The Latest SPAC News and Rumors: March 10, 2022

Below is a daily summary of links to the latest SPAC news and rumors gathered across the web. 

Latest SPAC News: Satellogic announces launch of new satellites, crypto exchange Bullish eyes debut amid regulatory delays, and China bars mainland brokers from promoting SPACs

Satellogic Announces Upcoming Launch of Five New Satellites Onboard SpaceX Transporter-4 Mission 

Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL), a leader in sub-meter resolution satellite imagery collection, announced today it has shipped five satellites to be launched in early Q2 from Cape Canaveral. The launch will be part of SpaceX’s Transporter-4 mission onboard the highly flight-proven Falcon 9 reusable, two-stage rocket, under SpaceX’s Rideshare program.

CF Acquisition Corp. V shareholders approved its combination with orbital imagery company Satellogic in a special meeting held earlier this year on January 24.

Thiel-Backed Crypto Exchange Eyes Debut Amid Regulatory Delays

Crypto exchange Bullish is eyeing a public debut in the second quarter after regulatory delays kept the company backed by billionaires Peter Thiel and Richard Li from merging with a SPAC and listings shares at the end of last year.

Bullish extended the March deadline for its $9 billion tie-up with Far Peak Acquisition Corp. (NYSE:FPAC) to May on Tuesday as the agreement still awaits approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The deal is among a slew of crypto firms merging with SPACs that have been slowed down by regulatory reviews, including stablecoin operator Circle and Israeli crypto platform operator eToro Group. Setting up the exchange has been “hectic,” according to Tom Farley, chief of Far Peak and expected CEO of the combined company.

China Bars Mainland Brokers From Promoting SPAC Deals in Hong Kong

China’s securities regulator has barred the country’s investment banks it regulates from acting as promoters of blank-check firms in Hong Kong, cutting off a potentially lucrative business.

The China Securities and Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has decided to take the step, which was communicated to the mainland investment banks earlier this year, due to concerns over the risks associated with those vehicles.

Chinese Startups’ SPAC Listings Gather Pace As Tougher Offshore IPO Rules Loom

Capital-hungry smaller Chinese startups are vying for speedy offshore listings by merging with blank-check firms at a time when Beijing’s tighter scrutiny has slowed capital raising via overseas IPOs, company executives and bankers said.

As a string of SPACs hunt for targets to merge with, the startups see an opportunity to raise funds and get listed by cutting the time and regulatory rigor needed for traditional market debuts.

Ouster Introduces Chronos: The Best-in-Class Automotive Digital Lidar Chip

Ouster, Inc. (NYSE: OUST), a leading provider of high-resolution digital lidar sensors, today announced the introduction of the Chronos chip, an automotive-grade, fully custom digital lidar silicon receiver that will power its DF solid-state sensor suite. The state-of-the-art Chronos chip is the foundation of the DF architecture and enables Ouster to deliver more performant, power efficient, and compact digital lidar sensors that enable L2 to L5 automation in high-volume automotive series production vehicles.

Colonnade Acquisition Corp.  completed its business combination with lidar-maker Ouster following a special meeting March 9, 2021.