Good Works Acquisition Corp has filed for a $150 million Initial Public Offering (IPO). It is a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) or blank check company. It has its head office in the Galleria area.
The company doesn’t have any commercial operations. It is focused on finding a business that has experienced financial distress or has recently emerged from a financial restructuring. It is particularly interested in finding a business that has been hard hit by COVID-19 but has good prospects for a rebound. The company is looking for a business with an enterprise value of between $400 million and $600 million.
Management
Fred Zeidmann is the Chairman and CEO. He has served as Chairman of Gordian Group LLC, a U.S. investment bank specializing in board level advice in complex financial matters since December 2014.
Douglas Wurth is Co-Chairman and worked for JP Morgan for over 20 years. During his time there he served as the CEO of the Alternative Investments business and the CEO of the International Private Bank.
The third co-founder is Cary Grossman. He co-founded Shoreline Capital Advisors, an investment banking firm focused on financial advisory services and middle market corporate finance transactions.
Donation to Non-Profits
Zeidman, Wurth and David Pauker, an non-exec director, have agreed to make available 750,000 founder shares (5% of the initial allotment) to be contributed to non-profit organizations, including those involved in the arts, human rights and the advancement of life sciences. These shares will be donated within six months of the IPO closing.
A spate of SPACs
Nationwide there have been a spate of blank check companies seeking to go public. According to the Wall Street Journal, so far, in 2020 there have been 75 new SPACs, raising $30 billion. This is more than double the amount raised in 2019.
In Houston
- Industrial Tech Acquisitions recently filed for a $60 million IPO.
- Graf Industrial Corp, which completed its IPO in 2018, is in the process of a reverse takeover by Velodyne.
- Landcadia II, which went public in 2019, is in the process of buying the online gaming business of Landry’s.
SEC filing – S-1 Good Works Acquisition