Replay: “The Future of Security” with CEOs of Evolv Technology & NewHold Investment

Metal detectors and security checks may soon be a thing of the past. Evolv Technology, an AI security screening company, already uses its platform at amusement parks, concert halls and stadiums across the country to provide safety for large crowds.

IPO Edge and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association hosted fireside chat with Evolv Technology and special purpose acquisition company NewHold Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: NHIC) on Wednesday, April 21 at 4 PM EST. The live event featured Evolv Technology CEO Peter George and NewHold Investment Corp. CEO Kevin Charlton. IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone moderated the video session, which ran approximately one hour including a public Q&A with the audience.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL REPLAY or HERE TO READ THE INVESTOR PRESENTATION SLIDES  

Backed by investors including Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Evolv uses AI and data science to screen people for weapons and other threats. The company will become publicly traded through a merger with NewHold Investment Corp. in a deal that values the crowd-safety firm at about $1.7 billion. The deal includes upsized and oversubscribed $300 million PIPE that includes Peyton Manning, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, and Joe Torre.

Evolv has screened more than 50 million people in the past four years, second only to the TSA in screening crowds for threats in the U.S. The company has also started using its technology to check people for elevated body temperatures, helping businesses reopen following shutdowns designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

During the fireside chat, Messrs. George and Charlton discussed:

-Who Evolv is and what differentiates it in the market

-Why the company decided to go public via a SPAC merger

-Evolv’s overall mission and the resulting social impact delivered

-Why NewHold was interested in Evolv

-How investors should think about how to fairly value Evolv and how it compares to other companies in the sector

-More about the underlying technology behind the Evolv security screening solutions and why it’s different than existing solutions in the market

-More about just released Evolv Insights

-Evolv’s upcoming customer pipeline and new products

-Customer targets going forward and where the company sees expansion happening

-The current state of the SPAC market

-What was it like to raise PIPE funding in this environment

-What the future holds for Evolv

About Peter George

Peter George has a decades-long track record in leading cybersecurity companies and building disruptive technology startups into market leaders. He joined Evolv Technology in February 2019 as chief commercial officer and was promoted to chief executive officer (CEO) in January 2020. Earlier in his career, as chairman, president and CEO with cybersecurity pioneer Fidelis Security Systems, George guided the firm through substantial growth that prompted its acquisition by General Dynamics. He currently serves on the board at DDoS attack protection provider Corero Network Security, and previously was a board member at Flashpoint, a forward-leaning cyber and physical security threat intelligence company. In addition to cybersecurity, George has led the domestic and international commercialization operations at multiple software and networking companies as president, board member and investor.

About Kevin Charlton

Kevin Charlton is Chief Executive Officer of NewHold Investment Corp. He is also the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of NewHold Enterprises and has spent more than twenty years in private equity. Prior to NHIC, Mr. Charlton was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp., a $115 million NASDAQ-listed SPAC that merged with Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD), the school bus manufacturer. He then served as President, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. II, a $200 million NASDAQ-listed SPAC that merged with Daseke, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSKE). Mr. Charlton served as President, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. III, a $275 million NYSE-listed SPAC that merged with NRC Group (NYSE: NRCG). Prior to NewHold, Mr. Charlton was with JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM), Investcorp, and Macquarie (ASX: MQG).

Replay: IPO Edge Hosts Virtual Forum and Tasting with Bespoke, Vintage Wine Estates

IPO Edge, in partnership with The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, hosted a live panel and virtual tasting with Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BSPE) and Vintage Wine Estates on Thursday, April 15 at 4 PM EDT. The live event features Bespoke Capital CEO Mark Harms, Vintage Wine Estates President Terry Wheatley, Vintage Wine Estates Brand Ambassador Katy Long, and HEB Business Unit Director David Duran.

IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone moderated the video session, which ran approximately two hours and included a public Q&A with the audience.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL REPLAY

Bespoke Capital, a special purpose acquisition company or SPAC, has agreed to merge with VWE in a transaction that values the business at $690 million with no debt. As IPO Edge wrote recently, the company represents a rare pure-play bet on the category and an established player with actual earnings – setting it apart from may recent SPAC deals. The company was founded by CEO Pat Roney two decades ago and he will be joined by former Diageo CEO Paul Walsh as Chairman, who will bring extensive industry knowhow.

Discussion topics include:

• Details of the merger between Bespoke and VWE
• The direct-to-consumer opportunity and VWE’s Shareholder Passport Program
• Trends in the wine market and how VWE can benefit
• The unusual opportunity to invest in a pure-play wine business
• M&A in the fragmented wine industry
• Exclusive brand deals with national retailers
• Focusing on the fastest-growing segment of the wine market to maximize sales
• Millennial opportunities such as single serve wine formats

The event also dived deeper into some of Vintage Wine Estate’s luxury wineries, including Clos Pegase Napa Valley, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, and Girard Napa Valley. Wines in the virtual tasting include:

• 2019 Clos Pegase Mitsuko’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros Napa Valley
• 2018 Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley
• 2018 Girard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

About the Panelists

TERRY WHEATLEY

President, Vintage Wine Estates

Terry Wheatley has served as the President of VWE since 2018, overseeing all commerce channels and marketing for the Company, having joined VWE in 2014 when Canopy Management was acquired by VWE.

Mrs. Wheatley began her 30-plus year career in the wine and spirits industry at E.&J. Gallo. After 17 years at Gallo, Mrs. Wheatley assumed sales and marketing roles at Sutter Home/Trinchero Family Estate, ultimately leading the division as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

In 2008, Mrs. Wheatley founded her own wine brand creation, sales and marketing company, Canopy Management, leveraging her long-term relationships with the wine industry’s top buyers to bring a portfolio of innovative wine brands to market.

Well-known in the wine industry for her impact and creativity, Mrs. Wheatley has been recognized as a “2016 Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink” by Fortune and Food and Wine Magazine, as well as “Innovator of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2019.

Mrs. Wheatley is co-founder of Tough Enough To Wear Pink, the western community campaign to help families facing breast cancer, since 2004.

Mrs. Wheatley has served as Board Chair of CannaCraft, a large-scale cannabis manufacturer, since Dec., 2019.

MARK HARMS

CEO, BCAC and Managing Partner, Bespoke Capital Partners

Mark W.B. Harms is Chief Executive Officer of BCAC, and Managing Partner of Bespoke Capital Partners.

Prior to Bespoke, Mr. Harms founded GLP in 2004, where he is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. GLP has advised on over $60 billion of transactions to date, deploying over $500 million of capital, and developed an industry leading operating executive network with 75+ members.

Mr. Harms has completed over 130 advisory and principal transactions on four continents. Mr. Harms has extensive experience with leveraged debt, mezzanine and equity financing techniques in Europe and the U.S. with over $100 billion in completed transactions.

Prior to funding GLP, Mr. Harms worked at Oppenheimer as Managing Director and at CIBC World Markets as the founder and head of the Consumer Growth Group. Mr. Harms currently sits on the board of several of Bespoke’s portfolio companies. From 2014 to 2020 Mr. Harms was a non-executive director of 24 Hour Fitness, and was a Vice Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council from 2009 to 2014. He was also a non-executive director on a number of other charitable, educational and non for profit boards. Mr. Harms has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA from the University of Michigan.

KATY LONG

Brand Ambassador, Vintage Wine Estates

Katy Long serves as Vintner, Director of International, and Brand Advocate at VWE, working with diverse teams across the organization in aspects ranging from wine and spirits production to marketing and sales.

Mrs. Long has worked in the wine industry for nearly two decades with experience in production, sales, marketing, communications and education, including Far Niente Winery, Nickel & Nickel Winery, Meadowood Napa Valley and The Bounty Hunter Rare Wine and Spirits.

Mrs. Long leads VWE’s Angels Share Giving Campaign which provides support to local food banks in communities across the country.

Mrs. Long has served on the Board of Directors at the Redwood Empire Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief organization serving north coastal California, since April 2020.

Mrs. Long earned an AOS from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and earned a BS from New York University. Mrs. Long holds wine and spirits credentials including the Level 4 Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, the Certified Specialist of Spirits and Certified Specialist of Wine credentials from the Society of Wine Educators.

DAVID DURAN

Business Unit Director, HEB

Mr. Duran has been employed by HEB for 48 years. He led the reinvention of the alcohol business at HEB, making them the top Texas wine retailer. Mr. Duran has been recognized by Wine Spectator, The Texas Grape Growers Association, and many others over the years for his leadership in making Texas one of the top wine markets in the U.S.

Known as HEB’s “wine guy”, Mr. Duran is the Company’s face on HEB wine television commercials. He has hosted segments in wine regions across the globe, bringing the world of wine to HEB customers, educating and igniting a passion for wine that converts into sales.

Mr. Duran sits on numerous Boards within San Antonio including The Children’s Shelter, Teach for America and Chosen. He serves as Advisor on others and is active on fund development projects with the United Way, Alzheimer’s Association, Muscular Dystrophy and more.

Mr. Duran has won numerous people leadership, people development and Spirit of HEB awards over his career and has built a reputation for leading the most successful intern program in the company.

Replay: Investing in Alzheimer’s Treatment — Jupiter Orphan Therapeutics CEO Joins Fireside Chat

IPO Edge, in partnership with The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, a Florida trade association for financial professionals and ultra high net worth investors, hosted a fireside chat Tuesday, March 30 at 12 pm EST with Jupiter Orphan Therapeutics, Inc. (JOT) – Investing in Alzheimer’s Treatment, How JOTROL™ is Leading the Way. The event, hosted by IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone ran approximately 45 minutes with time set aside for public audience Q&A.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL REPLAY

The virtual event features Christer Rosén, Chairman-CEO & Founder of Jupiter Orphan Therapeutics, Inc; Raymond “Scott” Turner MD, Professor Neurology, Georgetown University (Alzheimer’s scientist); and Mark Dant, Executive Director Ryan Foundation (rare disease patient advocate). JOT is seeking a minimum of $5 million and up to $10 million equity investment, to be followed by a public listing. The company is investigating a possible reverse merger and/or SPAC to generate a favorable value position and capitalize on expected positive results from upcoming Phase II trials.

By identifying the problem, poor bioavailability, as well as finding a solution in JOTROL™, JOT is positioned to, reach several value inflection points in the near term. JOT is staged as a low-risk entity with high upside potential based on existing research data, relatively short-term to reach Phase II results and several indications to target.

So far, JOT has been financed without significant outside investments which means the founders and management together with the next investor group have the opportunity to decide on strategy and exit opportunities.

Several large pharmaceutical companies are following the developments of the Phase II projects and it is reasonable to expect that an offer, product licensing, merger, or company purchase will be presented to JOT once Phase II data is available. A distribution deal in Japan and/or China is projected to occur already in 2022.

Messrs. Rosén, Turner and Dant discuss:

• What and who is Jupiter Orphan Therapeutics (“JOT”)?
• Why isn’t regular resveratrol as good as JOTROL?
• What are the treatment needs for the rare disease market?
• We have all heard about the problems finding an Alzheimer’s treatment. Why and how can JOTROL play a role?
• So how and when can JOT get to product approval and distribution?
• How has JOT been financed and what are the future financing plans?

About Mr. Rosén:

• Primary Founder and Chairman & CEO of Jupiter Orphan Therapeutics, Inc.
• Seasoned entrepreneur with over 19 years of pharmaceutical experience
• Originally from Halmstad, Sweden
• Past business ventures include founding Effrx Pharmaceuticals as well as 10 companies in various industries
• One of the few individuals that has invented a pharmaceutical product, Binosto, developed it, received marketing approval by FDA, EU, MENA and Asian markets and sold through distribution partners around the world.

About Dr. Turner:

• Professor of Neurology and Director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
• Previously, he was Chief of the Neurology Service at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Neurology, University of Michigan
• Obtained his MD and Ph.D. degrees from Emory University, Atlanta, and completed his internship, residency, and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Board-certified in Psychiatry and Neurology

About Mr. Dant:

• Retired from police work in 2016 as Assistant Chief of Police after serving 32 years as a Patrol Officer, Detective, and Commander leading multiple divisions and Bureaus to include Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Intel, and SWAT
• Mark spends his time now volunteering for the EveryLife Foundation, the Ryan Foundation, and numerous other rare disease organizations to help empower the patient advocate through the understanding that all of us have the power to turn action to hope and hope to reality

“SPAC to the Future” Featuring SwitchBack, Haymaker, InterPrivate, Nasdaq, Easterly, MorganFranklin, V&E, Mizuho, ICR

March 4 marked an outright meltdown in the SPAC market and IPO Edge was right in the middle of the action. We heard from a panel of nine experienced SPAC sponsors and seasoned advisors during market hours who gave their take on the current market turmoil and the next phase of growth.

We hosted a virtual forum Thursday, March 4 at 2:00 p.m. EDT: SPAC to the Future.

To watch the full replay, please CLICK HERE

The webcast, hosted in partnership with Vinson & Elkins LLP, Nasdaq, MorganFranklin Consulting, Easterly, ICR, Mizuho and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, also featured data from Sentieo and S3 Partners. The format included panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, along with a live Q&A session, totaling approximately two hours.

Panel participants included:

• Jim Mutrie, current Co-CEO and Director, SwitchBack II (NYSE: SWBK) and former CCO and Director, SwitchBack Energy Acquisition, which merged with ChargePoint, Inc. (NYSE: CHPT)
• Christopher Bradley, Current CFO of Tastemaker Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: TMKR) and Haymaker Acquisition Corp. III (NASDAQ:HYACU)
• Ahmed Fattouh, CEO, InterPrivate, sponsor of InterPrivate Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: IPV) and InterPrivate II Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: IPVA)
• Karen Snow, Head of U.S. East Coast Listings & Capital Markets, Nasdaq
• Evan Ratner, Portfolio Manager, Easterly SPAC Fund
• Sarah Morgan, Partner, Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions, Vinson & Elkins
• Barbara Ard, Managing Director, Accounting & Transaction Services Lead, MorganFranklin Consulting
• Phil Denning, Partner, ICR
• Andy Laszlo, Managing Director, Head of Tech, Media & Telecom and SPAC Equity Capital Markets, Mizuho Securities USA
• Hope King, Multimedia Editor, IPO Edge
• Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, IPO Edge
• John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, IPO Edge

The panel discussed:

• The SPAC selloff and implications for issuers
• The role of Chamath and other SPAC proselytizers
• Short squeezes in SPACs
• SPACs trading below trust
• What IPO investors look for in SPACs and management teams
• Which sectors and sizes are most attractive to IPO investors
• IPO and SPAC preparedness
• Innovations (rollup strategies, removing warrants, using only a portion of cash in trust)
• Challenges for “boring” businesses that make money but don’t captivate growth investors
• Managing retail investors (e.g. the “quorum” conundrum)

Watch Replay: Nasdaq and PBHFA Host “Air Mobility – Investing in the Flight of the Future” Featuring Archer, United Airlines

With news that Archer Aviation plans to go public through a SPAC, public market investors have yet another industry to discover as air taxis and electric shuttles are no longer science fiction.

Hear from the Co-Founders/CEOs of Archer, a senior executive at United Airlines along with a co-founder of Uber Elevate on Monday, who joined us on February 22 at 1pm EST. Our speakers discussed the most important technologies in air mobility, the regulatory landscape, along with investment and financing opportunities.

IPO Edge invites you to watch a replay latest event in our New Kids on the Block Series: Air Mobility – Investing in the Flight of the Future.

To register, please CLICK HERE.

The event, hosted in partnership with Nasdaq and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, will also featured data from Sentieo. The schedule included panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, along with a live Q&A session, totaling approximately one hour.

Speakers include:

• Brett Adcock, Co-Founder / Co-CEO, Archer Aviation, merging with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. (NYSE: ACIC)
• Adam Goldstein, Co-Founder / Co-CEO, Archer Aviation, merging with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. (NYSE: ACIC)
• Marion C. Blakey, Former Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Mark Moore, Co-founder of Uber Elevate and former Engineering Director of Aviation, Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Mike Leskinen, VP of Corp. Development & IR, United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
• Jack Cassel, Vice President, New Listings and Head of Private Capital Markets, Nasdaq, Inc.
• Hope King, Multimedia Editor, IPO Edge
• Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, IPO Edge
• John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, IPO Edge

Topics Include:

• Plans for widespread use of air taxis and other electric aircraft
• Regulatory considerations
• SPACs and other paths to the public markets

About the Panelists:

Brett Adcock and Adam Goldstein

Brett and Adam are the co-founders and co-CEOs of Archer. They are technology entrepreneurs and have been building businesses together for 15 years. Prior to Archer, Adam and Brett co-founded Vettery, an online talent marketplace that was acquired in February 2018. They both attended the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Marion C. Blakey

Marion serves as a non-executive director for several corporations and organizations, having retired from Rolls-Royce North America Inc. (RRNA) in 2018 as President and Chief Executive Officer. From 2002 to 2007, Blakey was Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where she operated the world’s largest air traffic control system and managed 44,000 employees and a $14 billion budget. Ms. Blakey’s board positions include serving on the Board of Directors of Alaska Airlines.

Mark Moore 

Mark co-founded Uber Elevate and in 4 years established aerial ride sharing as a collaborative ecosystem with over $3.5B investment enabling aerial ride sharing. Prior to that, 32 years at NASA focusing on advanced aircraft concepts and technologies. The last 10 years at NASA was spent pioneering Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), the tech that all eVTOL aircraft use to achieve ultra safe, quiet and efficient flight. This was done leading small concept to flight teams for radical new aircraft such as the Puffin (2009 single person Superman suit), 2012 Greased Lightning (tilt-wing drone), LeapTech (a Mad Max looking semi truck that was the first full scale DEP wing tested), and the X-57 (the first manned X-Plane NASA in 25 years).

Mike Leskinen 

Mike joined United Airlines from J.P. Morgan Asset Management, where he served as senior sector analyst – executive director, and led the firm’s research efforts in Aerospace, Defense, and Airlines. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Arizona State University and his M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jack Cassel

Jack is Nasdaq’s Vice President, New Listings and Head of Private Capital Markets at Nasdaq. In this role, Jack oversees all Nasdaq’s private company business, including IPOs. In 2019, Nasdaq won 78% of all IPOs and 6 of the 10 largest deals by proceeds raised. Prior to joining Nasdaq, Jack was a Vice President of Technology Investment Banking at GrowthPoint Technology Partners, where he focused on cross border M&A transactions. Prior to joining the business world, Jack played Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros. While playing baseball, Jack also co-founded Players for the Planet – a non-profit organization that utilizes professional athletes to promote environmental awareness.

Contact:

John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief

IPO Edge

Editor@IPO-Edge.com

Twitter: @IPOEdge

A Fireside Chat With CEO Michael Klein of Churchill Capital Corp REPLAY

 The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, a Florida trade association for financial professionals and ultra high net worth investors, & IPO Edge hosted a fireside chat with Churchill Capital Corp’s CEO Michael Klein

We are pleased to share a replay of this rare and wide-ranging interview which has attracted nearly 10,000 registrations. 

We hosted Michael Klein, Chairman and CEO of Churchill Capital, for a fireside chat during the 23rd Annual ICR Virtual Conference on January 12. Mr. Klein spoke with IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone for over an hour, discussing topics including:

• The most attractive industry sectors for SPACs
• The emergence of pre-revenue companies in SPAC deals
• The dynamic for SPACs such as Churchill’s that seek larger targets
• Leveraged hedge fund investments in pre-redemption SPACs
• Skillsoft (merging with Churchill Capital Corp II, NYSE: CCX)
• Multiplan Corporation (NYSE: MPLN)
• Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CCC)
• Churchill Capital Corp V (NYSE: CCV.U)
• Churchill Capital Corp IV (NYSE: CCIV)

To watch a replay of the fireside chat with Mr. Klein, please CLICK HERE.

Michael Klein is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Churchill Capital Corp group of public equity growth companies. Mr. Klein founded the initial Churchill public equity growth vehicle in 2018, and has raised over $5 billion in IPO capital to date. Churchill companies have successfully announced mergers with Clarivate, MultiPlan, Skillsoft and Global Knowledge. Mr. Klein currently serves on the board of directors of MultiPlan, Inc. Mr. Klein is currently a Director of Credit Suisse Group AG and Credit Suisse AG. Mr. Klein is the founder and managing partner of M. Klein and Company, which he founded in 2012. M. Klein and Company is a global strategic advisory firm that provides its clients a variety of advice tailored to their objectives. Mr. Klein is a strategic advisor to global companies, boards of directors, senior executives, governments and institutional investors. Mr. Klein’s background in strategic advisory work was built during his 30-year career, including more than two decades at Citi and its predecessors, during which he initiated and executed strategic advisory transactions. He began his career as an investment banker in the M&A Advisory Group at Salomon Smith Barney and subsequently became Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Citi Markets and Banking, with responsibilities for global corporate and investment banking and Global Transaction Services across Citi. Mr. Klein is a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Economics with concentrations in finance and accounting.

About Churchill Capital Corp

Churchill Capital Corp is a group of public equity growth companies whose sponsor is an affiliate of M. Klein and Company, LLC. On Monday, January 11, 2021, Churchill Capital Corp VI and Churchill Capital Corp VII filed concurrently and plan to raise $400 million and $300 million, respectively. Klein’s previous SPACs include Churchill Capital Corp V (CCV.U), which raised $500 million in December 2020; Churchill Capital Corp IV (CCIV), which raised $2.0 billion in July 2020; Churchill Capital Corp III, which went public in February 2020 and completed its merger with MultiPlan (MPLN) in October 2020; Churchill Capital Corp II (CCX), which went public in June 2019 and has a pending merger agreement with Skillsoft and Global Knowledge; and Churchill Capital Corp I, which went public in September 2018 and acquired Clarivate Analytics (CCC) in May 2019.

Contact:

Churchill Capital Corp info@churchillcapitalcorp.com

Security Robots Of The Future: A Fireside Chat With CEO William Li of Knightscope

 The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, a Florida trade association for financial professionals and ultra high net worth investors, & IPO Edge hosted a fireside chat Wednesday, December 9 at 2pm EST with Knightscope – Security Robots of the Future and Investing in MaaS. The event ran approximately one hour including an audience Q&A.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL REPLAY

The virtual event featured Knightscope CEO William Santana Li, who discussed how the company’s autonomous security robots create a safer environments at a fraction of the cost of human guards. The company is not currently traded publicly but any investor can purchase shares in Knightscope through its Reg A+ offering, available here. New investors will join over 16,000 shareholders who have helped the company raise over $70 million.

Electric vehicles made by the likes of Tesla, Inc. and Nikola Corporation have become increasingly important in the investment community. Corporate conference call mentions, global search volume and Google Trends for “electric vehicle” are near all-time highs and Tesla’s market capitalization is higher than Exxon, Chevron, Ford and General Motors combined, according to Sentieo, an AI-enabled research platform.

But while many EV companies vie for commercial and consumer customers, Knightscope has emerged as a leader in its niche. It is disrupting the security industry by replacing humans who are prone to frequent error.

The company has already been credited with reducing crime as reported by clients, who include hospitals, Fortune 1000 corporations, and law enforcement agencies. In October, the company also landed and deployed its first U.S. federal government contract.

Knightscope has so far generated over $10 million in revenue and each robot is expected to generate up to $250,000 in profit over a five-year life.

Mr. Li discussed:

• Machine-as-a-Service (MaaS)
• The “market for crime” never going away
• The technology behind autonomous robots
• Coordinating with human security guards
• Knightscope’s browser-based user interface, the KSOC (Knightscope Security Operations Center)
• People detection
• Intellectual property
• Path to profitability

About Mr. Li:

• Seasoned entrepreneur, intrapreneur and former corporate executive at Ford Motor Company
• Founder and Chief Operating Officer of GreenLeaf, which became the world’s 2nd largest automotive recycler (now part of NASDAQ: LKQ)
• BSEE from Carnegie Mellon University and MBA from University of Detroit Mercy

PBHFA & IPO Edge’s Electric Vehicle Forum Replay

Today’s event, which drew more than 1,200 registrations and 700 live viewers, is now available for replay.  Hear from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, as well as CEOs and senior executives from Blink Charging Co., QuantumScape, XL Fleet, Canoo, Lordstown Motors and Romeo Power who joined our event on Monday, November 16 at 2pm EST — Acceleration of Electrification: California’s 2035 Ban and the Future of EVs, Energy Technology and Regulation.

To watch the replay, please CLICK HERE.

The event, hosted in partnership with Vinson & Elkins LLP, ICR, Nasdaq, Cowen and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, included panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, along with live Q&A sessions, totaling approximately two hours.

Speakers included:

• Tyson Eckerle, Deputy Director, Zero Emission Vehicle Market Development, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
• Steve Burns, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Lordstown Motors Corp. (NASDAQ: RIDE)
• Michael Farkas, Founder Executive Chairman and CEO, Blink Charging (NASDAQ: BLNK)
• Lionel Selwood, Jr., CEO, Romeo Power (Merging with RMG Acquisition Corp., NYSE: RMG)
• Tod Hynes, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, XL Fleet (Merging with Pivotal Investment Corp. II, NYSE: PIC)
• Jagdeep Singh, Founder and CEO, QuantumScape (Merging with Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp., NYSE: KCAC)
• Paul Balciunas, CFO, Canoo (Merging with Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. IV, NASDAQ: HCAC)
• Jack Cassel, Vice President, Listings & Capital Markets, Nasdaq
• Mark Saraiva, Managing Director and Head of Transportation Group, Cowen Inc.
• Ramey Layne, Partner, Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions, Vinson & Elkins
• Hope King, Multimedia Editor, IPO Edge
• Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, IPO Edge
• John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, IPO Edge

With California eliminating sales of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, broad-based electrification is imminent. And now, a transition to Democratic control of the federal government could accelerate green technology adoption even further. In the marketplace, there are now many ways to invest in electric vehicles and related technologies, with several major companies listing on public exchanges in the last year alone and more on the way.

The program included the following topics:

• How California and other states are supporting emerging technologies in electrification
• California’s 2035 ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales
• Private investment opportunities
• Consumer vs. commercial vehicles
• Best paths to public markets: IPOs, SPACs, and direct listings
• Implications for peripheral industries such as charging stations and batteries

PBHFA’s & IPO Edge IPO Boot Camp

We are pleased to share a replay of this afternoon’s Boot Camp, which featured a panel of nine capital markets experts who shared a prodigious amount of knowledge, insights, and surprises packed into a dense 90 minutes: IPOs, SPACs, and Direct Listings.

To watch the replay CLICK HERE

The webcast, hosted in partnership with Latham & Watkins LLP, Nasdaq, MorganFranklin Consulting, GTS, Woodruff Sawyer, Jefferies LLC, ICR and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, consisted of two panel discussions, followed by a live Q&A session.

The panels covered the following topics:

• Internal planning and readiness considerations
• D&O insurance for IPOs, SPACs, and direct listings
• Solving the lockup problem with direct listings
• Narrowing the gap between private valuations and the first direct listing trade
• Raising new capital in a direct listing
• Growth in SPAC activity and potential limitations
• Considerations for going public during election season

V&E, Profile, Nasdaq Host 3rd Event in 2020 Governance Series – Preparing for the 2021 Proxy Season

CorpGov, The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association. Vinson & Elkins LLP, Profile Advisors, and Nasdaq hosted the third event in the 2020 Governance Series on Wednesday, September 30, at 11am EST: Shareholder Outreach: Preparing for the 2021 Proxy Season. Event partners included JPMorgan Chase & Co., ICR, Morrow Sodali, & BlackRock, Inc.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW REPLAY

The Webinar ran 90 minutes, including a live Q&A session.

Highlights included:

• Pent-up activism from the 2020 proxy season emerging in 2021
• Companies “getting a pass” from activists on COVID-related underperformance
• The outlook for M&A/consolidation-focused activism
• The broadening definition of ESG following the pandemic
• The convergence of ESG with proxy/governance issues
• Planning appropriate ESG disclosures

The event included two panels:

Activism

• Lawrence S. Elbaum, Partner and Co-Head of Shareholder Activism, Vinson & Elkins
• Greg Marose, Co-Founder, Profile Advisors
• Benjamin Wilson, Head of North America Shareholder Engagement and M&A Capital Markets, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Michael Verrechia, Managing Director, Co-Head of M&A and Activism Advisory Group, Morrow Sodali

ESG

• Sarah E. Fortt, Counsel, Board Governance and Engagement, Vinson & Elkins
• Kellie Huennekens, Head of ESG Research, Nasdaq
• Tanya Levy-Odom, Director, Investment Stewardship, BlackRock, Inc.
• Lyndon Park, Head of Governance Solutions, ICR Inc.

Moderators: John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, CorpGov and Hope King, Multimedia Editor, CorpGov

Links to Prior 2020 Governance Series Events:

1st Webinar in 2020 Governance Series: Best Corporate Governance Practices During the Coronavirus and Beyond

2nd Webinar in 2020 Governance Series: Activism and ESG

Replay – EarlyBird, Nasdaq, ICR, High Times Host Virtual Forum with IPO Edge: Cannabis Fundraising – Are SPACs a New Solution?

IPO Edge hosted a virtual forum with leading SPACs, companies, and advisors to discuss the market outlook, including expected dealmaking in the remainder of 2020. The approximately 90-minute event was held Wednesday, September 2, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

To watch the replay, click here.

The live webcast, hosted in partnership with EarlyBirdCapital, Nasdaq, High Times, ICR, Intro-act Corp., and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association included two panels and a live audience Q&A session. Sentieo, an AI-based research platform, provided key data on cannabis equities and market interest in SPACs.

The panels topics including:

• Expected cannabis deal announcements from existing SPACs in coming months
• SPACs potentially acquiring publicly-listed cannabis companies
• SPACs vs. IPOs for cannabis industry companies
• Exchange listing considerations
• The role of investment banks in both SPAC IPOs and M&A
• The “De-SPAC” process in cannabis
• PIPEs and debt to support SPAC transactions

Agenda:

Panel I – Feedback from the Field

• Ed Kovary, Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets, EarlyBirdCapital, Inc.
• Gary Julien, Managing Director, Schultze Asset Management, LP; EVP, Schultze Special Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: SAMA)
• Kyle Detwiler, CEO, Clever Leaves (expected ticker: CLVR)
• Adam E. Levin, Executive Chairman, Hightimes Holding Corp. (expected ticker: HTHC)
• Bill Jenks, CEO, Intro-act Corp.
• John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, IPO Edge (Moderator)

Panel II – Considerations for Dealmaking

• Robert Berner, Managing Partner, Bespoke Capital; Director, Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp. (TSX: BC-U, OTC: BKCQF)
• Sarah Morgan, Partner, M&A, Capital Markets and Corporate Governance, Vinson & Elkins
• Eklavya Saraf, Global Head of SPAC Listings and Managing Director of New Listings, Nasdaq
• Jeff Bernstein, Managing Director, ICR Capital
• Hope King, Multimedia Editor, IPO Edge (Moderator)

Nasdaq, Jefferies, V&E, Saratoga, Profile Host Webinar on Exotic Activism and Proxy Advisors

PBHFA, in partnership with Nasdaq, Profile Advisors, Saratoga Proxy Consulting, Vinson & Elkins LLP, Jefferies, and CorpGov.org hosted a Webinar on Thursday, August 13 at 12pm EST: New SEC Regs and Offseason Tactics

The replay is available HERE

Our panel of experts discussed several timely topics including:

• A potential spike in activism during the fall 2020 “offseason”
• What a new peak in share prices means for activists while the coronavirus pandemic continues
• Various strategies such as consent solicitations activists can employ outside of normal annual meetings
• Pent up demand for activist campaigns into 2021
• Implications of new SEC regulations on proxy advisory firms designed to keep their power in check
• Raising the threshold for ownership disclosures in 13F filings and the impact on issuers and investors

Panelists included:

• Lawrence S. Elbaum, Partner and Co-Head of Shareholder Activism, Vinson & Elkins LLP
• Greg Marose, Co-Founder, Profile Advisors
• John Ferguson, Senior Partner, Saratoga Proxy Consulting
• Erika Moore, VP and Deputy General Counsel and Counsel to the Corporate Secretary, Nasdaq, Inc.
• Chris Young, Managing Director and Global Head of Contested Situations, Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.
• John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, CorpGov (Moderator)

Just how influential are proxy advisors? Data from Sentieo show mentions of the words ISS, Glass Lewis, and proxy advisor have soared in corporate earnings calls over the last decade, particularly as passive institutional investors defer to their recommendations on key shareholder votes.

REPLAY – Goldman Sachs, DraftKings SPAC Sponsor & Nasdaq Hosts Summer SPAC Panel

We had over 1200 attend & dowloads so far for this incredible  educational webinar with the best in the business!  Now, you can download the webinar here:

Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, have led the recovery on Wall Street in the months following the coronavirus pandemic. Looking ahead, PBHFA &  IPO Edge hosted a virtual forum with leading market participants and advisors to discuss the role of SPACs for investors and companies planning public listings later in 2020. The approximately 90-minute event was held Thursday, July 23, at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

A REPLAY IS AVAILABLE BY CLICKING HERE 

The live webcast, hosted in partnership with Sidley Austin LLP, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, ICR, and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, will included a panel followed by a live Q&A session.

The panel covered the following topics:

• SPACs as an alternative to traditional IPOs
• The acceleration of SPAC M&A activity
• The role of investment banks in both SPAC IPOs and M&A
• Technology companies seeking public listing
• PIPEs and debt to support SPAC transactions

Panel participants included experts in IPO planning and execution:

• Jeffrey Smith, Partner in Sidley Austin LLP’s M&A and Private Equity practice
• Olympia McNerney, Managing Director, Head of US SPACs, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
• Eli Baker, Partner at Eagle Equity Partners, President at Flying Eagle Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: FEAC), President of Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp. (SPAC sponsor of DraftKings Inc. [NASDAQ: DKNG])
• Karen Snow, Senior Vice President, Head of East Coast Listings & Capital Services, Nasdaq
• Don Duffy, President, ICR
• John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, IPO Edge

REPLAY – EVs, Batteries, and ESG: Webinar with TechMet CEO – Investing in Metals to Fuel the Technology of the Future

The Webinar featured TechMet Chairman & CEO Brian Menell, who discussed how so-called technology metals have become the “oil of the 21^st Century” as they facilitate wide adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles. TechMet has operations in Europe, Africa, and the Americas that produce and recycle technology metals including lithium, cobalt, nickel, vanadium, tin, tungsten, along with rare earth elements.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW REPLAY

Electric vehicles made by the likes of Tesla, Inc. and Nikola Corporation, which could contain TechMet’s metals, have become increasingly important in the investment community. Corporate conference call mentions, global search volume and Google Trends for “electric vehicle” are near all-time highs and Tesla’s market capitalization is higher than Ford and General Motors combined, according to Sentieo, an AI-enabled research platform.  “All of these are evidence that EVs are moving front and center in corporate conversations, consumer conversations, and in the markets,” said Nick Mazing, Director of Research at Sentieo.

ART + LUXURY + TECH: Replay Now Available — Richard Frerejean Taittinger

The art market is on the cusp of a revolution. Rapid democratization, just as in the world of luxury goods, will open up the pool of potential new collectors to include a much younger and geographically diverse demographic. At the same time, the old gallery model will be displaced by powerful e-commerce platforms that connect many more art buyers in far greater volume. Poised to drive further disruption is RICHARD TAITTINGER GALLERY, a global luxury art brand currently raising expansion capital.

IPO Edge, in partnership with RICHARD TAITTINGER GALLERY and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, a Florida trade association for financial professionals, hosted a Webinar on Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 12pm EST/9am PST – Art + Luxury + Tech.  The event ran for approximately one hour, including a Q&A with the audience.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE WEBINAR WITH SLIDES

The Webinar featured Founder and CEO Richard Frerejean Taittinger, great grandson of the CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER founder, whose tech-savvy Lower East Side New York gallery focuses on emerging and mid-career artists with global recognition.  In addition, Ernest Jacquet, Chairman of the Advisory Board, presented his case for becoming a significant investor in RTG last year.

RTG is finishing the final half of its $3 million expansion round to bolster its online platform, and for general working capital. RTG has already raised approximately 50% of its target from new and existing investors, including the Harvard Business School Alumni 

Webinar Replay: Activist Investing & ESG

Webinar Replay: IPO Summit Featuring Sidley, Nasdaq, MorganFranklin & ICR

Webinar Replay: IPO Edge and Desert Hawk Gold – The Case for Gold in an Era of Unprecedented Money Printing

Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association and Off the Chain Capital Hosts “Turbulent Times: Why Add Bitcoin to Your Portfolio Now”

IPO Edge, in partnership with Off the Chain Capital, LLC, a digital currency & blockchain asset investment manager and The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, a Florida trade association for financial professionals, hosted a Webinar and audience Q&A on Tuesday, May 26 at 4pm EST – Turbulent Times: Why Add Bitcoin to Your Portfolio Now.

To watch a replay of the Webinar, please CLICK HERE 

SPACs – Can They Capitalize on the Current Environment?

IPO Edge and the Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association hosted a Webinar on Tuesday, April 14: SPACs – Can They Capitalize on the Current Environment? The Webinar, sponsored by Stifel and ICR, brought together investment bankers, advisors, and several senior executives with many years of collective experience running successful SPACs.

The Webcast replay is available here: WEBCAST REPLAY

Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, CTEH, Nasdaq, and ICR Led First Webcast in “Reopening the Workplace” Series

CorpGov & The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association Hosted Panel with CTEH®, Nasdaq, Columbia Property Trust and ICR As state and local governments across the country phase out restrictions and allow companies to reopen, business leaders must be prepared to meet varying regulatory compliance and employee safety

As state and local governments across the country phase out restrictions and allow companies to reopen, business leaders must be prepared to meet varying regulatory compliance and employee safety rules and protocols. To help them navigate this ever-evolving guidance, CorpGov moderated the first panel in the Reopening the Workplace series on Thursday, May 21, at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Highlights of the Webinar included a discussion of temperature checks, ventilation, communication formats, and the possibility of permanent remote work policies at companies like Twitter, Inc. and Shopify Inc., which recently made announcements on such plans.

To watch a replay of the Webcast please click here and use password: 1E&Jg^.5

The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association, CorpGov, & V&E Webinar – Best Corporate Governance During Coronavirus Crisis and Beyond

The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association & CorpGov welcomes you to watch and listen to a replay of Thursday’s Webinar: Best Corporate Governance Practices During the Coronavirus Crisis and Beyond, sponsored by Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Please follow this link for the replay, which includes a presentation deck (note audio begins after 30 seconds):

WEBINAR REPLAY LINK