Mr. Clark’s experience as a technology executive, as well as his institutional knowledge as the
co-founder
of Grove qualify him to serve on the New Grove Board.
Delida Costin
. Ms. Costin, 52, has served as Grove’s Chief Legal and People Officer since January 2020 and as Grove’s General Counsel since 2019. Prior to joining Grove, in 2015 Ms. Costin served as General Counsel of lynda.com, and from 2010 to 2014, she served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Pandora Media Networks, Inc. From 2007 to 2010, Ms. Costin maintained a private legal practice where she worked with public and private companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. From 2000 to 2006, Ms. Costin served as assistant general counsel, and from 2006 to 2007 as vice president and assistant general counsel at CNET Networks, a media company, where she focused on legal issues relating to the digital media industry. Prior to that, Ms. Costin was an associate at the law firms of Goodwin Procter and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. During her years of legal
 
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practice, Ms. Costin has advised on issues related to compliance, securities law, digital media, privacy, data protection and online advertising. Ms. Costin holds a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Northwestern University.
Janae De Crescenzo
. Ms. De Crescenzo, 37, joined Grove in 2017 and has served as Director of Finance, VP of Finance, and most recently as Grove’s Interim Co-Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Grove, Ms. De Crescenzo worked at Shift Technologies as Controller from 2016-2017, and at Square as Corporate Accounting Manager from 2013-2016. Ms. De Crescenzo earned an M.S. degree in Accounting and a B.S. degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University.
Phil Moon
. Mr. Moon, 36, has served in various positions with Grove since 2017, most recently as Grove’s Interim
Co-Chief
Financial Officer. Prior to joining Grove, Mr. Moon worked at Eero as Head of Strategic Finance from 2016-2017. Mr. Moon earned a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jennie Perry
. Ms. Perry, 55, has served as Grove’s Chief Marketing Officer since 2021. Prior to joining Grove, Ms. Perry worked for Amazon, Inc. from 2011-2019, most recently as the Chief Marketing Officer of Prime and Amazon North America. Ms. Perry received a M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of California, Davis.
Andrew Rendich
. Mr. Rendich, 54, has served as Grove’s Chief Operating Officer since 2019. Mr. Rendich has also served as a principal of
Mackenzie-Maxwell
LLC since 2017. Prior to joining
Mackenzie-Maxwell
LLC, Mr. Rendich was the Chief Operating Officer of Hampton Creek Foods, Inc. from 2015-2016. Mr. Rendich received a B.S. degree in Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Jon Silverman
. Mr. Silverman, 48, has served in various positions at Grove since 2017, most recently as Senior Vice President of Physical Products. Mr. Silverman received a B.A. degree in Government and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College.
Non-Employee
Directors
Catherine Beaudoin.
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, Ms. Beaudoin, 58, will serve on the New Grove Board. Ms. Beaudoin has been a member of the Grove Board since 2018. Ms. Beaudoin previously served as President of Amazon Fashion for eight years. During this time, she brought hundreds of reputable brands to Amazon, led Amazon’s 2012 sponsorship of the Met Ball, the opening of
Amazon’s 40,000-square-foot photo
studio in Williamsburg, New York, and a multi-year partnership with The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to sponsor New York Fashion Week: Men’s. Prior to Amazon, she served as General Manager of Gap’s Piperlime,
the e-commerce shoe
platform she founded in 2005. While at Gap, she held a number of senior marketing positions across the company’s Old Navy and Banana Republic brands. Ms. Beaudoin began her career at Ogilvy One Worldwide. Ms. Beaudoin is currently a member of the board of directors of Nerdy, Inc. (NYSE: NRDY). VGAC II and Grove believe Ms. Beaudoin is qualified to serve on the New Grove Board because of her experience in consumer retail and
e-commerce.
David Glazer
. Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, Mr. Glazer, 38, will serve on the New Grove Board. Since 2013, Mr. Glazer has served in various positions at Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR), most recently as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Prior to that, Mr. Glazer was a corporate securities attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Mr. Glazer received a J.D degree from Emory University School of Law and a B.A from Santa Clara University. VGAC II and Grove believe Mr. Glazer is qualified to serve on the New Grove Board because of his public company financial experience.
John Replogle.
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, Mr. Replogle, 55, will serve on the New Grove Board. Mr. Replogle has been a member of the Grove Board since 2021. Since October 2017, he has
 
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served as a Founding Partner of One Better Ventures, LLC, a venture capital firm focused on consumer brands that have a positive impact. From March 2011 to October 2017, he served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Seventh Generation, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of sustainable household products. From 2006 to 2011, Mr. Replogle served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Burt’s Bees, Inc., and from 2003 to 2006, he served as General Manager of Unilever’s Skin Care division. Previously, he worked for Diageo, Plc for seven years in a number of different capacities, including as President of Guinness Bass Import Company and Managing Director of Guinness Great Britain. He started his career with the Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Replogle is currently a member of the board of directors of
AEA-Bridges
Impact Corp. (NYSE: IMPX) and Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE: WOLF), and also served as a director of Sealy Corporation, a publicly traded mattress manufacturer, from 2010 to 2013, until its sale to Tempur-Pedic International Inc. VGAC II and Grove believe Mr. Replogle is qualified to serve on the New Grove Board because of his significant senior executive leadership experience, including eleven years of experience as chief executive officer at two companies, as well as deep experience in marketing, branding and distribution of consumer goods.
Family Relationships
There are no other family relationships among any of the individuals who shall serve as directors or executive officers of New Grove following the consummation of the Business Combination.
Board Composition
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the New Grove Board will be composed as follows: Class I – [●], [●], and [●]; Class II – [●], [●], and [●]; Class III – Stuart Landesberg, [●] and [●].
Director Independence
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the New Grove Board is expected to determine that [●] and [●] will qualify as independent directors, as defined under NYSE listing rules. In addition, New Grove will be subject to the rules of the SEC and NYSE relating to the memberships, qualifications, and operations of the audit committee, as discussed below.
Board Oversight of Risk
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, one of the key functions of the New Grove Board will be informed oversight of New Grove’s risk management process. The New Grove Board does not anticipate having a standing risk management committee, but rather anticipates administering this oversight function directly through the New Grove Board as a whole, as well as through various standing committees of the New Grove Board that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. For example, the audit committee of the New Grove Board will be responsible for overseeing the management of risks associated with New Grove’s financial reporting, accounting, and auditing matters and the compensation committee of the New Grove Board will oversee the management of risks associated with compensation policies and programs.
Board Committees
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the New Grove Board will establish an audit committee, a compensation committee, and a nominating and corporate governance committee. The New Grove Board may establish other committees to facilitate the management of New Grove’s business. The New Grove Board and its committees will set schedules for meetings throughout the year and can also hold special meetings and act by written consent from time to time, as appropriate. The New Grove Board will delegate various responsibilities and authority to its committees as generally described below. The committees will regularly report on their activities and actions to the full New Grove Board. Each member of the audit, compensation, and nominating and corporate governance committees of the New Grove Board is expected to qualify as an independent director in
 
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accordance with NYSE listing standards. Each committee of the New Grove Board will have a written charter approved by the New Grove Board. Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, copies of each committee charter will be posted on New Grove’s website at www.grove.co under the Investor Relations section. The inclusion of New Grove’s website address in this proxy statement does not include or incorporate by reference the information on the website of Grove Collaborative (or its affiliates) into this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. Members will serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by the New Grove Board.
Audit Committee
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the members of the audit committee will be [●], [●] and [●], each of whom can read and understand fundamental financial statements. The New Grove Board has determined that each of [●], [●], and [●] is independent under the rules and regulations of the SEC and NYSE listing standards applicable to audit committee members. [●] will be the chair of the audit committee. The New Grove Board has determined that each of [●] and [●] qualify as an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of SEC regulations and meet the financial sophistication requirements of NYSE. New Grove’s audit committee will assist the New Grove Board with its oversight of the following: the integrity of New Grove’s financial statements; New Grove’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; the qualifications, independence, and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm; and the design and implementation of New Grove’s internal audit function and risk assessment and risk management. Among other things, the audit committee will be responsible for reviewing and discussing with management of New Grove the adequacy and effectiveness of New Grove’s disclosure controls and procedures. The audit committee will also discuss with New Grove’s management and independent registered public accounting firm the annual audit plan and scope of audit activities, scope and timing of the annual audit of New Grove’s financial statements, and the results of the audit, quarterly reviews of New Grove’s financial statements, and, as appropriate, will initiate inquiries into certain aspects of New Grove’s financial affairs. The audit committee of the New Grove Board will be responsible for establishing and overseeing procedures for the receipt, retention, and treatment of any complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters, as well as for the confidential and anonymous submissions by New Grove’s employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. In addition, audit committee of the New Grove Board will have direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention, and oversight of the work of New Grove’s independent registered public accounting firm. The audit committee will have sole authority to approve the hiring and discharging of New Grove’s independent registered public accounting firm, all audit engagement terms and fees, and all permissible
non-audit
engagements with the independent auditor. The audit committee of the New Grove Board will review and oversee all related person transactions in accordance with New Grove’s policies and procedures.
Compensation Committee
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the members of the compensation committee will be [●], [●], and [●], and [●] will be the chair of the compensation committee. Each member of New Grove’s compensation committee is independent under the rules and regulations of the SEC and NYSE listing standards applicable to compensation committee members. The compensation committee of the New Grove Board will assist the New Grove Board in discharging certain of New Grove’s responsibilities with respect to compensating New Grove’s executive officers, and the administration and review of New Grove’s incentive plans for employees and other service providers, including New Grove’s equity incentive plans, and certain other matters related to New Grove’s compensation programs.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the members of the nominating and corporate governance committee will be [●], [●], and [●], and [●] will be the chair of the nominating and governance committee. Each member of the compensation committee of the New Grove Board is independent under the rules and regulations
 
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of the SEC and NYSE listing standards applicable to nominating and governance committee members. The nominating and governance committee will assist the New Grove Board in identifying, screening, and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by the New Grove Board, recommending to the New Grove Board candidates for nomination for appointment at the annual general meeting or to fill vacancies on the New Grove Board, developing and recommending to the New Grove Board and overseeing implementation of the New Grove corporate governance guidelines, coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of New Grove Board, its committees, individual directors, and management in the governance of the company, and reviewing on a regular basis New Grove’s overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.
Code of Conduct
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the New Grove Board will adopt a Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct will apply to all of New Grove’s employees, officers, and directors, as well as all of its contractors, consultants, suppliers, and agents in connection with their work for New Grove. Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the full text of New Grove’s Code of Conduct will be posted on New Grove’s website at www.grove.co under the Investor Relations section. New Grove intends to disclose future amendments to, or waivers of, New Grove’s Code of Conduct, as and to the extent required by SEC regulations, at the same location on New Grove’s website identified above or in public filings. Information contained on New Grove’s website is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, and you should not consider information contained on New Grove’s website to be part of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the intended members of New Grove’s compensation committee has ever been a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any other entity that has or has had one or more executive officers serving as a member of the board of directors of New Grove or the compensation committee thereof. Certain members of the compensation committee may be deemed to have an interest in certain transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation
S-K
under the Securities Act that are disclosed in “
Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions—Grove Collaborative”
which disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference in this section.
 
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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
The following table sets forth information regarding (i) unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, the actual beneficial ownership of VGAC II ordinary shares as of the record date ([●], 2022) and (ii) expected beneficial ownership of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock immediately following consummation of the Business Combination by:
 
   
each person known by VGAC II to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of VGAC II’s outstanding ordinary shares on the record date ([●], 2022) or the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the shares of the Company’s common stock upon completion of the Business Combination;
 
   
each person known by VGAC II who may become beneficial owner of more than 5% of New Grove outstanding Common Stock immediately following the Business Combination;
 
   
each of VGAC II’s current executive officers and directors;
 
   
each person who will become an executive officer or a director of New Grove upon consummation of the Business Combination;
 
   
all of VGAC II’s current executive officers and directors as a group; and
 
   
all of New Grove executive officers and directors as a group after the consummation of the Business Combination.
Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security. New Grove Class B stock will be convertible into New Grove Class A stock on a one-for-one basis. Ownership of New Grove Class B stock is therefore deemed to be beneficial ownership of New Grove Class A stock under SEC regulations. For purposes of the presentation of ownership of New Grove Class A stock in this table, it has been assumed that each person listed therein as holding New Grove Class B stock has converted into New Grove Class A stock all shares of New Grove Class B stock of which that person is deemed the beneficial owner. Thus, all shares of New Grove Class B stock held by the reporting parties have been included in the calculation of the total amount of New Grove Class A stock owned by each such person as well as in the calculation of the total amount of New Grove Class B stock owned by each such person. As a result of this presentation, there are substantial duplications in the number of shares and percentages shown in the table.
 
   
Prior to
Business
Combination(2)
   
After Business Combination
 
   
Assuming No Redemptions(3)
   
Assuming Maximum Redemptions(4)
 
Name and Address of
Beneficial Owners
 
Number of
Ordinary
Shares
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class A
Common

Stock
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class B
Common
Stock
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class A
Common
Stock
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class B
Common

Stock
   
%
 
Directors and executive officers prior to the Business Combination(1):
                   
Rayhan Arif
    —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    
Josh Bayliss
    —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    
Chris Burggraeve
    30,000       *       30,000       *       —         —         30,000       *       —         —    
Evan Lovell
    —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    
Elizabeth Nelson
    30,000       *       30,000       *       —         —         30,000       *       —         —    
Latif Peracha
    30,000       *       30,000       *       —         —         30,000       *       —         —    
 
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Prior to
Business
Combination(2)
   
After Business Combination
 
   
Assuming No Redemptions(3)
   
Assuming Maximum Redemptions(4)
 
Name and Address of
Beneficial Owners
 
Number of
Ordinary
Shares
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class A
Common

Stock
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class B
Common
Stock
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class A
Common
Stock
   
%
   
Number of
Shares of New
Grove
Collaborative
Class B
Common

Stock
   
%
 
All directors and executive officers prior to the Business Combination (6 persons)
    90,000       *       90,000       *       —         —         90,000       *       —         —    
Directors and executive officers after the Business Combination(5):
                   
Stu Landesberg(6)
    —         —         8,740,169 (7)        8,737,669         8,740,169 (7)        8,737,669    
Janae De Crescenzo(8)
    —         —         202,900         202,900         202,900         202,900    
Phil Moon(9)
    —         —         548,415         548,415         548,415         548,415    
Chris Clark(10)
    —         —         1,478,527         1,478,527         1,478,527         1,478,527    
Delida Costin(11)(12)
    —         —         533,810         533,810         533,810         533,810    
Andrew Rendich(13)
    —         —         1,168,569         1,168,569         1,168,569         1,168,569    
Jon Silverman(14)
    —         —         653,988         653,988         653,988         653,988    
Jennie Perry(15)
    —         —         204,750         204,750         204,750         204,750    
Cathy Beaudoin(16)
    —         —         506,945         506,945         506,945         506,945    
David Glazer(17)
    —         —         5,119         5,119         5,119         5,119    
John Replogle(18)(19)
    —         —         225,306         225,306         225,306         225,306    
[●]
                   
[●]
                   
[●]
                   
All directors and executive officers after the Business Combination as a group (     persons)
                   
Five Percent Holders:
                   
Entities associated with Mayfield(20)
    —         —         14,506,518 (21)        14,306,518         14,506,518 (21)        14,306,518    
Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP(22)
    —         —         14,644,569 (23)        14,144,569         14,644,569 (23)        14,144,569    
General Atlantic (GC), L.P.(24)
    —         —         12,313,290 (25)        11,813,290         12,313,290 (25)        11,813,290    
 
*
Less than 1%
(1)
The business address of each of VGAC II directors and executive officers prior to the Business Combination is 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10012.
(2)
Prior to the Business Combination, the percentage of beneficial ownership of VGAC II on the record date is calculated based on (i) [●] Class A ordinary shares and (ii) [●] Class B ordinary shares, in each case, outstanding as of such date.
(3)
The expected beneficial ownership of New Grove immediately upon consummation of the Business Combination, assuming no holders of public shares exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith
 
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  and the Closing occurs on                     , 2022, is based on (A)             shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock outstanding as of such date, and consists of (i) [●] Class A ordinary shares and [●] Class B ordinary shares that will convert into a like number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and (ii) (A) 8,700,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be issued in the PIPE Financing and (B)             shares of Grove capital stock that will be exchanged for New Grove Class B Common Stock as determined pursuant to the exchange ratio in the Merger Agreement. For purposes of this table the exchange ratio has been estimated as of December 7, 2021 at 1.17.
(4)
The expected beneficial ownership of New Grove immediately upon consummation of the Business Combination, assuming holders of VGAC II’s public shares exercise their redemption rights in connection therewith and the Closing occurs on                     , 2022, is based on (A)             shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock outstanding as of such date, and consists of (i)             Class A ordinary shares and             Class B ordinary shares that will convert into a like number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and (ii) (A) 8,700,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that will be issued in the PIPE Financing and (B)             shares of Grove Collaborative’s capital stock will be exchanged for             New Grove Class B Common Stock as determined pursuant to the exchange ratio in the Merger Agreement. For purposes of this table the exchange ratio has been estimated as of December 7, 2021 at 1.17.
(5)
The business address of each of Stuart Landesberg, Janae De Crescenzo, Phil Moon, Chris Clark, Delida Costin, Andrew Rendich, Jon Silverman, Jennie Perry, Cathy Beaudoin, David Glazer, and John Replogle is 1301 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111.
(6)
Includes 8,737,669 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(7)
Includes 2,500 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be bought in the PIPE Financing by Stuart Landesberg.
(8)
Includes 202,900 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(9)
Includes 548,415 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(10)
Includes 1,478,527 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(11)
Consists of 16,085 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are held by the Weatherspoon Costin Family Trust. Ms. Costin may be deemed to have voting and dispositive investment power with respect to the shares held by the Weatherspoon Costin Family Trust.
(12)
Includes 533,810 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis
(13)
Includes 1,168,569 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(14)
Includes 653,988 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(15)
Includes 204,750 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(16)
Includes 506,945 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(17)
Includes 5,119 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(18)
Consists of 227 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are held by the Replogle Family Trust. Mr. Replogle may be deemed to have voting and dispositive investment power with respect to the shares held by the Replogle Family Trust.
(19)
Includes 225,306 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(20)
Consists of 12,156,141 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock held by Mayfield XV, a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership (“
MF XV
”) and 2,150,377 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock held by Mayfield Select, a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership (“
MF Select
”). Mayfield
 
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  XV Management (UGP), Ltd., a Cayman Islands Exempted Company (“
MF XV UGP
” is the general partner of Mayfield XV Management (EGP), L.P., a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership, which is the general partner of MF XV. Rajeev Batra, Navin Chaddha and Urshit Parikh are the directors of MF XV UGP. As a result, each of the foregoing entities and individuals may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares owned by MF XV, but each of the individuals disclaims such beneficial ownership. Mayfield Select Management (UGP), Ltd., a Cayman Islands Exempted Company (“
MF Select UGP
) is the general partner of Mayfield Select Management (EGP), L.P., a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership, which is the general partner of MF Select. Rajeev Batra, Navin Chaddha and Urshit Parikh are the directors of MF Select UGP. As a result, each of the foregoing entities and individuals may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares owned by MF Select, but each of the individuals disclaims such beneficial ownership. The address for each of these entities and individuals is c/o Mayfield, 2484 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
(21)
Includes 200,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be bought in the PIPE Financing by MF Select.
(22)
Includes 14,144,569 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock held of record by Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis. Genesis VC Partners XIII, LLC is the general partner of Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP, and NVP Associates, LLC is the managing member of Genesis VC Partners XIII, LLC. Each of Promod Haque, Jeffrey Crowe, and Jon Kossow, who are co-chief executive officers of NVP Associates, LLC, may be deemed to share voting and dispositive power over the shares held by Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP. Mr. Crowe disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any. The address for each of these entities and individuals is c/o 525 University Avenue, #800, Palo Alto, California 94301.
(23)
Includes 500,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be bought in the PIPE Financing by Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP.
(24)
Includes 11,813,290 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock held of record by General Atlantic (GC), L.P. (“
GA GC
”) that are convertible into shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis. The limited partners that share beneficial ownership of the shares held by GA GC are the following General Atlantic investment funds (the “
GA Funds
”): General Atlantic Partners 100, L.P. (“
GAP 100
”), General Atlantic Partners (Bermuda) EU, L.P. (“
GAP Bermuda EU
”), GAP Coinvestments III, LLC (“
GAPCO III
”), GAP Coinvestments IV, LLC (“
GAPCO IV
”), GAP Coinvestments V, LLC (“
GAPCO V
”) and GAP Coinvestments CDA, L.P. (“GAPCO CDA”). The general partner of GA GC is General Atlantic (SPV) GP, LLC (“
GA SPV
”). The general partner of GAP 100 is ultimately controlled by General Atlantic, L.P. (“
GA LP
”), which is controlled by the Management Committee of GASC MGP, LLC (the “
Management Committee
”). The general partner of GAP Bermuda EU is ultimately controlled by GAP (Bermuda) L.P. (“
GAP Bermuda
”), which is also controlled by the Management Committee. GA LP is the managing member of GAPCO III, GAPCO IV and GAPCO V, the general partner of GAPCO CDA and is the sole member of GA SPV. There are nine members of the Management Committee. GA GC, GA LP, GAP Bermuda, GA SPV and the GA Funds (collectively, the “
GA Group
”) are a “group” within the meaning of Rule 13d-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The mailing address of the foregoing General Atlantic entities, other than GAP Bermuda EU and GAP Bermuda, is c/o General Atlantic Service Company, L.P., 55 East 52nd Street, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10055. The mailing address of GAP Bermuda EU and GAP Bermuda is Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda. Each of the members of the Management Committee disclaims ownership of the shares except to the extent that he has a pecuniary interest therein.
(25)
Includes 500,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be bought in the PIPE Financing by GA GC.
 
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS
Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions—VGAC II
Class B Ordinary Shares
On January 22, 2021, prior to the initial public offering, VGAC II issued 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares to the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. On March 15, 2021, the Sponsor transferred 30,000 founder shares to each of the three independent VGAC II directors. As a result of the underwriters’ election to fully exercise their over-allotment option on April 13, 2021, 1,312,500 shares held by the Sponsor were no longer subject to forfeiture.
In addition, the Sponsor has agreed that the Sponsor Earnout Shares will be subject to certain
earn-out
provisions set forth in the Sponsor Agreement, with such shares vesting effective (i) with respect to 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period and (ii) with respect to the other 50% of the Sponsor Earnout Shares, if the daily volume weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 for any 20 trading days (which may be consecutive or not consecutive) within any
30-trading-day
period that occurs after the Closing Date and prior to expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period. In addition, in the event that (x) there is a Change of Control (or a definitive agreement providing for a Change of Control has been entered into) after the Closing and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period or (y) there is a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or similar event with respect to New Grove after the Closing Date and prior to the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest (to the extent such Sponsor Earnout Shares have not already been vested in accordance with the Sponsor Agreement). If, upon the expiration of the Sponsor Earnout Period, any Sponsor Earnout Shares shall have not vested, then such Sponsor Earnout Shares shall be automatically forfeited by the Sponsor and canceled by New Grove. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Sponsor Agreement
.”
Director Investments in the Sponsor
Each of Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Lovell invested $300,000 in the Sponsor and hold interests in the Sponsor that represent an indirect interest in 1,246,600 Class B ordinary shares and 197,939 private placement warrants. Mr. Burggraeve, Mr. Nelson and Ms. Peracha each invested $100,000, in the Sponsor indirectly through an investment in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC (an affiliate of the Sponsor), and each holds interests in VG Acquisition Holdings II LLC that represent an indirect interest in 70,216 Class B ordinary shares, and 66,550 private placement warrants. All of such securities would be worthless if a business combination is not consummated by March 25, 2023 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Existing Governing Documents).
Private Placement Warrants
Simultaneous with the consummation of the initial public offering, VGAC II consummated a private placement, pursuant to which Sponsor purchased 6,000,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.50 per private placement warrant, generating total proceeds of $9,000,000. On April 13, 2021, in connection with the underwriters’ election to fully exercise their over-allotment option, VGAC II sold an additional 700,000 private placement warrants to the Sponsor, at a price of $1.50 per private placement warrant, generating additional proceeds of $1,050,000. As a result of both private placements, the Sponsor purchased 6,700,000 private placement warrants for a total of $10,050,000.
 
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Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of VGAC II’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan VGAC II funds as may be required. If VGAC II completes an initial business combination, VGAC II may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to VGAC II. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that an initial business combination does not close, VGAC II may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from VGAC II’s trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants of the post-business combination company at a price of $1.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. To date, VGAC II had no outstanding borrowings under any arrangement. Pursuant to the Sponsor Agreement, VGAC II waived the right to convert any such loans into warrants of New Grove.
Administrative Services Agreement
Effective March 25, 2021, VGAC II entered into an agreement to pay monthly expenses of $10,000 for office space, secretarial, and administrative services to an affiliate of the Sponsor. The agreement terminates upon the earlier of the completion of an initial business combination or the liquidation of VGAC II.
VGAC II Registration Rights Agreement
VGAC II has previously entered into the VGAC II Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which its initial shareholders and their permitted transferees, if any, are entitled to certain registration rights with respect to the private placement warrants, the securities issuable upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the foregoing and upon conversion of the founder shares.
Registration Rights Agreement
At the Closing, New Grove intends to enter into the Registration Rights Agreement, which will terminate and replace the VGAC II Registration Rights Agreement and pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor will be granted certain registration rights with respect to its shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. For additional information, see “
Business Combination Proposal—Related Agreements—Registration Rights Agreement
.”
 
Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions—Grove Collaborative
Other than compensation arrangements for Grove Collaborative’s directors and executive officers, which are described elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the following describes transactions since January 1, 2019, and each currently proposed transaction in which:
 
   
Grove Collaborative has been or is to be a participant;
 
   
the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000; and
 
   
any of Grove Collaborative’s directors or executive officers that are expected to continue as directors or executive officers following the Business Combination or holders of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative’s capital stock, or any immediate family member of, or person sharing the household with, any of these individuals, had or will have a direct or material interest.
Family Relationships
Alexandra Crane, Stu Landesberg’s
sister-in-law,
is an employee of Grove Collaborative. Her employment began in May 2015, prior to her marriage to Mr. Landesberg’s brother. Ms. Crane does not report to Mr. Landesberg, her salary is $175,000, and in 2021 she was granted options to purchase 6,500 shares of Grove Collaborative’s common stock.
 
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Nicole De Crescenzo, Janae De Crescenzo’s
sister-in-law,
is an employee of Grove Collaborative. Her employment began in April 2018, prior to her marriage to Ms. De Crescenzo’s brother. Ms. Nicole De Crescenzo does not report to Ms. Janae De Crescenzo, her salary is $128,000, and in 2021 she was granted options to purchase 5,600 shares of Grove Collaborative’s common stock.
Series E Preferred Stock Financing (November 2020)
Between November 2020 and January 2021, Grove Collaborative issued an aggregate of 12,552,973 shares of Series E preferred stock at $9.9578 per share for aggregate proceeds to Grove Collaborative of approximately $125,000,000.
The table below sets forth the number of shares Series E preferred stock sold to Grove Collaborative directors, executive officers or owners of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof.
 
Name
  
Number of
Shares of
Series E
Preferred Stock
    
Aggregate
Purchase
Price
($)
 
SCM GC Investments Limited*(1)
     5,021,189      $ 49,999,995.83  
 
*
Owners, together with their affiliates, of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock
(1)
Additional details regarding this stockholder and its equity holdings are provided in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus under the section “
Beneficial Ownership of Securities
”.
Series
D-2
Preferred Stock Financing (May 2020)
Between August 2019 and September 2019, Grove Collaborative issued an aggregate of 12,373,174 shares of Series
D-2
preferred stock at $7.2738 per share for aggregate proceeds to Grove Collaborative of approximately $90,000,000.
The table below sets forth the number of shares Series
D-2
preferred stock sold to Grove Collaborative directors, executive officers or owners of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof.
 
Name
  
Number of
Shares of
Series
D-2

Preferred Stock
    
Aggregate
Purchase
Price
($)
 
SCM GC Investments Limited*(1)
     2,749,595      $ 20,000,004.11  
General Atlantic (GC), L.P. *(1)
     1,374,798      $ 10,000,005.69  
Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP*(1)
     1,374,798      $ 10,000,005.69  
Lone Cypress, Ltd. *(1)
     766,175      $ 5,573,003.72  
Lone Cascade, L.P. *(1)
     528,610      $ 3,845,003.42  
Mayfield Select, a Cayman Islands Exempted Partnership*(1)
     274,960      $ 2,000,004.05  
MHS Capital Partners II, L.P. *(1)
     137,480      $ 1,000,002.02  
Lone Monterey Master Fund, Ltd. *(1)
     38,219      $ 277,997.37  
Lone Sierra, L.P. *(1)
     26,809      $ 195,003.31  
Lone Spruce, L.P. *(1)
     14,985      $ 108,997.90  
Weatherspoon Costin Family Trust (2)
     13,748      $ 100,000.20  
Andy Rendich
     6,874      $ 50,000.10  
 
*
Owners, together with their affiliates, of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock
 
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(1)
Additional details regarding this stockholder and its equity holdings are provided in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus under the section “
Beneficial Ownership of Securities
(2)
Weatherspoon Costin Family Trust is an affiliate of Delida Costin, Grove Collaborative’s Secretary and Chief Legal and People Officer.
Series
D-1
Preferred Stock Financing (August 2019)
Between August 2019 and September 2019, Grove Collaborative issued an aggregate of 4,518,724 shares of Series
D-1
preferred stock at $10.6703 per share for aggregate proceeds to Grove Collaborative of approximately $48,216,000.
The table below sets forth the number of shares Series
D-1
preferred stock sold to Grove Collaborative directors, executive officers or owners of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof.
 
Name
  
Number of
Shares of
Series
D-1

Preferred Stock
    
Aggregate
Purchase
Price
($)
 
General Atlantic (GC), L.P. *(1)
     937,180      $ 9,999,991.76  
Norwest Ventures Partners XIII, LP*(1)
     374,872      $ 3,999,996.72  
Lone Cypress, Ltd. *(1)
     349,716      $ 3,731,574.64  
Mayfield Select, a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership*(1)
     93,718      $ 999,999.18  
Lone Spruce, L.P.*(1)
     6,410      $ 68,396.63  
 
*
Owners, together with their affiliates, of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock
(1)
Additional details regarding this stockholder and its equity holdings are provided in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus under the section “
Beneficial Ownership of Securities
Series D Preferred Stock Financing (January 2019)
Between January 2019 and February 2019, Grove Collaborative issued an aggregate of 15,154,816 shares of Series D preferred stock at $8.2482 per share for aggregate proceeds to Grove Collaborative of approximately $124,580,000.
The table below sets forth the number of shares Series D preferred stock sold to Grove Collaborative directors, executive officers or owners of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof.
 
Name
  
Number of
Shares of
Series D
Preferred Stock
    
Aggregate
Purchase
Price
($)
 
Lone Cypress, Ltd. *(1)
     6,534,759      $ 53,899,999.19  
General Atlantic (GC), L.P. *(1)
     5,823,008      $ 48,029,994.45  
Norwest Venture Partners XIII, LP*(1)
     1,382,119      $ 11,399,993.93  
MHS Capital Partners G2, LLC*(1)
     373,414      $ 3,079,993.37  
Mayfield Select, a Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership*(1)
     121,238      $ 999,995.28  
OBV Rooted, LLC(2)
     50,920      $ 419,998.35  
MHS Capital Partners II, L.P. *(1)
     26,672      $ 219,996.00
 
*
Owners, together with their affiliates, of more than 5% of Grove Collaborative capital stock
 
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(1)
Additional details regarding this stockholder and its equity holdings are provided in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus under the section “
Beneficial Ownership of Securities
(2)
OBV Rooted, LLC is an affiliate of John Replogle, a member of Grove Collaborative’s board of directors.
In addition to the primary issuance of Grove Collaborative’s Series D preferred stock, in connection with the financing, General Atlantic (GC), L.P. purchased an additional 1,181,578 shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock from certain stockholders of Grove Collaborative pursuant to individual secondary stock purchase and exchange agreements entered into by General Atlantic (GC), L.P., Grove Collaborative, and each Grove Collaborative stockholder participating in the transaction. Shares purchased by General Atlantic (GC), L.P. were immediately exchanged for Grove Collaborative’s Series D preferred stock. Each of Stuart Landesberg, Chris Clark, and Phil Moon entered into individual secondary stock purchase and exchange agreements and respectively sold 950,000, 125,000, 44,572 shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock to General Atlatnic (GC), L.P. in this portion of the financing.
Voting Agreement
Grove Collaborative entered into an Amended and Restated Voting Agreement, dated November 25, 2020, with certain holders of Grove Collaborative capital stock, including entities with which certain of Grove Collaborative’s directors and 5% stockholders are affiliated, pursuant to which parties agreed to vote their shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock on certain matters, including election of directors. This agreement will terminate in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination.
Investors’ Rights Agreement
Grove Collaborative is party to that certain Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated as of November 25, 2020, with certain holders of Grove Collaborative capital stock, including entities with which certain of Grove Collaborative’s directors and 5% stockholders are affiliated, which provides, among other things, that certain stockholders have the right to demand Grove Collaborative file a registration statement or request that their shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock be covered by a registration statement that Grove Collaborative is otherwise filing. This agreement with terminate in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination.
Right of First Refusal
Pursuant to certain of Grove Collaborative’s equity compensation plans and certain agreements with its stockholders, including that certain Amended and Restated Right of First Refusal and
Co-Sale
Agreement, dated as of November 25, 2020 (the “
ROFR Agreement
”), Grove Collaborative or its assignees have the right to purchase shares of Grove Collaborative capital stock which certain holders propose to sell to other parties. Certain holders of Grove Collaborative capital stock which are expected to hold more than 5% of New Grove Collaborative stock following the consummation of the Business Combination, including [•], have rights of first refusal and
co-sale
under the ROFR Agreement. This agreement will terminate in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination.
One Better Ventures Advisor Agreement
On September 17, 2018, Grove Collaborative purchased certain assets of Rooted Beauty, Inc. (the “
Rooted Beauty Purchase
”), and, in connection with the purchase, Grove Collaborative entered into an advisor agreement with OBV Rooted, LLC (
“OBV Rooted
”) for OBV Rooted to provide consulting services related to the Rooted Beauty Purchase. In exchange for the services, Grove Collaborative granted OBV Rooted 50,920 shares of Series D Preferred Stock and paid OBV Rooted $350,000 in 2020. OBV Rooted is an affiliate of Mr. Replogle.
 
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PIPE Financing
In connection with the Business Combination, VGAC II entered into Subscription Agreements with PIPE Investors to consummate the PIPE Financing, pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and VGAC II agreed to issue and sell to PIPE Investors, following the Domestication, an aggregate of 8,707,500 shares of New Grove Collaborative Class A Common Stock at a price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $87,075,000. Seven PIPE Investors are related parties of New Grove Collaborative.
The Subscription Agreements provide for certain registration rights. In particular, VGAC II is required to, no later than 20 calendar days after the consummation of the Business Combination, submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of New Grove Collaborative Class A Common Stock purchased in the PIPE Financing. Additionally, VGAC II is required to use commercially reasonable efforts to have the registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable after filing thereof, but not later than the earlier of (i) the 60th calendar day (or 90th calendar day if the SEC notifies VGAC II that it will “review” the registration statement) following the Closing Date and (ii) the 5th business day after VGAC II is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the registration statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review. The registration rights under the Subscription Agreement are separate and distinct from those provided for in the Registration Rights Agreement.
Indemnification Agreements
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, which will be effective upon the consummation of the Business Combination, will contain provisions limiting the liability of executive officers and directors, and the Proposed Bylaws, which will be effective upon the consummation of the Business Combination, will provide that New Grove Collaborative will indemnify each of its executive officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation will also provide the board of directors with discretion to indemnify certain key employees when determined appropriate by the board of New Grove Collaborative.
Grove Collaborative has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its officers and directors, and New Grove Collaborative intends to enter into new indemnification agreements with all of its directors and executive officers and other key employees. The indemnification agreements will provide that New Grove Collaborative will indemnify each of its directors, executive officers, and other key employees against any and all expenses incurred by such director, executive officer, or other key employee because of his or her status as one of the New Grove Collaborative directors, executive officers, or other key employees, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware Law, the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, and the Proposed Bylaws. In addition, the indemnification agreements will provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, New Grove Collaborative will advance all expenses incurred by its directors, executive officers, and other key employees in connection with the legal proceeding involving his or her status as a director, executive director, or key employee. For more information regarding these indemnification agreements, see the section entitled “
Description of New Grove Securities.
Support Agreement
For a detailed description of the Support Agreement, see the sections title “
The Business Combination—Support Agreement
” and “
The Merger and Related Agreements—Support Agreement
.”
Related Party Policy
Grove Collaborative, as a private company, does not have a formal written related party transaction policy. The post-Business Combination company will implement policies and procedures with respect to the approval of related party transactions in connection with the Closing.
 
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COMPARISON OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
VGAC II is an exempted company incorporated under the Cayman Islands Companies Act. The Cayman Islands Companies Act, Cayman Islands law and the Existing Governing Documents govern the rights of its shareholders. The Cayman Islands Companies Act and Cayman Islands law generally differs in some material respects from laws generally applicable to United States corporations and their stockholders. In addition, the Existing Governing Documents differ in certain material respects from the Proposed Governing Documents. As a result, when you become a stockholder of New Grove, your rights will differ in some regards as compared to when you were a shareholder of VGAC II.
Below is a summary chart outlining important similarities and differences in the corporate governance and stockholder/shareholder rights associated with each of VGAC II and New Grove according to applicable law and/or the organizational documents of VGAC II and New Grove. You also should review the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws attached hereto as Annex C and Annex D to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, as well as the Delaware corporate law and corporate laws of the Cayman Islands, including the Cayman Islands Companies Act, to understand how these laws apply to VGAC II and New Grove.
 
    
Delaware
  
Cayman Islands
Stockholder/Shareholder Approval of Business Combinations
  
Mergers generally require approval of a majority of all outstanding shares.
Mergers in which less than 20% of the acquirer’s stock is issued generally do not require acquirer stockholder approval.
Mergers in which one corporation owns 90% or more of a second corporation may be completed without the vote of the second corporation’s board of directors or stockholders.
  
Mergers require a special resolution, and any other authorization as may be specified in the relevant articles of association. Parties holding certain security interests in the constituent companies must also consent.
All mergers (other than parent/ subsidiary mergers) require shareholder approval. Where a bidder has acquired 90% or more of the shares in a Cayman Islands company, it can compel the acquisition of the shares of the remaining shareholders and thereby become the sole shareholder.
A Cayman Islands company may also be acquired through a “scheme of arrangement” sanctioned by a Cayman Islands court and approved by 50%+1 in number and 75% in value of shareholders in attendance and voting at a shareholders’ meeting.
Stockholder/Shareholder Votes for Routine Matters
   Generally, approval of routine corporate matters that are put to a stockholder vote require the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the    Under Cayman Islands law and the Existing Governing Documents, routine corporate matters may be approved by an ordinary resolution (being the affirmative vote of at least a majority of shareholders present in
 
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Delaware
  
Cayman Islands
   meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter.    person or represented by proxy at the extraordinary general meeting and entitled to vote on such matter).
Appraisal Rights
   Generally, a stockholder of a publicly traded corporation does not have appraisal rights in connection with a merger. Stockholders of a publicly traded corporation do, however, generally have appraisal rights in connection with a merger if they are required by the terms of a merger agreement to accept for their shares: (a) shares or depository receipts of the corporation surviving or resulting from such merger; (b) shares of stock or depository receipts that will be either listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 holders; (c) cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depository receipts described in (a) and (b) above; or (d) any combination of the shares of stock, depository receipts and cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depository receipts described in (a), (b), and (c) above.    Pursuant to the Cayman Islands Companies Act, shareholders that dissent from a merger are entitled to be paid the fair market value of their shares, which if necessary may ultimately be determined by the court.
Inspection of Books and Records
   Any stockholder may inspect the corporation’s books and records for a proper purpose during the usual hours for business.    Shareholders generally do not have any rights to inspect or obtain copies of the register of shareholders or other corporate records of a company.
Stockholder/Shareholder Lawsuits
   A stockholder may bring a derivative suit subject to procedural requirements (including adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum as per Governing Documents Proposal C).    In the Cayman Islands, the decision to institute proceedings on behalf of a company is generally taken by the company’s board of directors. A shareholder may be entitled to bring a derivative action on behalf of the company, but only in certain limited circumstances.
 
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Delaware
  
Cayman Islands
Fiduciary Duties of Directors
   Directors must exercise a duty of care and duty of loyalty and good faith to the company and its stockholders.   
A director owes fiduciary duties to a company, including to exercise loyalty, honesty, and good faith to the company as a whole.
In addition to fiduciary duties, directors owe a duty of care, diligence, and skill. Such duties are owed to the company but may be owed direct to creditors or shareholders in certain limited circumstances.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
   A corporation is generally permitted to indemnify its directors and officers acting in good faith.    A Cayman Islands company generally may indemnify its directors or officers except with regard to fraud, dishonesty, or willful default or to protect from the consequences of committing a crime.
Limited Liability of Directors
   Permits limiting or eliminating the monetary liability of a director to a corporation or its stockholders, except with regard to breaches of duty of loyalty, intentional misconduct, unlawful repurchases or dividends, or improper personal benefit.    Liability of directors may be limited, except with regard to their own fraud or willful default.
 
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DESCRIPTION OF NEW GROVE SECURITIES
The following summary of certain provisions of New Grove securities does not purport to be complete and is subject to the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, the Proposed Bylaws, and the provisions of applicable law. Copies of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D, respectively.
Authorized Capitalization
General
The total amount of VGAC II’s authorized share capital consists of 600,000,000 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, 200,000,000 shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, and 100,000,000 shares of New Grove Preferred Stock. VGAC II expects to have approximately (i) [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and [●] shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock outstanding immediately after the consummation of the Business Combination, assuming that none of VGAC II’s outstanding Class A ordinary shares are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination, and (ii) [●] shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and [●] shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock outstanding immediately after the consummation of the Business Combination, assuming [●] of VGAC II’s outstanding public shares (being VGAC II’s estimate of the maximum number of public shares that could be redeemed in connection with the Business Combination in order to satisfy the Minimum Available Cash Condition based on a per share redemption price of $10.00 per share) are redeemed in connection with the Business Combination.
The following summary describes all material provisions of VGAC II’s capital stock. VGAC II urges you to read the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws (copies of which are attached to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus as Annex C and Annex D, respectively).
Common Stock
New Grove Class A Common Stock
Voting rights
. Each holder of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of New Grove Class A Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters voted upon by New Grove stockholders, provided, however, that, except as otherwise required in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, as provided by law or by the resolution(s) or any certificate of designation providing for the issue of any New Grove Preferred Stock, the holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock will not be entitled to vote on any amendment to New Grove’s Proposed Certificate of Incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of New Grove Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to New Grove’s Proposed Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of New Grove Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.
Dividend rights
. Subject to the DGCL and the rights of holders of New Grove Preferred Stock, holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to receive ratably, on a per share basis, dividends and other distributions in cash, capital stock, or property of New Grove as may be declared and paid from time to time by the New Grove Board out of any of New Grove’s assets or funds legally available therefor; provided, that in the event a dividend is paid in the form of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove Class B Common Stock (or rights to acquire such shares), then the holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock will receive shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (or rights to acquire such shares, as the case may be) and the holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock will receive shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock (or rights to acquire such shares, as the case may be), with the holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock receiving, on a per share basis, the same number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove Class B Common Stock, as applicable.
 
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Rights upon liquidation
. Subject to the DGCL and the rights of holders of New Grove Preferred Stock, holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of New Grove, shall be entitled to receive all of the assets and funds of New Grove available for distribution in the event of any liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of New Grove, whether voluntary or involuntary, ratably in proportion to the number of shares of the New Grove Class A Common Stock held by them.
Other rights
. No holder of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be entitled to preemptive or subscription rights contained in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or in the Proposed Bylaws. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the New Grove Class A Common Stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of the New Grove Class A Common Stock will be subject to those of the holders of any shares of the New Grove Preferred Stock that New Grove may issue in the future.
New Grove Class B Common Stock
Voting rights
. Each holder of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to ten (10) votes for each share of New Grove Class B Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters voted upon by
New Grove’s stockholders, provided, however, that, except as otherwise required in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, as provided by law or by the resolution(s) or any certificate of designation providing for the issue of any New Grove Preferred Stock, the holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock will not be entitled to vote on any amendment to New Grove’s Proposed Certificate of Incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of New Grove Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to New Grove’s Proposed Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of New Grove Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.
Dividend rights
. Subject to the DGCL and the rights of holders of New Grove Preferred Stock, holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to receive ratably, on a per share basis, dividends and other distributions in cash, stock, or property of New Grove as may be declared and paid from time to time by the New Grove Board out of any of New Grove’s assets or funds legally available therefor; provided that in the event a dividend is paid in the form of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove Class B Common Stock (or rights to acquire such shares), then the holders of New Grove Class A Common Stock will receive shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (or rights to acquire such shares, as the case may be) and the holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock will receive shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock (or rights to acquire such shares, as the case may be), with the holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock receiving, on a per share basis, the same number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or New Grove Class B Common Stock, as applicable.
Rights upon liquidation
. Subject to the DGCL and the rights of holders of New Grove Preferred Stock, holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and New Grove Class B Common Stock, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of New Grove, shall be entitled to receive all of the assets and funds of New Grove available for distribution in the event of any liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of New Grove, whether voluntary or involuntary, ratably in proportion to the number of shares of the New Grove Class B Common Stock held by them.
Transfers.
Pursuant to the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock are generally restricted from transferring such shares, other than to another Class B Common Stockholder or a Permitted Entity (as defined in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation).
 
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Mandatory Conversion.
Each share of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be automatically converted into an equal number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock upon any Transfer (as defined in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation) of such shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock, except for a Transfer to a Permitted Entity (as defined in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation). Holders of New Grove Class B Common Stock may also elect to convert into an equal number of fully paid and nonassesable shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at their option.
Other rights
. No holder of shares of New Grove Class B Common Stock will be entitled to preemptive or subscription rights contained in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or in the Proposed Bylaws. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the New Grove Class B Common Stock. The rights, preferences, and privileges of holders of the New Grove Class B Common Stock will be subject to those of the holders of any shares of the New Grove Preferred Stock that New Grove may issue in the future.
Preferred Stock
The New Grove Board has the authority to issue shares of preferred stock from time to time on terms it may determine, to divide shares of preferred stock into one or more series, and to fix the designations, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of any series to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. The issuance of New Grove Preferred Stock could have the effect of decreasing the trading price of New Grove Class A Common Stock, restricting dividends on the capital stock of New Grove, diluting the voting power of the New Grove Class A Common Stock, impairing the liquidation rights of the capital stock of New Grove, or delaying or preventing a change in control of New Grove.
Election of Directors and Vacancies
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors of the New Grove Board shall be fixed solely and exclusively by resolution duly adopted from time to time by the New Grove Board, but shall initially consist of seven directors. Under the Proposed Bylaws, at all meetings of stockholders called for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes properly cast will be sufficient to elect such directors to the New Grove Board.
The New Grove Board will be divided into three classes of directors designated as Class I, Class II, and Class III, respectively. Except as the DGCL may otherwise require and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of New Grove Preferred Stock, in the interim between annual meetings of stockholders or special meetings of stockholders called for the election of directors and/or the removal of one or more directors and the filling of any vacancy in that connection, newly created directorships, and any vacancies on the New Grove Board, including unfilled vacancies resulting from the removal of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director (and not by New Grove stockholders). All directors will hold office until the expiration of their respective terms of office and until their successors will have been elected and qualified. A director elected or appointed to fill a vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, or removal of a director or a newly created directorship will serve for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor will have been elected and qualified.
Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of New Grove Preferred Stock, any director may be removed from office only with cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding voting stock of New Grove entitled to vote at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.
In addition to the powers and authorities before or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by New
 
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Grove, subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the DGCL, the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, and to any Proposed Bylaws adopted and in effect from time to time; provided, however, that no bylaw so adopted will invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such bylaw had not been adopted.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, any director elected pursuant to the right, if any, of the holders of New Grove Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances will serve for such term or terms and pursuant to such other provisions as specified in the relevant certificate of designations related to the New Grove Preferred Stock.
Quorum
The holders of a majority of the voting power of the capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business except as otherwise required by law or provided by the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or Proposed Bylaws; provided, however, that where a separate vote by a class or classes or series of capital stock is required by law or the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of such class or classes or series of the capital stock of New Grove issued and outstanding and entitled to vote on such matter, present in person, present by means of remote communication in a manner, if any, authorized by the New Grove Board in its sole discretion, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to the vote on such matter. If, however, such quorum will not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairperson of the meeting will have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum will be present or represented. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum will be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting will be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at such adjourned meeting as of the record date fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.
Anti-takeover Effects of the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation and the Proposed Bylaws contain provisions that may delay, defer, or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. VGAC II expects that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of New Grove to first negotiate with the New Grove Board, which VGAC II believes may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of New Grove’s stockholders. However, they also give the New Grove Board the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of NYSE, which would apply if and so long as the New Grove Class A Common Stock (or units or warrants) remains listed on NYSE, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then-outstanding voting power or then-outstanding number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. Additional shares that may be issued in the future may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital, or to facilitate acquisitions.
One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved common stock may be to enable the New Grove Board to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of New Grove by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest, or otherwise and thereby protect the continuity of management and possibly deprive stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
 
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Dual-Class Stock
As described above in “—
Common Stock—Class
 A Common Stock—Voting Rights
” and “—
Common Stock—Class
 B Common Stock—Voting Rights
,” the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation will provide for a dual-class common stock structure.
Special Meeting, Action by Written Consent, and Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals
Unless otherwise required by law, and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of New Grove Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of New Grove, for any purpose or purposes, may be called only by a majority of the New Grove Board, the Chairman of the New Grove Board, the Chief Executive Officer of New Grove or when requested in writing by the holders of not less than 20% of all votes entitled to be cast at the meeting, and may not be called by any other person. Unless otherwise required by law, written notice of a special meeting of stockholders, stating the time, place, and purpose or purposes thereof, shall be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting, not less than ten or more than sixty (60) days before the date fixed for the meeting. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders will be limited to the purposes stated in the notice.
The Proposed Bylaws also provide that unless otherwise restricted by the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or the Proposed Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the New Grove Board or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the New Grove Board or of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the New Grove Board or committee.
In addition, the Proposed Bylaws require advance notice procedures for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders, including the nomination of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider the proposals specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the New Grove Board, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered a timely written notice in proper form to New Grove’s secretary, of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting.
These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting any stockholder actions, even if they are favored by the holders of a majority of New Grove’s outstanding voting securities.
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote on amendments to a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws is required to approve such amendment, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage.
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation will provide that all provisions therein may be altered, amended, or repealed only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least
two-thirds
(66.7%) in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. Additionally, the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation will provide that the authorized number of shares of any class of stock may not be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then-outstanding) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the stock entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.
The Proposed Bylaws may be amended, altered, or repealed (A) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the New Grove Board or (B) in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of New Grove required by law or the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least
two-thirds
(66.7%) of the voting power of all then-outstanding shares of capital stock of New Grove entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
 
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Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
Section 203 of the DGCL provides that if a person acquires 15% or more of the voting stock of a Delaware corporation, such person becomes an “interested stockholder” and may not engage in certain “business combinations” with the corporation for a period of three years from the time such person acquired 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock, unless:
 
  (1)
the board of directors approves the acquisition of stock or the merger transaction before the time that the person becomes an interested stockholder;
 
  (2)
the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation at the time the merger transaction commences (excluding voting stock owned by directors who are also officers and certain employee stock plans); or
 
  (3)
the merger transaction is approved by the board of directors and at a meeting of stockholders, not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
A Delaware corporation may elect in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws not to be governed by this particular Delaware law.
Classified Board and Stockholder Action by Written Consent
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation provides that the New Grove Board will be classified into three classes of directors, each of which will hold office for a three-year term. A third party may be discouraged from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of New Grove at a time when there is a classified board as it is more difficult and time consuming for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors on a classified board of directors.
Under the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation, New Grove stockholders will be required to take action at an annual or special meeting of New Grove stockholders. This provision may have the effect of delaying or preventing hostile stockholder action designed to effect a change in control of New Grove.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation limits the liability of the directors of New Grove to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and the Proposed Bylaws provide that VGAC II will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by such law. VGAC II has entered and expects to continue to enter into agreements to indemnify VGAC II directors, executive officers, and other employees as determined by the New Grove Board. Under the terms of such indemnification agreements, VGAC II is required to indemnify each of VGAC II directors, officers, and other employees party to such an agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware, if the basis of the indemnitee’s involvement was by reason of the fact that the indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of New Grove or any of its subsidiaries or was serving at New Grove’s request in an official capacity for another entity. VGAC II must indemnify VGAC II’s officers and directors against all reasonable fees, expenses, charges, judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and other costs of any type or nature whatsoever, including any and all expenses and obligations paid or incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in, participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness or participate in any completed, actual, pending, or threatened action, suit, claim, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, or establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under the indemnification agreement. The indemnification agreements also require us, if so requested, to advance within 20 days (or 10 days in any action brought by the indemnitee for indemnification under the indemnification agreement) of such request all reasonable fees, expenses, charges, and other costs that such director, officer or other employee party to such an agreement incurred, provided that such person will return any such advance if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification by us.
 
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Any claims for indemnification by New Grove directors, officers, or other employees may reduce New Grove’s available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims against New Grove and may reduce the amount of money available to New Grove.
Exclusive Jurisdiction of Certain Actions
The Proposed Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless New Grove consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that derivative actions brought in the name of New Grove, actions against current or former directors, officers, employees, and agents for breach of fiduciary duty, actions asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation or the Proposed Bylaws and actions asserting a claim against New Grove governed by the internal affairs doctrine may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and any stockholder will be deemed to have consented to such provision. Although VGAC II believes this provision benefits New Grove by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against VGAC II directors and officers.
The exclusive forum provision in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation would not apply to claims brought under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act. To the extent the exclusive forum provision restricts the venue in which holders of New Grove common stock may bring claims arising under the federal securities laws, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions. The exclusive forum provision in the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation shall not relieve New Grove of its duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and New Grove’s stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
In addition, the Proposed Certificate of Incorporation require that, unless New Grove consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act.
Warrants
New Grove Public Warrants
Each New Grove public warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one (1) share of New Grove at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of one year from the closing of the initial public offering and 30 days after the completion of an initial business combination, provided in each case that New Grove has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or New Grove permits holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares are registered, qualified, or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrantholder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrantholder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least three units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of an initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
New Grove will not be obligated to deliver any shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the New Grove Class A Common Stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to New Grove satisfying its obligations described below with respect to registration, or a valid exemption from registration is available. No
 
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warrant will be exercisable and New Grove will not be obligated to issue a share of New Grove Class A Common Stock upon exercise of a warrant unless the share of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified, or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will New Grove be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of New Grove Class A Common Stock underlying such unit.
VGAC II has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the Closing, New Grove will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. New Grove will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the sixtieth (60th) business day after the Closing, warrantholders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when VGAC II will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, New Grove may, at New Grove’s option, require holders of New Grove public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event New Grove so elects, New Grove will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event New Grove does not so elect, New Grove will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering each such warrant for that number of New Grove Class A Common Stock shares equal to the less of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of New Grove Class A Common Stock underlying the warrants, multiplied the excess of the “fair market value” less the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.361. The “fair market value” shall mean the volume weighted average price of the New Grove Class A Common Stock shares for the 10 trading days ending on the trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent.
Redemption of Warrants When the Price per New Grove Class A Common Stock Equals or Exceeds $18.00
Once the warrants become exercisable, VGAC II may redeem the outstanding warrants:
 
   
in whole and not in part;
 
   
at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
 
   
upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrantholder; and
 
   
if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the New Grove Class A Common Stock for any 20 trading days within a
30-trading-day
period ending three business days before New Grove sends the notice of redemption to the warrantholders (which is referred to as the “
Reference Value
”) equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like).
If and when the warrants become redeemable by New Grove, New Grove may exercise its redemption right even if New Grove is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. However, New Grove will not redeem the warrants unless an effective registration statement
 
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under the Securities Act covering the New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those New Grove Class A Common Stock is available throughout the
30-day
redemption period.
VGAC II has established the last of the redemption criteria discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and New Grove issues a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrantholder will be entitled to exercise his, her, or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for share
sub-divisions,
share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
Redemption of Warrants for New Grove Class A Common Stock Equals or Exceeds $10.00
Commencing ninety (90) days after the warrants become exercisable, VGAC II may redeem the outstanding warrants:
 
   
in whole and not in part;
 
   
at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares determined by reference to the table below, based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of New Grove Class A Common Stock (as defined below);
 
   
if, and only if, the Reference Value (as defined above under “Redemption of Warrants When the Price per New Grove Class A Common Stock Equals or Exceeds $18.00”) equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted per share
sub-divisions,
share dividends, reorganizations, reclassifications, recapitalizations, and the like); and
 
   
if the Reference Value is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share
sub-divisions,
share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) the private placement warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding public warrants, as described above.
The numbers in the table below represent the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock that a warrantholder will receive upon exercise in connection with a redemption by New Grove pursuant to this redemption feature, based on the “fair market value” of the New Grove Class A Common Stock on the corresponding redemption date (assuming holders elect to exercise their warrants and such warrants are not redeemed for $0.10 per warrant), determined based on the average of the volume-weighted average price for the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, and the number of months that the corresponding redemption date precedes the expiration date of the warrants, each as set forth in the table below. New Grove will provide its warrantholders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the
10-trading-day
period described above ends.
The share prices set forth in the column headings of the table below will be adjusted as of any date on which the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of a warrant or the exercise price of the warrant is adjusted as set forth under the heading “
—Anti-dilution Adjustments
” below. If the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant is adjusted, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will equal the share prices immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the exercise price of the warrant after such adjustment and the denominator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant as so adjusted. If the exercise price of the warrant is adjusted as a result of raising capital in connection with the initial business combination, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price as set forth under the heading “
—Anti-dilution Adjustments”
and the denominator of which is $10.00.
 
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Redemption Date
(period to expiration of warrants)
  
$Fair Market Value of Class A Ordinary Shares
 
  
³
$10.00
    
$11.00
    
$12.00
    
$13.00
    
$14.00
    
$15.00
    
$16.00
    
$17.00
    
³
$18.00
 
60 months
     0.261        0.281        0.297        0.311        0.324        0.377        0.348        0.358        0.361  
57 months
     0.257        0.277        0.294        0.310        0.324        0.337        0.348        0.358        0.365  
54 months
     0.252        0.272        0.291        0.307        0.322        0.335        0.347        0.357        0.365  
51 months
     0.246        0.268        0.287        0.304        0.320        0.333        0.346        0.357        0.365  
48 months
     0.241        0.263        0.283        0.301        0.317        0.332        0.344        0.356        0.365  
45 months
     0.235        0.258        0.279        0.298        0.315        0.330        0.343        0.356        0.365  
42 months
     0.228        0.252        0.274        0.294        0.312        0.328        0.342        0.355        0.364  
39 months
     0.221        0.246        0.269        0.290        0.309        0.325        0.340        0.354        0.364  
36 months
     0.213        0.239        0.263        0.285        0.305        0.323        0.339        0.353        0.364  
33 months
     0.205        0.232        0.257        0.280        0.301        0.320        0.337        0.352        0.364  
30 months
     0.196        0.224        0.250        0.274        0.297        0.316        0.335        0.351        0.364  
27 months
     0.185        0.214        0.242        0.268        0.291        0.313        0.332        0.350        0.364  
24 months
     0.173        0.204        0.233        0.260        0.285        0.308        0.329        0.348        0.364  
21 months
     0.161        0.193        0.223        0.252        0.279        0.304        0.326        0.347        0.364  
18 months
     0.146        0.179        0.211        0.242        0.271        0.298        0.322        0.345        0.363  
15 months
     0.130        0.164        0.197        0.230        0.262        0.291        0.317        0.342        0.363  
12 months
     0.111        0.146        0.181        0.216        0.250        0.282        0.312        0.339        0.363  
9 months
     0.090        0.125        0.162        0.199        0.237        0.272        0.305        0.336        0.362  
6 months
     0.065        0.099        0.137        0.178        0.219        0.259        0.296        0.331        0.362  
3 months
     0.034        0.065        0.104        0.150        0.197        0.243        0.286        0.326        0.361  
0 months
     —          —          0.042        0.115        0.179        0.233        0.281        0.323        0.361  
The exact fair market value and redemption date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case, if the fair market value is between two values in the table or the redemption date is between two redemption dates in the table, the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued for each warrant exercised will be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of shares set forth for the higher and lower fair market values and the earlier and later redemption dates, as applicable, based on a
365-
or
366-day
year, as applicable. For example, if the volume-weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading date prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $11.00 per share, and at such time there are 57 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.277 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock for each whole warrant. For an example, where the exact fair market value and redemption date are not as set forth in the table above, if the volume-weighted average price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock as reported during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $13.50 per share, and at such time there are 38 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.298 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock for each whole warrant. In no event will the warrants be exercisable in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock per warrant (subject to adjustment).
This redemption feature is structured to allow for all of the outstanding warrants to be redeemed when the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock are trading at or above $10.00 per share, which may be at a time when the trading price of New Grove Class A Common Stock is below the exercise price of the warrants. VGAC II has established this redemption feature to provide New Grove with the flexibility to redeem the warrants without the warrants having to reach the $18.00 per share threshold set forth above under “
—Redemption of Warrants When the Price per New Grove Class
 A Common Stock Equals or Exceeds $18.00.
” Holders choosing to exercise their warrants in connection with a redemption pursuant to this feature will, in effect, receive a number of shares for their warrants based on an option pricing model with a fixed volatility input as of the date of this prospectus. This redemption right provides New Grove with an additional mechanism by which to redeem
 
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all of the outstanding warrants, and therefore have certainty as to New Grove’s capital structure as the warrants would no longer be outstanding and would have been exercised or redeemed. New Grove will be required to pay the applicable redemption price to warrantholders if New Grove chooses to exercise this redemption right and it will allow New Grove to quickly proceed with a redemption of the warrants if New Grove determines it is in New Grove’s best interest to do so. As such, New Grove would redeem the warrants in this manner when it believes it is in New Grove’s best interest to update New Grove’s capital structure to remove the warrants and pay the redemption price to the warrantholders.
As stated above, New Grove can redeem the warrants when the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock are trading at a price starting at $10.00, which is below the exercise price of $11.50, because it will provide certainty with respect to New Grove’s capital structure and cash position while providing warrantholders with the opportunity to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis for the applicable number of shares. If New Grove chooses to redeem the warrants when the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock are trading at a price below the exercise price of the warrants, this could result in the warrantholders receiving fewer shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock than they would have received if they had chosen to wait to exercise their warrants for shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock if and when such shares were trading at a price higher than the exercise price of $11.50.
No fractional shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, VGAC II will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the warrants are exercisable for a security other than the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock pursuant to the warrant agreement, the warrants may be exercised for such security. At such time as the warrants become exercisable for a security other than the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, New Grove will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register under the Securities Act the security issuable upon the exercise of the warrants.
Redemption Procedures
A holder of a warrant may notify New Grove in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-dilution Adjustments
If the number of outstanding shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is increased by a share capitalization payable in shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, or by a
split-up
of ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization,
split-up,
or similar event, the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of common stock. A rights offering to holders of ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock at a price less than the “historical fair market value” (as defined below) will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock) and (ii) one minus the quotient of (x) the price per New Grove Class A Common Stock share paid in such rights offering and (y) the historical fair market value. For these purposes, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price payable for shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) “historical fair market value” means
 
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the volume weighted average price of New Grove Class A Common Stock shares as reported during the
10-trading-day
period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock on account of such shares (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in connection with a proposed initial business combination, or (d) in connection with the redemption of the public shares upon VGAC II’s failure to complete a business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of New Grove Class A Common Stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split, or reclassification of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification, or similar event, the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock.
Whenever the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of share of New Grove Class A Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In addition, if (x) New Grove issue additional New Grove Class A Common Stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of an initial business combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the New Grove Board and, in the case of any such issuance to VGAC II’s initial shareholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any founder shares held by VGAC II’s initial shareholders or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “
Newly Issued Price
”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of an initial business combination, on the date of the completion of an initial business combination (net of redemptions) and (z) the volume-weighted average trading price of VGAC II Class A ordinary shares during the
20-trading-day
period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which New Grove completes an initial business combination (such price, the “
Market Value
”) is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $10.00 and $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described adjacent to “Redemption of warrants when the price per New Grove Class A Common Stock equals or exceeds $10.00” and “Redemption of warrants when the price per New Grove Class A Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00” will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 100% and 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, respectively.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of New Grove with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which New Grove is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock), or in
 
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the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of New Grove as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which New Grove is dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger, or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established
over-the-counter
market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the warrants. The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants.
The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrantholders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, VGAC II will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock to be issued to the warrantholder.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of an initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions, to VGAC II’s officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the Sponsor) and they will not be redeemable by us, so long as they are held by the Sponsor, members of the Sponsor, or their permitted transferees. The sponsor or its permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. Except as described below, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the public warrants. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by New Grove and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold.
 
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Except as described under “
—Redemption of Warrants When the Price per New Grove Class
 A Common Stock Equals or Exceeds $10.00
,” if holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “historical fair market value” of the New Grove Class A Common Stock over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes, the “historical fair market value” will mean the average reported closing price of the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that VGAC II has agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with New Grove following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with New Grove, their ability to sell New Grove securities in the open market will be significantly limited. New Grove expects to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling its securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell New Grove securities, an insider cannot trade in New Grove securities if he or she is in possession of material
non-public
information. Accordingly, unlike public shareholders who could exercise their warrants and sell the New Grove Class A Common Stock received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, VGAC II believes that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for New Grove Class A Common Stock and warrant agent for the New Grove Public Warrants and private placement warrants will be Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
Listing of Common Stock and Warrants
Application will be made for the shares of New Grove Class A Common Stock and the warrants of New Grove to be approved for listing on NYSE under the symbols “GROV” and “GROV WS,” respectively.
 
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SECURITIES ACT RESTRICTIONS ON RESALE OF NEW GROVE CLASS A COMMON STOCK
Pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“
Rule 144
”), a person who has beneficially owned restricted New Grove Class A Common Stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been an affiliate of New Grove at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) New Grove is subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve (12) months (or such shorter period as New Grove was required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted New Grove Class A Common Stock shares for at least six months but who are affiliates of New Grove at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
 
   
1% of the total number of New Grove Class A Common Stock then-outstanding; or
 
   
the average weekly reported trading volume of the New Grove Class A Common Stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Sales by affiliates of New Grove under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about New Grove.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
 
   
the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;
 
   
the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
 
   
the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding twelve months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form
8-K;
and
 
   
at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
As a result, the Sponsor will be able to sell its Class B ordinary shares and private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after VGAC II has completed the Business Combination. Absent registration under the Securities Act, other stockholders who receive restricted securities will not be permitted to sell their restricted securities under Rule 144 earlier than one year after VGAC II has completed the Business Combination.
VGAC II anticipates that following the consummation of the Business Combination, New Grove will no longer be a shell company, and so, once the conditions set forth in the exceptions listed above are satisfied, Rule 144 will become available for the resale of the above noted restricted securities.
 
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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AND NOMINATIONS
Stockholder Proposals
New Grove’s Proposed Bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholders who wish to present a proposal before an annual meeting of stockholders. New Grove’s Proposed Bylaws provide that the only business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders is business that is (i) specified in the notice of such meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the New Grove Board, (ii) otherwise properly brought before such meeting by or at the direction of the New Grove Board (or any committee thereof), or (iii) properly brought before such meeting by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record on the date of giving of the notice and on the record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting who has complied with the notice procedures specified in New Grove’s Proposed Bylaws. To be timely for New Grove’s annual meeting of stockholders, New Grove’s secretary must receive the written notice at New Grove’s principal executive offices:
 
   
not later than the close of business on the 90th day; and
 
   
not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day before the
one-year
anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting.
In the event that no annual meeting was held in the previous year or New Grove holds its annual meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before or 60 days after the
one-year
anniversary of a preceding year’s annual meeting, notice of a stockholder proposal must be received no earlier than the close of business on the 120th day before the meeting and not later than the later of (x) the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the scheduled date of such annual meeting or (y) the 10th day following the day on which notice of the date of such annual meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs. Nominations and proposals also must satisfy other requirements set forth in the Proposed Bylaws. The Chairperson of the New Grove Board may refuse to acknowledge the introduction of any stockholder proposal not made in compliance with the foregoing procedures.
Under Rule
14a-8
of the Exchange Act, a shareholder proposal to be included in the proxy statement and proxy card for the annual general meeting pursuant to Rule
14a-8
must be received at New Grove’s principal office a reasonable time before New Grove begins to print and send out its proxy materials for such annual meeting (and New Grove will publicly disclose such date when it is known).
Stockholder Director Nominees
New Grove’s Proposed Bylaws permit stockholders to nominate directors for election at an annual general meeting of stockholders. To nominate a director, the stockholder must provide the information required by New Grove’s Proposed Bylaws. In addition, the stockholder must give timely notice to New Grove’s secretary in accordance with New Grove’s Proposed Bylaws, which, in general, require that the notice be received by New Grove’s secretary within the time periods described above under
“—Stockholder Proposals”
for stockholder proposals.
 
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SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS
Shareholders and interested parties may communicate with the VGAC II Board, any committee chairperson or the
non-management
directors as a group by writing to the board or committee chairperson in care of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10012. Following the Domestication, such communications should be sent in care of New Grove, 1301 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111. Each communication will be forwarded, depending on the subject matter, to the board of directors, the appropriate committee chairperson, or all
non-management
directors.
 
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LEGAL MATTERS
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP have passed upon the validity of the securities of New Grove offered by this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and certain other legal matters related to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
OTHER MATTERS
As of the date of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the VGAC II Board does not know of any matters that will be presented for consideration at the extraordinary general meeting other than as described in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. If any other matters properly come before the extraordinary general meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and are voted upon, the enclosed proxy will be deemed to confer discretionary authority on the individuals that it names as proxies to vote the shares represented by the proxy as to any of these matters.
APPRAISAL RIGHTS
Under the DGCL, if a Grove stockholder does not wish to accept the merger consideration provided for in the Merger Agreement, does not consent to the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the Merger is consummated, such stockholder has the right to seek appraisal of his, her, or its shares of Grove Common Stock and to receive payment in cash for the fair value of his, her, or its shares of Grove Common Stock exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the Merger, as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery, together with interest, if any, to be paid upon the amount determined to be the fair value of such shares of Grove Common Stock. These rights are known as appraisal rights. The “fair value” of such shares of Grove Common Stock as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery may be more or less than, or the same as, the merger consideration that a stockholder of record is otherwise entitled to receive for the same number of shares of Grove Common Stock under the terms of the Merger Agreement. Stockholders of Grove who elect to exercise appraisal rights must comply with the provisions of Section 262 of the DGCL to perfect their rights. Strict compliance with the statutory procedures in Section 262 of the DGCL is required. Stockholders of Grove who wish to exercise appraisal rights, or preserve the ability to do so, must not deliver a signed written consent adopting the Merger Agreement.
This section is intended only as a brief summary of the material provisions of the statutory procedures under the DGCL that a Grove stockholder must follow in order to seek and perfect appraisal rights. This summary, however, is not a complete statement of all applicable requirements and the law pertaining to appraisal rights under the DGCL, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to Section 262 of the DGCL, the full text of which is attached as Annex K to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. The following summary does not constitute any legal or other advice, nor does it constitute a recommendation that stockholders exercise their appraisal rights under Section 262 of the DGCL. Unless otherwise noted, all references in this summary to “stockholders” or “you” are to the record holders of shares of Grove Common Stock immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger as to which appraisal rights are asserted. A person having a beneficial interest in shares of Grove Common Stock held of record in the name of another person must act promptly to cause the record holder to follow the steps summarized below properly and in a timely manner to perfect appraisal rights.
Section 262 of the DGCL requires that where a Merger Agreement is adopted by a written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting of stockholders, stockholders entitled to appraisal rights must be given notice within ten (10) days of the approval of the Merger that appraisal rights are available. A copy of Section 262 of the DGCL must be included with such notice. The notice must be provided after the Merger is approved and no later than ten (10) days after the effective date of the Merger. Only those Grove stockholders who did not submit a written consent adopting the Merger Agreement and who have otherwise complied with Section 262 of the
 
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DGCL are entitled to receive such notice. The notice may be given by Grove. If given at or after the effective date of the Merger, the notice must also specify the effective date of the Merger; otherwise, a supplementary notice will provide this information.
This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is not intended to constitute such a notice. Do not send in your demand before the date of such notice because any demand for appraisal made prior to your receipt of such notice may not be effective to perfect your rights.
Following Grove’s receipt of sufficient written consents to adopt the Merger Agreement, Grove will send all
non-consenting
Grove stockholders who satisfy the other statutory conditions the notice within ten (10) days of the approval of the Merger regarding the receipt of such written consents and the availability of appraisal rights. A Grove stockholder electing to exercise his, her, or its appraisal rights will need to take action at that time, in response to such notice, but this description is being provided to all Grove stockholders now so you can determine whether you wish to preserve your ability to demand appraisal rights in the future in response to such notice.
In order to preserve your right to receive notice and to demand appraisal rights, you must not deliver a written consent adopting the Merger Agreement. As described below, you must also continue to hold your shares through the effective date of the Merger.
If you elect to demand appraisal of your shares of Grove Common Stock, you must, within twenty (20) days after the date of mailing of the notice, make a written demand for the appraisal of your shares of Grove Common Stock to Grove, at the specific address which will be included in the notice of appraisal rights.
Do not submit a demand before the date of the notice of appraisal rights because a demand that is made before the date of such notice may not be effective to perfect your appraisal rights.
A Grove stockholder wishing to exercise appraisal rights must hold of record the shares of Grove Common Stock on the date the written demand for appraisal is made. In addition, a holder must continue to hold of record the shares of Grove Common Stock through the effective date of the Merger. Appraisal rights will be lost if your shares of Grove Common Stock are transferred prior to the Effective Time. If you are not the stockholder of record, you will need to follow special procedures as discussed further below.
If you and/or the record holder of your shares of Grove Common Stock fail to comply with all of the conditions required by Section 262 of the DGCL to perfect your appraisal rights, and the Merger is completed, your shares of Grove Common Stock (assuming that you hold them through the Effective Time of the Merger) will be converted into the right to receive the merger consideration in respect thereof, as provided for in the Merger Agreement, but without interest, and you will have no appraisal rights with respect to such shares.
As noted above, a holder of shares of Grove Common Stock wishing to exercise his, her, or its appraisal rights must, within twenty (20) days after the date of mailing of the notice of appraisal rights, make a written demand for the appraisal of his, her, or its shares of Grove Common Stock. The demand must reasonably inform Grove of the identity of the stockholder of record and his, her, or its intent to demand appraisal of the fair value of the shares held by such holder. Only a holder of record of shares of Grove Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective date will be entitled to assert appraisal rights for the shares of Grove Common Stock registered in that holder’s name. The demand for appraisal should be executed by or on behalf of the holder of record of the shares of Grove Common Stock, fully and correctly, as the stockholder’s name appears on the Grove stock certificate(s), as applicable, should specify the stockholder’s name and mailing address and the number of shares registered in the stockholder’s name, and must state that the person intends thereby to demand appraisal of the stockholder’s shares of Grove Common Stock in connection with the Merger. The demand cannot be made by the beneficial owner of shares of Grove Common Stock if such beneficial owner does not also hold of record such shares. A beneficial owner of shares of Grove Common Stock held in “street name” who desires appraisal should take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that a timely and proper demand for appraisal is made by the record holder of such shares. Shares held through brokerage firms, banks,
 
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and other financial institutions are frequently deposited with and held of record in the name of a nominee of a central security depository, such as Cede & Co. Any beneficial holder desiring appraisal who holds shares through a brokerage firm, bank, or other financial institution is responsible for ensuring that the demand for appraisal is made by the record holder. The beneficial holder of such shares should instruct such firm, bank, or institution that the demand for appraisal be made by the record holder of the shares, which may be the nominee of a central security depository if the shares have been so deposited. As required by Section 262, a demand for appraisal must reasonably inform Grove of the identity of the holder(s) of record (which may be a nominee as described above) and of such holder’s intention to seek appraisal of such shares. If shares of Grove Common Stock are owned of record in a fiduciary capacity (such as by a trustee, guardian, or custodian) execution of the demand for appraisal should be made in that capacity. If the shares of Grove Common Stock are held of record by more than one person, as in a joint tenancy or tenancy in common, the demand should be executed by or for all joint owners. An authorized agent, including an authorized agent for two or more joint owners, may execute the demand for appraisal on behalf of a holder of record; however, the agent must identify the record holder or holders and expressly disclose the fact that, in executing the demand, he, she, or it is acting as agent for the record holder or holders. A record holder who holds shares of Grove Common Stock as a nominee for others, may exercise appraisal rights with respect to such shares held for one or more beneficial owners, while not exercising such rights with respect to shares held for other beneficial owners. In that case, the written demand should state the number of shares of Grove Common Stock as to which appraisal is sought. Where no number of shares of Grove Common Stock is expressly mentioned, the demand for appraisal will be presumed to cover all shares of Grove Common Stock held in the name of the record holder. Stockholders who hold their shares of Grove Common Stock in brokerage accounts or other nominee forms and who wish to exercise appraisal rights are urged to consult with their brokers to determine the appropriate procedures for the making of a demand for appraisal by such a nominee.
At any time within sixty (60) days after the effective date of the Merger, but not thereafter, any stockholder who has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined a proceeding as a named party may withdraw the demand for appraisal and accept the merger consideration for his, her, or its shares of Grove Common Stock by delivering to Grove a written withdrawal of the demand for appraisal. However, any such attempt to withdraw the demand made more than sixty (60) days after the effective date of the Merger will require written approval of Grove. Unless the demand for appraisal is properly withdrawn by the stockholder who has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined that proceeding as a named party within sixty (60) days after the effective date of the Merger, no appraisal proceeding in the Delaware Court of Chancery will be dismissed as to any Grove stockholder without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms as the court deems just. If Grove does not approve a request to withdraw a demand for appraisal when that approval is required, or if the Delaware Court of Chancery does not approve the dismissal of an appraisal proceeding, the stockholder will be entitled to receive only the appraised value determined in any such appraisal proceeding, which value could be less than, equal to or more than the merger consideration for his, her or its shares of Grove Common Stock.
Within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of the Merger, either Grove (as the surviving corporation of the Merger) or any stockholder who has complied with the requirements of Section 262 of the DGCL and is entitled to appraisal rights under Section 262 of the DGCL may commence an appraisal proceeding by filing a petition in the Delaware Court of Chancery demanding a determination of the fair value of the shares of Grove Common Stock held by all stockholders entitled to appraisal. Upon the filing of such a petition by a stockholder, service of a copy of such petition shall be made upon Grove. VGAC II has no present intent to cause Grove to file such a petition and has no obligation to cause such a petition to be filed, and stockholders should not assume that Grove will file a petition. Accordingly, it is the obligation of the holders of Grove Common Stock to initiate all necessary action to perfect their appraisal rights in respect of such shares of Grove Common Stock within the time prescribed in Section 262 of the DGCL, as the failure of a stockholder to file such a petition within the period specified could nullify his, her, or its previous written demand for appraisal. In addition, within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of the Merger, any stockholder who has properly complied with the requirements for the exercise of appraisal rights, upon written request, will be entitled
 
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to receive from Grove a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares of Grove Common Stock for which a written consent adopting the Merger Agreement was not submitted and with respect to which demands for appraisal have been received, and the aggregate number of holders of such shares. The statement must be mailed within ten (10) days after such written request has been received by Grove or within ten (10) days after the expiration of the period for delivery of demands for appraisal, whichever is later. A person who is the beneficial owner of shares of Grove Common Stock may, in such person’s own name, file a petition for appraisal or request from Grove such statement.
If a petition for appraisal is duly filed by a stockholder and a copy of the petition is served upon Grove, then Grove will be obligated, within twenty (20) days after receiving service of a copy of the petition, to file with the Delaware Register in Chancery a duly verified list containing the names and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded an appraisal of their shares of Grove Common Stock and with whom agreements as to the value of their shares of Grove Common Stock have not been reached. After notice to stockholders who have demanded appraisal, if such notice is ordered by the Delaware Court of Chancery, the Delaware Court of Chancery is empowered to conduct a hearing upon the petition and to determine those stockholders who have complied with Section 262 of the DGCL and who have become entitled to appraisal rights provided thereunder. The Delaware Court of Chancery may require stockholders who have demanded payment for their shares of Grove Common Stock to submit their stock certificates to the Delaware Register in Chancery for notation of the pendency of the appraisal proceedings, and if any stockholder fails to comply with that direction, the Delaware Court of Chancery may dismiss the proceedings as to that stockholder.
After determination of the stockholders entitled to appraisal of their shares of Grove Common Stock, the Delaware Court of Chancery will appraise such shares of Grove Common Stock, determining their fair value as of the effective date of the merger after taking into account all relevant factors exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the Merger, together with interest, if any, to be paid upon the amount determined to be the fair value. When the fair value has been determined, the Delaware Court of Chancery will direct the payment of such value upon surrender by those stockholders of the Grove stock certificates, representing their shares of Grove Common Stock. Holders of Grove Common Stock considering seeking appraisal should be aware that the fair value of their shares of Grove Common Stock as determined under Section 262 could be more or less than or the same as the consideration they would receive pursuant to the Merger if they did not seek appraisal of their shares of Grove Common Stock and that investment banking opinions as to fairness from a financial point of view are not necessarily opinions as to fair value under Section 262. The Delaware Supreme Court has stated that “proof of value by any techniques or methods which are generally considered acceptable in the financial community and otherwise admissible in court” should be considered in the appraisal proceedings. In addition, Delaware courts have decided that the statutory appraisal remedy, depending on factual circumstances, may or may not be a dissenter’s exclusive remedy. Unless the court in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown, interest from the effective date of the Merger through the date of payment of the judgment will be compounded quarterly and will accrue at 5% over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the effective date of the Merger and the date of payment of the judgment. At any time before the entry of judgment in the proceedings, Grove may pay to each stockholder entitled to appraisal an amount in cash, in which case interest shall accrue thereafter as provided above only upon the sum of (1) the difference, if any, between the amount so paid and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Court of Chancery and (2) interest theretofore accrued, unless paid at that time. The costs of the appraisal action (which do not include attorneys’ fees or the fees and expenses of experts) may be determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery and taxed upon the parties as the Delaware Court of Chancery deems equitable under the circumstances. The Delaware Court of Chancery may also order that all or a portion of the expenses incurred by a stockholder in connection with an appraisal, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and the fees and expenses of experts utilized in the appraisal proceeding, be charged pro rata against the value of all the shares entitled to be appraised.
No representation is made as to the outcome of the appraisal of fair value as determined by the court and stockholders should recognize that such an appraisal could result in a determination of a value lower than, or the
 
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same as, the merger consideration. Moreover, none of VGAC II or Grove anticipates offering more than the merger consideration to any stockholder exercising appraisal rights and VGAC II or Grove reserve the right to assert, in any appraisal proceeding, that, for purposes of Section 262 of the DGCL, the “fair value” of a share of Grove Common Stock is less than the per share merger consideration.
Under the Merger Agreement, holders of Grove Preferred Stock will have their shares converted into shares of Grove Common Stock immediately prior to the Effective Time. Accordingly, the foregoing discussion is applicable to holders of Grove Preferred Stock in their capacity as holders of Grove Common Stock immediately prior to the Merger.
FAILING TO FOLLOW PROPER STATUTORY PROCEDURES MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF YOUR APPRAISAL RIGHTS. In view of the complexity of Section 262 of the DGCL, holders of shares of Grove Common Stock who may wish to pursue appraisal rights should consult their legal and financial advisors.
VGAC II shareholders are not entitled to appraisal rights in connection with the Merger.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II as of January 26, 2021, and for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) through January 26, 2021, have been included herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of WithumSmith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of Grove Collaborative, Inc. at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, included in this preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II, which is referred to and made a part of this Prospectus and Registration Statement have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
HOUSEHOLDING; DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
Pursuant to the rules of the SEC, VGAC II and services that it employs to deliver communications to its shareholders are permitted to deliver to two or more shareholders sharing the same address a single copy of each of VGAC II’s annual report to shareholders and VGAC II’s proxy statement. Upon written or oral request, VGAC II will deliver a separate copy of the annual report to shareholders and/or proxy statement to any shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of each document was delivered and who wishes to receive separate copies of such documents. Shareholders receiving multiple copies of such documents may likewise request that VGAC II delivers single copies of such documents in the future. Shareholders may notify VGAC II of their requests by calling or writing VGAC II at its principal executive offices at 65 Bleecker Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10012.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITY
VGAC II is a Cayman Islands exempted company. If VGAC II does not change its jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to Delaware by effecting the Domestication, you may have difficulty serving legal process within the United States upon VGAC II. You may also have difficulty enforcing, both in and outside the United States, judgments you may obtain in U.S. courts against VGAC II in any action, including
 
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actions based upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal or state securities laws. Furthermore, there is doubt that the courts of the Cayman Islands would enter judgments in original actions brought in those courts predicated on U.S. federal or state securities laws. However, VGAC II may be served with process in the United States with respect to actions against VGAC II arising out of or in connection with violation of U.S. federal securities laws relating to offers and sales of VGAC II’s securities by serving VGAC II’s U.S. agent irrevocably appointed for that purpose.
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
The transfer agent for VGAC II’s securities is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
VGAC II has filed a registration statement on Form
S-4
to register the issuance of securities described elsewhere in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus. This proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus is a part of that registration statement.
VGAC II files reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC as required by the Exchange Act. You may access information on VGAC II at the SEC website containing reports, proxy statements and other information at: http://www.sec.gov. Those filings are also available free of charge to the public on, or accessible through, VGAC II’s corporate website at https://www.vgacquisition.com/. VGAC II’s website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus.
Information and statements contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or any annex to this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus are qualified in all respects by reference to the copy of the relevant contract or other annex filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus forms a part, which includes exhibits incorporated by reference from other filings made with the SEC.
All information contained in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus relating to VGAC II has been supplied by VGAC II, and all such information relating to Grove has been supplied by Grove. Information provided by one another does not constitute any representation, estimate or projection of the other.
If you would like additional copies of this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or if you have questions about the Business Combination, you should contact via phone or in writing:
[●]
[●]
[●]
Individuals call toll-free: [●]
Banks and brokers call collect: [●]
E-mail:
[●]
To obtain timely delivery of the documents, you must request them by [●], 2022 (five business days before the date of the meetings).
 
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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
    
Page
 
Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II - Index to Financial Statements
        
     F-2  
Financial Statements:
        
     F-3  
     F-4  
     F-5  
     F-6  
     F-7  
     F-17  
     F-18  
     F-19  
     F-20  
   
Grove Collaborative, Inc. - Index to Financial Statements
        
     F-37  
Financial Statements:
        
     F-38  
     F-39  
     F-40  
     F-41  
     F-42  
Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements:
        
     F-68  
     F-69  
     F-70  
     F-71  
     F-73  
 
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholder and the Board of Directors of
Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) as of January 26, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) through January 26, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 26, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) through January 26, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
New York, New York
March 24, 2021
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
BALANCE SHEET
JANUARY 26, 2021
 
ASSETS
  
Deferred offering costs
   $ 70,000  
  
 
 
 
TOTAL ASSETS
  
$
70,000
 
  
 
 
 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
  
Liabilities
  
Current Liabilities
  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
   $ 50,000  
Total Current Liabilities
  
 
50,000
 
  
 
 
 
Commitments and Contingencies
Shareholder’s Equity
  
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
     —    
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
         
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 10,062,500 shares issued and outstanding
(1)
     1,006  
Additional paid in capital
     23,994  
Accumulated deficit
     (5,000
  
 
 
 
Total Shareholder’s Equity
  
 
20,000
 
  
 
 
 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
  
$
70,000
 
  
 
 
 
 
(1)
Includes an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 4). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a
33-for-25
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a
35-for-33
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. All share and
per-share
amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share capitalizations (see Note 4).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 13, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 26, 2021
 
Formation costs
   $ 5,000  
  
 
 
 
Net Loss
  
$
(5,000
  
 
 
 
Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted
(1)
     8,750,000  
  
 
 
 
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share
  
$
(0.00
  
 
 
 
 
(1)
Excludes an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 4). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a
33-for-25
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a
35-for-33 share
split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. All share and
per-share
amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share capitalizations (see Note 4).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 13, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 26, 2021
 
   
Class B
Ordinary Shares
(1)
   
Additional
Paid in
Capital
   
Accumulated
Deficit
   
Total
Shareholder’s
Equity
 
   
Shares
   
Amount
 
Balance — January 13, 2021 (inception)
 
 
  
 
 
$
  
 
 
$
  
 
 
$
  
 
 
$
  
 
Issuance of Class B ordinary shares to Sponsor
(1)
    10,062,500       1,006       23,994                25,000  
Net loss
      —         —         (5,000     (5,000
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Balance — January 26, 2021
 
 
10,062,500
 
 
$
1,006
 
 
$
23,994
 
 
$
(5,000
 
$
20,000
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
(1)
Includes an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 4). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a
33-for-25
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a
35-for-33
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. All share and
per-share
amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share capitalizations (see Note 4).
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 13, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH JANUARY 26, 2021
 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
  
Net loss
   $ (5,000
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
  
Formation costs paid by Sponsor in consideration for issuance of Class B ordinary shares
     5,000  
  
 
 
 
Net cash used in operating activities
         
  
 
 
 
Net Change in Cash
  
 
  
 
Cash — Beginning of period
         
  
 
 
 
Cash — End of period
  
$
  
 
  
 
 
 
Non-cash
investing and financing activities:
  
Deferred offering costs included in accounts payable and accrued expenses
   $ 50,000  
  
 
 
 
Deferred offering cost paid by Sponsor in consideration for Class B ordinary shares
   $ 20,000  
  
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Virgin Group Acquisition Corp II (the “Company”) was incorporated in the Cayman Islands on January 13, 2021. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Business Combination”).
The Company is not limited to a particular industry or geographic region for purposes of consummating a Business Combination. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.
As of January 26, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity through January 26, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (the “Proposed Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate
non-operating
income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company’s ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a Proposed Public Offering of 35,000,000 units (the “Units” and, with respect to the Class A ordinary shares included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”) at $10.00 per Unit (or 40,250,000 Units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 6,000,000 warrants (or 6,700,000 warrants if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the “Private Placement Warrants”) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement to Virgin Group Acquisition Sponsor II LLC (the “Sponsor”), that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering, which is discussed in Note 4.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. The rules of the stock exchange that the Company will list its securities on will require that the Company’s initial Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 90% of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. The Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, will be held in a trust account (the “Trust Account”), located in the United States and invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting certain conditions of Rule
2a-7
of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the funds held in the Trust Account, as described below.
The Company will provide the holders of its issued and outstanding Public Shares (the “public shareholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The public shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations), calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of the Business Combination. The
per-share
amount to be distributed to Public Shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriter (as discussed in Note 5). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. The Public Shares subject to redemption will be recorded at redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks shareholder approval, it receives an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law approving a Business Combination, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the Company. If a shareholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, shareholder approval of the transactions is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to vote any Founder Shares (as defined in Note 4) and Public Shares held by it in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares, without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against a proposed Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Sponsor has agreed to waive: (i) its redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares and Public Shares held by it in connection with the completion of the Company’s Business Combination and (ii) their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and any Public Shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with its initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete its Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or
pre-initial
business combination activity.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
The Company will have until 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering to complete a Business Combination (the “Combination Period”). If the Company has not completed complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
The Sponsor has agreed to waive its liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the Sponsor acquires Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriter has agreed to waive its rights to their its deferred underwriting commission (see Note 5) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the
per-share
value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Proposed Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).
In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party (except for the Company’s the independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amounts in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share or (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the Trust Account nor will it apply to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriter of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
NOTE 2 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
The Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its anticipated obligations over the next year from the date of issuance of these financial statements. In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”)
2014-15,
“Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor that are sufficient to fund the working capital needs of the Company until the earlier of the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering and one year from the date of issuance of these financial statements.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to
non-emerging
growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods.
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal, accounting and other expenses incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to shareholder’s equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” which prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company’s management determined that the Cayman Islands is the Company’s major tax jurisdiction. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. As of January 26, 2021, there were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
The Company is considered to be an exempted Cayman Islands company with no connection to any other taxable jurisdiction and is presently not subject to income taxes or income tax filing requirements in the Cayman Islands or the United States. As such, the Company’s tax provision was zero for the period presented. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.
Net Loss Per Ordinary Share
Net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding during the period, excluding ordinary shares subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 1,312,500 Class B ordinary shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriter (see Note 4). At January 26, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into ordinary shares and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per ordinary share is the same as basic loss per ordinary share for the period presented.
Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
NOTE 3 — PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 35,000,000 Units (or 40,250,000 Units if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Unit will consist of one Class A ordinary share and
one-fifth
of one redeemable warrant (“Public Warrant”). Each whole Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 6).
NOTE 4 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder Shares
On January 22, 2021, the Company issued 7,187,500 Class B ordinary shares to the Sponsor in consideration for the Sponsor paying certain offering and formation costs on behalf of the Company with a value of $25,000 (the “Founder Shares”). On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a
33-for-25
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a
35-for-33
share split with respect to the founder shares resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. All share and
per-share
amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share capitalizations (see Note 7). The Founder Shares include an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 shares that are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the number of Founder Shares will equal 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
The Sponsor has agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of (i) one year after the completion of a Business Combination or (ii) the date following the completion of a Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any
30-trading
day period commencing at least 150 days after a Business Combination, the Founder Shares will be released from the lockup.
Private Placement
The Sponsor has agreed to purchase 6,000,000 Private Placement Warrants (or 6,700,000 Private Placement Warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $9,000,000 (or $10,050,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 6). A portion of the proceeds from the Private Placement Warrants will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering to be held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds of the sale of the Private Placement Warrants will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law), and the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless.
Promissory Note
Related Party
On January 22, 2021, the Company issued the Promissory Note to the Sponsor, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $250,000. The Promissory Note is
non-interest
bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) December 31, 2021 or (ii) the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. As of January 26, 2021, there were no outstanding amounts under the Promissory Note.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Related Party Loans
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (the “Working Capital Loans”). If the Company completes a Business Combination, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Business Combination or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into warrants of the post- Business Combination entity at a price of $1.50 per warrant. Such warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of January 26, 2020, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.
Administrative Support Agreement
The Company will enter into an agreement, commencing on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering, pursuant to which it will pay the Sponsor up to $10,000 per month for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative support services. Upon completion of a Business Combination or its liquidation, the Company will cease paying these monthly fees.
NOTE 5 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale. The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of a Business Combination. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriter a
45
-day
option from the date of the Proposed Public Offering to purchase up to 5,250,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriter will be entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $7,000,000 in the aggregate (or $8,050,000 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, the underwriter will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $12,250,000 in the aggregate (or $14,087,500 in the aggregate if the underwriter’s over- allotment option to purchase additional Units is exercised in full). The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriter from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Risks and Uncertainties
Management is continuing to evaluate the impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations, close of the proposed public offering and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
NOTE 6 — SHAREHOLDER’S EQUITY
Preference Shares
— The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share, with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At January 26, 2021, there were no preference shares issued or outstanding.
Class
 A Ordinary Shares
— The Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. At January 26, 2021, there were no Class A ordinary shares issued or outstanding.
Class
 B Ordinary Shares
— The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share. At January 26, 2021, there were 10,062,500 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding, of which an aggregate of up to 1,312,500 shares are subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriter’s over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the number of Class B ordinary shares will equal 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding ordinary shares after the Proposed Public Offering.
Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares will vote together as a single class on all other matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, except as required by law; provided that only holders of Class B ordinary shares have the right to vote on the appointment of directors prior to the Company’s initial Business Combination.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares concurrently with or immediately following the completion of a Business Combination on a
one-for-one
basis, subject to adjustment. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities are issued or deemed issued in connection with a Business Combination, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Founder Shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the total number of Class A ordinary shares outstanding after such conversion (after giving effect to any redemptions of Class A ordinary shares by public shareholders), including the total number of Class A ordinary shares issued, or deemed issued or issuable upon conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or rights issued or deemed issued, by the Company in connection with or in relation to the consummation of a Business Combination, excluding any Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities exercisable for or convertible into Class A ordinary shares issued, or to be issued, to any seller in a Business Combination and any private placement warrants issued to the Sponsor, officers or directors upon conversion of Working Capital Loans; provided that such conversion of Founder Shares will never occur on a less than
one-for-one
basis.
Warrants
— Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination and (b) 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a Public Warrant and will have no obligation to settle such Public Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the Public Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration. No Public Warrant will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption is available.
The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days, after the closing of the Company’s Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. If a registration statement covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective by the 60
th
business day after the closing of a Business Combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when the Company will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event the Company does not so elect, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Public Warrants for redemption:
 
   
in whole and not in part;
 
   
at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
 
   
upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption;
 
   
to each warrant holder; and
 
   
if, and only if, the reported closing price of the ordinary shares equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a
30-trading
day period ending three business days before we send to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if it is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, as described above, its management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a share dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, except as described below, the Public Warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of ordinary shares at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Public Warrants. If the
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of Public Warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their Public Warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such Public Warrants. Accordingly, the Public Warrants may expire worthless.
In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional Class A ordinary shares or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of a Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per Class A ordinary share (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or its affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or such affiliates, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “Newly Issued Price”), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of a Business Combination, and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Class A ordinary shares during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates a Business Combination (such price, the “Market Value”) is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
The Private Placement Warrants will be identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except that (x) the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions, (y) the Private Placement Warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis and be
non-redeemable
so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees and (z) the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will be entitled to registration rights. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.
NOTE 7 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On February 12, 2021, the Company effected a
33-for-25
share split with respect to the founder shares, resulting in an aggregate of 9,487,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. On March 22, 2021, the Company effected a
35-for-
33
share split with respect to the founder shares resulting in an aggregate of 10,062,500 founder shares issued and outstanding. All share and
per-share
amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the share capitalizations (see Note 4).
As of March 24, 2021, the Company had borrowed an aggregate of $125,103 under the Promissory Note.
The Company evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to March 24, 2021, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, other than mentioned above, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
(UNAUDITED)
 
ASSETS:
  
Current Assets:
  
Cash
   $ 58,873  
Prepaid expenses
     629,105  
    
 
 
 
Total current assets
  
 
687,978
 
Prepaid expenses
 
non-current
portion
     299,902  
Cash and investments held in trust account
     402,520,541  
    
 
 
 
TOTAL ASSETS
  
$
403,508,421
 
    
 
 
 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT
        
Current liabilities:
        
Accrued costs and expenses
   $ 982,691  
Due to related party
     61,667  
    
 
 
 
Total current liabilities
  
 
1,044,358
 
Warrant liability
     13,655,134  
Deferred underwriters’ discount
     14,087,500  
    
 
 
 
Total liabilities
  
 
28,786,992
 
Commitments and Contingencies
     
Class A Ordinary shares, $0.001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized;
 40,250,000 
Shares subject to possible redemption at a
redemption value of
$10.00
per share
     402,500,000  
Shareholders’ Deficit:
        
Preference shares, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
     —    
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized 10,062,500 shares issued and outstanding
     1,006  
Additional
paid-in
capital
         
Accumulated deficit
     (27,779,577
    
 
 
 
Total Shareholders’ deficit
  
 
(27,778,571
    
 
 
 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDER’S DEFICIT
  
$
403,508,421
 
    
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
  
For the three
months ended
September 30,
2021
 
 
For the period from
January 13, 2021
(inception) to
September 30, 2021
 
Formation and operating costs
   $ 1,208,967     $ 1,485,953  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Loss from operations
     (1,208,967     (1,485,953
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Other income (expense)
                
Interest income earned on investments held in trust account
     5,179       20,541  
Offering costs allocated to warrants
              (570,496
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
     6,658,475       6,496,009  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total other income
  
 
6,663,654
 
 
 
5,946,054
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net income
  
$
5,454,687
 
 
$
4,460,101
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class A ordinary shares
     40,250,000       28,918,582  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share, Class A
   $ 0.11     $ 0.12  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding, Class B ordinary shares
     10,062,500       9,640,625  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Basic and diluted net income per ordinary share, Class B
   $ 0.11     $ 0.12  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 AND FOR THE PERIOD FROM
JANUARY 13, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
  
Class B
Ordinary Shares
 
  
Additional
Paid In
Capital
 
 
Accumulated

Deficit
 
 
Total
Shareholders’

Deficit
 
 
  
Shares
 
  
Amount
 
Balance as of January 13, 2021 (inception)
  
 
  
 
  
$
  
 
  
$
  
 
 
$
 
 
$
  
 
Issuance of Class B Ordinary shares to Sponsor
     10,062,500        1,006        23,994                25,000  
Accretion for Class A Ordinary Shares to redemption amount
                       (23,994     (32,239,678     (32,263,672
Net loss
     —          —                   (994,586     (994,586
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Balance as of June 30, 2021
  
 
10,062,500
 
  
$
1,006
 
  
$
  
 
 
$
(33,234,264
 
$
(33,233,258
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net income
     —          —                   5,454,687       5,454,687  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Balance as of September 30, 2021
  
 
10,062,500
 
  
$
1,006
 
  
$
  
 
 
$
(27,779,577
 
$
(27,778,571
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 13, 2021 (INCEPTION) THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 (UNAUDITED)
 
Cash flows from operating activities:
        
Net income
   $ 4,460,101  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:
        
Interest income on cash and investments held in Trust Account
     (20,541
Offering costs allocated to warrant liability
     570,496  
Change in fair value of warrant liability
     (6,496,009
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
        
Prepaid assets
     (929,007
Accrued costs and expenses
     982,690  
Due to related party
     61,667  
    
 
 
 
Net cash used in operating activities
  
 
(1,370,603
    
 
 
 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
        
Investment of cash in Trust Account
     (402,500,000
    
 
 
 
Net cash used in investing activities
  
 
(402,500,000
Cash flows from financing activities:
        
Proceeds from purchase of Class B shares by initial shareholder
     25,000  
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of underwriters’ discount
     394,450,000  
Proceeds from private placement
     10,050,000  
Payment of offering costs
     (595,524
    
 
 
 
Net cash provided by financing activities
  
 
403,929,476
 
    
 
 
 
Net change in cash
     58,873  
Cash, beginning of the period
         
    
 
 
 
Cash, end of the period
   $ 58,873  
    
 
 
 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
        
Deferred underwriting commissions charged to temporary equity
   $ 14,087,500  
    
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
 
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VIRGIN GROUP ACQUISITION CORP. II
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
(UNAUDITED)
Note 1 — Organization and Business Operations
Virgin Group Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Cayman Islands
 
exempted company on January 13, 2021. The Company was formed for the purpose of acquiring, merging with, engaging in capital stock exchange with, purchasing all or substantially all of the assets of, engaging in contractual arrangements, or engaging in any other similar business combination with a single operating entity, or one or more related or unrelated operating entities operating in any sector (“Business Combination”). The Company has not selected any specific business combination target and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target with respect to the Business Combination.
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period through September 30, 2021 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (“IPO”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company will generate
non-operating
income in the form of interest income on from the proceeds derived from the IPO.
The registration statement for the Company’s IPO was declared effective on March 22, 2021 (the “Effective Date”). On March 25, 2021, the Company consummated the IPO of 35,000,000 units (the “Units”), which is discussed in Note 4. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”),
and one-fifth
of one redeemable warrant of the Company (“Warrant”), each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share. The Units were sold at a price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds of $350,000,000. Only whole warrants are exercisable.
Concurrently with the closing of the IPO, the Company completed the private sale (the “Private Placement”) of 6,000,000 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) to Virgin Group Acquisition Sponsor II LLC (the “Sponsor”) at a purchase price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $9,000,000, which is discussed in Note 5.
Transaction costs of the IPO amounted to $19,845,525 consisting of $7,000,000 of underwriting discount, $12,250,000 of deferred underwriting discount, and $595,525 of other offering costs.
On April 13, 2021, the underwriters exercised their full over-allotment option which resulted in the sale of an additional 5,250,000 units to the public generating additional proceeds of $52,500,000. The over-allotment exercise resulted in an additional purchase of 700,000 Private Placement Warrants which generated gross proceeds of $1,050,000.
Additional transaction costs of the overallotment amounted to $2,887,500 consisting of $1,050,000 of underwriting discount and $1,837,500 of deferred underwriting discount.
As of September 30, 2021, $58,873 of cash is not held in the Trust Account (as defined below) and is available for working capital purposes.
The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the IPO, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business
 
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Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting commissions) at the time of the agreement to enter into the initial Business Combination. However, the Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
Following the closing of the Public Offering on March 25, 2021, and the over-allotment exercise on April 13, 2021, an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Unit sold in the IPO was placed in a trust account (“Trust Account”), to be invested only in U.S. government securities with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under
Rule 2a-7
under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its tax obligations, the proceeds from the offering will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest to occur of (a) the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination (b) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a shareholder vote to amend its amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to (i) modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide for the redemption of its public shares in connection with an initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its public shares if the Company does not complete its initial Business Combination within 12 months from the closing of its IPO or (ii) with respect to any other material provisions relating to shareholders’ rights or
pre-initial
Business Combination activity, and (c) the redemption of the Company’s public shares if the Company is unable to complete its initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the IPO, subject to applicable law.
The Company will provide the holders of its issued and outstanding public shares (the “Public Shareholders”) of its Class A Ordinary Shares, sold in the IPO (the “Public Shares”), with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Business Combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek shareholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The Public Shareholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations), calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of the Business Combination.
The per-share
amount to be distributed to Public Shareholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriter (as discussed in Note 5). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of the Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. The Public Shares subject to redemption will be recorded at redemption value and classified as temporary equity in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”
The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Business Combination and, if the Company seeks shareholder approval, it receives an ordinary resolution under Cayman Islands law approving a Business Combination, which requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders who attend and vote at a general meeting of the Company If a shareholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and the Company does not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, shareholder approval of the transactions is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or the Company decides to obtain shareholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with
 
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a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If the Company seeks shareholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to vote any Founder Shares (as defined in Note 4) and Public Shares held by it in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares, without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against a proposed Business Combination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Company’s sponsor has agreed to waive: (i) its redemption rights with respect to any Founder Shares and Public Shares held by it in connection with the completion of the Company’s Business Combination and (ii) their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares and any Public Shares held by them in connection with a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with its initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete its Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to shareholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity.
If the Company is unable to complete its initial business combination within the Combination Period, the Company will: i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public
Shares, at a
 
per-share
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay its tax obligations (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then issued and outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails t
o
 complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.
The Company’s sponsor has agreed to waive its rights to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to any founder shares held by it if the Company fails to complete its initial business combination within the Combination Period. However, if the sponsor acquires public shares in or after the IPO, the sponsor will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such public shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination during the Combination Period.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the virus could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these condensed financial statements. The condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
 
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $58,873 in its operating bank account and a working capital deficit of $356,380.
The Company does not believe it will need to raise additional funds in order to meet the expenditures required for operating the business. However, if the estimate of the costs of identifying a target business,
undertaking in-depth
due diligence and negotiating a Business Combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, the Company may have insufficient funds available to operate its business prior to the Business Combination.
In order to finance transaction costs in connection with a Business Combination, or because the Company becomes obligated to redeem a significant number of the public shares upon consummation of the Business Combination, the Sponsor, an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, provide the Company Working Capital Loans (as defined below). As of September 30, 2021, there were no amounts
 
outstanding under any Working Capital Loans. In addition, the Company may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such Business Combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, the Company would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of the Business Combination. If the Company is unable to complete the Business Combination because it does not have sufficient funds available, the Company will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the Trust Account. In addition, following the Business Combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, the Company may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.
Based on the foregoing, management believes that the Company will have sufficient working capital and borrowing capacity to meet its needs through the earlier of the consummation of a Business Combination or one year from this filing. Over this time period, the Company will be using these funds for paying existing accounts payable, identifying and evaluating prospective initial Business Combination candidates, performing due diligence on prospective target businesses, paying for travel expenditures, selecting the target business to merge with or acquire, and structuring, negotiating and consummating the Business Combination.
Note 2 —
Restatement
of Previously Issued Financial Statements
In the Company’s previously issued financial statements, a portion of the public shares were classified as permanent equity to maintain shareholders’ equity greater than $5,000,000 on the basis that the Company will consummate its initial business combination only if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001. Previously, the Company did not consider redeemable stock classified as temporary equity as part of net tangible assets. Effective with these financial statements, the Company revised this interpretation to include temporary equity in net tangible assets.
Management
re-evaluated
the Company’s application of
ASC480
-10-99
to its accounting classification of public shares. Upon
re-evaluation,
management determined that the public shares include certain provisions that require classification of the public shares as temporary equity regardless of the minimum net tangible asset required by the Company to complete its initial business combination.
In accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99, “Materiality,” and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108, “Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements;” the Company evaluated the changes and has determined that the related impacts were material to the previously presented financial statements. Therefore, the Company, in consultation with its Audit Committee, concluded that its previously issued financial statements impacted should be restated to report all public shares as temporary equity. As such the Company is restating those periods in this amended Quarterly Report.
 
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Impact of the Restatement
The impact to the balance sheet as of March 25, 2021, the unaudited balance sheet, statement of operations and statement of cash flows as of March 31, 2021 and for the period from January 13, 2021 (inception) to March 31, 2021 and the unaudited balance sheet, statements of operations and statement of cash flows as of June 30, 2021 and for the three months ended June 30, 2021 and for the period from January 13, 20
21
 (inception) to June 30, 2021 is presented below:
 
 
  
As Reported
 
  
Adjustment
 
  
As Restated
 
Balance Sheet as of March 25, 2021
  
  
  
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
  
$
316,378,064
 
  
$
33,621,936
 
  
$
350,000,000
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value
  
 
336
 
  
 
(336
  
 
  
 
Additional Paid-in Capital
  
 
5,521,316
 
  
 
(5,521,316
  
 
  
 
Accumulated Deficit
  
 
(522,653
  
 
(28,100,284
  
 
(28,622,937
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Total Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit)
  
$
5,000,005
 
  
$
(33,621,936
  
$
(28,621,931
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Number of shares subject to redemption
  
 
31,637,806
 
  
 
3,362,194
 
  
 
35,000,000
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2021 (unaudited)
  
  
  
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
   $ 316,168,382      $ 33,831,618      $ 350,000,000  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value
     338        (338          
Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value
     1,006                  1,006  
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     5,730,996        (5,730,996          
Accumulated Deficit
     (732,339      (28,100,284      (28,832,623
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit)
   $ 5,000,001      $ (33,831,618    $ (28,831,617
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Number of shares subject to redemption
     31,616,838        3,383,162        35,000,000  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Statement of operations for the period from January 13, 2021
(inception) through March 31, 2021 (unaudited)
 
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share, Class A
   $ 0.00      $ (0.02    $ (0.02
Basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share, Class B
   $ (0.08    $ 0.06      $ (0.02
Statement of Cash Flows for the period from January 13, 2021
(inception) through March 31, 2021 (unaudited)
 
Initial classification of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
   $ 316,378,064      $ (316,378,064 )    $  
Change in value of Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
   $ (209,682    $ 209,682      $     
Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2021 (unaudited)
 
Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption
   $ 364,266,740      $ 38,233,260      $ 402,500,000  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Class A ordinary shares, $