Special purpose acquisition companies
("SPACs") as a concept have been around
for many years but this year marks a special milestone with global
SPAC IPO proceeds breaching the USD 100 bn mark. SPACs are blank
cheque companies that raise money in an IPO and go on to acquire an
unspecified business through a business combination. Once this
business combination is achieved (referred to as de-SPAC
transaction), the listed entity functions as a regular listed
company.
Last month, India's largest renewable energy company –
Renew Power started trading on NASDAQ through a SPAC listing. The
deal generated quite a buzz for myriad reasons – the
valuation outlined the considerable distress in the sector as also
making it a fairly liquid investment through NASDAQ's wider
investor base.