Overview
We are a blank check company formed in 2018 incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed 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 we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any potential business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target.
We currently intend to concentrate our efforts in identifying businesses providing technological services to the financial services industry, with particular emphasis on businesses that provide data processing, storage and transmission services, data bases and payment processing services. We are not, however, required to complete our initial business combination with a financial technology business and, as a result, we may pursue a business combination outside of that industry. We will seek to acquire established businesses that we believe are fundamentally sound but potentially in need of financial, operational, strategic or managerial redirection to maximize value. We do not intend to acquire start-up companies, companies with speculative business plans or companies that are excessively leveraged.
We will seek to capitalize on the significant financial services, financial technology and banking experience and contacts of Daniel G. Cohen, our Chief Executive Officer, Betsy Z. Cohen, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and James J. McEntee, III, our President, to identify, evaluate, acquire and operate a target business. If we elect to pursue an investment outside of the financial technology industry, our management’s expertise related to that industry may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding that industry might not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. Daniel G. Cohen, our Chief Executive Officer, Betsy Z. Cohen, our Chairman of the Board, and James J. McEntee, III, our President, have extensive experience in the financial services industry generally, and the financial technology industry in particular, as well as extensive experience in operating financial services companies in a public company environment.
Several members of our management team, including our Chairman, served as executive officers and/or directors of FinTech Acquisition Corp., or FinTech I, a former blank check company which raised $100.0 million in its initial public offering in February 2015 and completed its initial business combination when it acquired FTS Holding Corporation in July 2016, which we refer to as the FinTech I Acquisition. See “Management — FinTech I” for information regarding FinTech I and the Fintech I Acquisition. Several members of our management team also served as executive officers and/or directors of FinTech Acquisition Corp. II, or FinTech II, a blank check company which raised $175.0 million in its initial public offering in January 2017 and completed its initial business combination when it acquired Intermex Holdings II in July 2018, which we refer to as the FinTech II Acquisition. See “Management — FinTech II” for information regarding FinTech II and the Fintech II Acquisition. In addition, certain members of our management team serve as executive officers and/or directors of FinTech Acquisition Corp. III, or FinTech III, a blank check company which raised $345.0 million in its initial public offering in November 2018. On August 3, 2020, FinTech III announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Paya, Inc. See “Management — FinTech III” for information regarding FinTech III and the proposed Paya acquisition. We believe that potential sellers of target businesses will view the fact that our management team has successfully closed multiple business combinations with vehicles similar to our company as a positive factor in considering whether or not to enter into a business combination with us. However, past performance by our management team is not a guarantee of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate.
Management
Mr. Cohen, with over 22 years of experience in financial services and financial technology, is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and of the Board of Managers of Cohen & Company, LLC, and serves as the President and Chief Executive of the European Business of Cohen and Company, Inc. (NYSE: COHN), a financial services company with approximately $2.63 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2020, and as President, a director and the Chief Investment Officer of Cohen and Company Inc.’s indirect majority owned subsidiary, Cohen & Company Financial Limited (formerly known as EuroDekania Management Limited), a Financial Conduct Authority regulated investment advisor and broker dealer focusing on the European capital markets (“CCFL”). Mr. Cohen previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and of the Board of Managers of Cohen & Company, LLC. Mr. Cohen served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Cohen and Company, Inc. from December 2009 to September 2013 and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors from October 2006 to September 2013. Mr. Cohen served as the executive Chairman of Cohen and Company, Inc. from October 2006 to December 2009. In addition, Mr. Cohen served as the Chairman of the Board of Managers of Cohen & Company, LLC from 2001 to September 2013, as the Chief Investment Officer of Cohen & Company, LLC from October 2008 to September 2013, and as Chief Executive Officer of Cohen & Company, LLC from December 2009 to September 2013. Mr. Cohen served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC (formerly C&Co/PrinceRidge Partners LLC), the Company’s indirect broker dealer subsidiary (“JVB”), from July 2012 to September 2013. Mr. Cohen is also a founder, the former Chief Executive Officer and the current Chairman of The Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBBK), which we refer to as Bancorp, a financial holding company with over $6.2 billion of total assets as of June 30, 2020. Bancorp’s principal subsidiary is The Bancorp Bank, a state chartered bank that provides a wide range of commercial and retail banking products and services to both regional and national markets. Mr. Cohen currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of FinTech III (NASDAQ: FTAC). Mr. Cohen also currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Insurance Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: INSU) and INSU Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ: INAQ). Mr. Cohen served as Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of FinTech I until the FinTech I Acquisition, and as Chief Executive Officer and a director of FinTech II until the FinTech II Acquisition. He is also a past Chief Executive Officer of RAIT Financial Trust, which we refer to as RAIT, formerly a publicly traded real estate finance company focused on the commercial real estate industry, from December 2006 when it merged with Taberna Realty Finance Trust, to February 2009, and served as a trustee from the date RAIT acquired Taberna in February 2009 until his resignation from that position in February 2010. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Cohen served as the Chief Operation Officer of Resource America, Inc., formerly a publicly traded asset management company with interests in energy, real estate and financial services. Mr. Cohen was also a past director of Jefferson Bank of Pennsylvania, a commercial bank and subsidiary of JeffBanks, Inc., a publicly traded bank holding company, which we refer to as JeffBanks, acquired by Hudson United Bancorp in 1999.
Mrs. Cohen, with over 42 years of experience, was a founder of Bancorp and served as Bancorp’s Chief Executive Officer from September 2000 through December 2014. Mrs. Cohen served as Chairman of the board of FinTech II until the FinTech II Acquisition, and also served as the Chairman of the board of directors of FinTech I until the Fintech I Acquisition and, following the FinTech I Acquisition, served on the post-business combination board of directors until May 2017. She is currently the Chairman of the board of directors of FinTech III and FTAC Olympus Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: FTOC). Mrs. Cohen is also a founder of RAIT and was its Chairman until December 2010 and its Chief Executive Officer until December 2006. She was also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of JeffBanks and its subsidiary banks from 1974 until the merger of JeffBanks into Hudson United Bancorp in 1999.
Mr. McEntee, with over 22 years of experience, is a director of Bancorp and The Bancorp Bank, was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Alesco Financial, an investment firm specializing in credit related fixed income investment, until it merged with Cohen & Company and was the Chief Operating Officer of Cohen & Company. Mr. McEntee served as Chief Financial Officer of FinTech II until the FinTech II Acquisition, and also served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of FinTech I until the Fintech I Acquisition. He is currently President and Chief Financial Officer of FinTech III.