Form DEFA14A Northern Lights Acquisit

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 7, 2022

 

Northern Lights Acquisition Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

 

001-40524		86-2409612
(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

10 East 53rd Street, Suite 3001

New York, New York 10022

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (510) 323-2526

 

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

	☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
	☒	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
	☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
	☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Units, each consisting of one share of Class A Common Stock and one-half of one Redeemable Warrant		NLITU		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share		NLIT		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Redeemable Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share		NLITW		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ☒

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

 

Item 7.01.

Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

As previously disclosed, on February 11, 2022, Northern Lights Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and 5AK, LLC, the Company’s sponsor (the “Sponsor”), entered into a definitive unit purchase agreement (the “Unit Purchase Agreement”) with SHF, LLC d/b/a Safe Harbor Financial, a Colorado limited liability company (the “Target”), SHF Holding Co., LLC, the sole member of the Target (the “Seller”), Partner Colorado Credit Union, the sole member of the Seller (the “Seller Parent”).

 

On June 7, 2022, the Target issued a press release announcing the closing of a $5.0 million senior secured loan to Solar Cannabis Co. (“Solar”), headquartered in Somerset, Massachusetts (the “Solar Loan”). The press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein. Solar was referred to the Target by Luminous Capital Inc., an affiliate of the Sponsor (“Luminous”), which received a fee of $50,000 in connection with the closing of the Solar Loan pursuant to that certain consulting agreement dated January 5, 2022 by and between Solar and Luminous.

 

The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and will not be deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise be subject to the liabilities of that section, nor will it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

 

Additional Information and Where to Find It

 

The proposed business combination involving the Company and the Target will be submitted to the stockholders of the Company for their consideration. The Company filed a preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 15, 2022 and an amended preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC on May 27, 2022 (collectively, the “Preliminary Proxy Statement”) to be distributed to the stockholders of the Company in connection with the Company’s solicitation for proxies for the vote by the stockholders of the Company in connection with the proposed business combination and other matters as described in the Preliminary Proxy Statement. After the Preliminary Proxy Statement has been cleared for dissemination by the SEC, the Company will mail a definitive proxy statement (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”) and other relevant documents to its stockholders as of the record date established for voting on the proposed business combination. Before making any voting decision, the stockholders of the Company and other interested persons are advised to read, once available, the Preliminary Proxy Statement and any amendments thereto and, once available, the Definitive Proxy Statement, along with all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination and the Company’s solicitation of proxies for its special meeting of stockholders to be held to approve, among other things, the proposed business combination, because these documents will contain important information about the Company, the Target, and the proposed business combination. Stockholders will be able to obtain free copies of the Preliminary or Definitive Proxy Statement, once available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed business combination and other documents filed with the SEC by the Company, without charge, at the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Northern Lights Acquisition Corp., 10 East 53rd Street, Suite 3001, New York, NY, 10022, or by telephone at (615) 554-0044.

 

Participants in Solicitation

 

The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders with respect to the business combination. Information about those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in the Company is contained in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on June 2, 2021 in connection with its initial public offering, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 25, 2022, and the Preliminary Proxy Statement, each of which was filed with the SEC and is available free of charge at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Northern Lights Acquisition Corp., 10 East 53rd Street, Suite 3001, New York, NY, 10022.

 

The Seller, the Seller Parent, the Target, and their respective directors, managers, and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders in connection with the business combination. A list of the names of such parties and information regarding their interests in the business combination may be obtained by reading the Preliminary Proxy Statement and the Definitive Proxy Statement regarding the business combination when it becomes available.

 

 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimated,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “outlook” or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to trends in the cannabis industry, including changes in U.S and state laws, rules, regulations and guidance relating to the Target’s services, the Target’s growth prospects and the Target’s market size, the Target’s projected financial and operational performance, including relative to its competitors, new product and service offerings the Target may introduce in the future, the proposed business combination, including the implied enterprise value, the expected post-closing ownership structure and the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the potential transaction, the risk that the proposed business combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of the Company’s securities, the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed business combination, including the approval of the proposed business combination by the stockholders of the Company, the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed business combination on the Company’s or the Target’s business relationships, performance, and business generally, the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or the Target related to the Unit Purchase Agreement or the proposed business combination, the ability to maintain the listing of the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market, the price of the Company’s securities, including volatility resulting from changes in the competitive and highly regulated industry in which the Target plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Target’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, and other statements regarding the Target’s and the Company’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

 

In addition to factors previously disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the SEC and the Preliminary Proxy Statement and those identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: (i) the risk that the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of the Company’s securities; (ii) the risk that the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement may not be completed by the Company’s business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought by the Company; (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement, including the adoption of the Unit Purchase Agreement by the stockholders of the Company, the satisfaction of the minimum cash amount following redemptions by the Company’s public stockholders and the receipt of certain governmental and regulatory approvals; (iv) the lack of a third-party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement; (v) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Unit Purchase Agreement; (vi) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement on the Target’s business relationships, performance and business generally; (vii) risks that the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement disrupt current plans and operations of the Target; (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Target or the Company related to the Unit Purchase Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby; (ix) the ability to maintain the listing of the Company’s securities on Nasdaq Capital Market; (x) the price of the Company’s securities, including following the Closing, may be volatile due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which the Target operates, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Target’s business and changes in the capital structure; (xi) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the transactions contemplated by the Unit Purchase Agreement, and identify and realize additional opportunities; (xii) the risk of downturns and the possibility of rapid change in the highly competitive industry in which the Target operates, and the risk of changes in applicable law, rules, regulations and regulatory guidance that could adversely impact the Target’s operations; (xiii) the risk that the Target and its current and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialize the Target’s products or services, or experience significant delays in doing so; (xiv) the risk that the Target may not achieve or sustain profitability; (xv) the risk that the Target will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; and (xvi) the risk that the Target experiences difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations.

 

Actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially, and potentially adversely, from any projections and forward-looking statements and the assumptions on which those forward-looking statements are based. There can be no assurance that the data contained herein is reflective of future performance to any degree. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future performance as projected financial information and other information are based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. All information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof in the case of information about the Company and the Target or the date of such information in the case of information from persons other than the Company or the Target, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication. Forecasts and estimates regarding the Target’s industry and end markets are based on sources we believe to be reliable, however there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part. Annualized, pro forma, projected, and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purpose only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Press Release of SHF, LLC d/b/a Safe Harbor Financial dated June 7, 2022
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (Embedded within the Inline XBRL document and included in Exhibit)

 

  

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

	NORTHERN LIGHTS ACQUISITION CORP.
Date: June 7, 2022	By:	/s/ John Darwin
		John Darwin
		Co-Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Safe Harbor Financial Announces Closing of Senior Secured Loan to

Solar Cannabis Co., a Leading Massachusetts-based Cannabis Operator

 

The loan represents the expansion of Safe Harbor’s senior secured lending program providing capital at commercial rates to proven cannabis operators

 

ARVADA, Colo., June 7, 2022 – SHF, LLC d/b/a/ Safe Harbor Financial (“Safe Harbor” or the “Company”), a leading financial services provider to the cannabis industry, today announced the closing of a $5 million senior secured loan to Solar Cannabis Co., an established vertically-integrated cannabis operator headquartered in Somerset, Massachusetts. Solar Cannabis will use the funds to further accelerate its growth.

 

This transaction marks the evolution of Safe Harbor’s senior secured lending program, which was established to provide loans to cannabis operators in states in which cannabis is legal. Solar Cannabis’ loan is the first extended by Safe Harbor outside of its home state of Colorado. The terms of the loan were not disclosed.

 

Safe Harbor, through its predecessor entity, began offering loan services in 2020 with the buildout of its commercial lending program in late 2021 to help cannabis operators overcome their historic reliance on expensive, non-traditional forms of capital. Since initiating the program, the Company has developed an actionable pipeline of approximately $500 million across nine states from both new as well as existing clients.

 

“We are excited to provide this extension of credit to Solar Cannabis. We believe, based on our due diligence process, the company has opportunities for continued growth,” said Paul Penney, Chief Investment Officer of Safe Harbor. “Safe Harbor is ushering in a new wave of commercial capital for the cannabis industry with leading compliance and underwriting alongside a low cost of capital advantage.”

 

Sundie Seefried, Founder and CEO of Safe Harbor, stated, “Our senior secured lending program is a key part of our efforts to increase our services to our clients. We are solving the cannabis industry’s most significant problem – unreasonable costs of capital that meaningfully inhibit growth. We want to make sure those terms are over for our clients, and the industry has a reasonable lending environment moving forward.”

 

Edward Dow, CEO of Solar Cannabis, commented, “Obtaining this loan from Safe Harbor gives us the resources we need to continue expanding our business in Massachusetts. It was a pleasure working with experienced cannabis executives Paul and Sundie who understand thoroughly the need for competitive rates and flexible structuring for cannabis operators.”

 

Safe Harbor was formed to provide an unmet need – compliant banking and financial services to the rapidly expanding U.S. cannabis industry. Over the past seven years (including operations conducted through its parent, Partner Colorado Credit Union), the Company has processed more than $12 billion in transactions, including approximately $3.6 billion in 2021.

 

 

Safe Harbor has grown to nearly 600 clients spanning 20 states, serving both the medical and recreational cannabis markets. As legislative reform unfolds in the U.S., the Company is uniquely positioned as the trusted, leading standard for cannabis financial services.

 

In February 2022, Safe Harbor announced the signing of a business combination agreement with Northern Lights Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: NLIT), a special purpose acquisition corporation.

 

About Safe Harbor

 

Safe Harbor is one of the first financial services providers to offer reliable access to banking solutions for cannabis, hemp, CBD, and ancillary operators, making communities safer, driving growth in local economies, and fostering long-term partnerships. Safe Harbor, through its partners, serves the regulated cannabis industry and implements the highest standard of accountability, transparency, monitoring, reporting, and risk mitigation measures while meeting BSA obligations in line with FinCEN guidance on CRBs. Over the past seven years, Safe Harbor has processed over $12 billion in transactions with operations spanning 20 states with regulated cannabis markets. For more information, visit www.shfinancial.org.

 

About Solar Cannabis Co.

 

Based in Somerset, MA. Solar is a 70,000 square foot marijuana cultivation facility coupled with on-site and off-site dispensary storefronts that supply both medical and recreational cannabis products. Solar is organized as a MA. domestic for-profit corporation and has secured a Certificate of Registration from the MA. Cannabis Control Commission to operate in the Commonwealth. Developed behind the mantra Elevated. By Design™, Solar is unlike any cannabis manufacturing facility in America. Solar’s key differentiators are its production architecture, which is centered around the facility’s innovative design that utilizes green infrastructure and microgrid assets comprising a combination of solar arrays and high-efficiency combined-heat & power generation units. These green concepts enable Solar to produce sustainable cannabis both by lowering its overall energy profile as well as by generating all of its own clean power. For more information, visit www.solarthera.com.

 

 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

 

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to (i) trends in the cannabis industry, including changes in U.S and state laws, rules, regulations and guidance relating to Safe Harbor’s services; (ii) Safe Harbor’s growth prospects and Safe Harbor’s market size; (iii) Safe Harbor’s projected financial and operational performance, including relative to its competitors; (iv) new product and service offerings Safe Harbor may introduce in the future; (v) the proposed business combination, including the implied enterprise value, the expected post-closing ownership structure and the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the potential transaction; (vi) the risk that the proposed business combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of Northern Lights’ securities; (vii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed business combination, including the approval of the proposed business combination by the stockholders of Northern Lights; (viii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed business combination on Northern Lights’ or Safe Harbor’s business relationships, performance, and business generally; (ix) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Northern Lights or Safe Harbor related to the definitive unit purchase agreement or the proposed business combination; (x) the ability to maintain the listing of Northern Lights’ securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market; (xi) the price of Northern Lights’ securities, including volatility resulting from changes in the competitive and highly regulated industry in which Safe Harbor plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Safe Harbor’s business and changes in the combined capital structure; (xii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and (xiii) other statements regarding Safe Harbor’s and Northern Lights’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “outlook,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would,” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject, are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Northern Lights’ registration statement on Form S-1, any proxy statement relating to the proposed business combination, which is expected to be filed by Northern Lights with the SEC, other documents filed by Northern Lights from time to time with SEC, and any risk factors made available to you in connection with Northern Lights, Safe Harbor, and the transaction. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of Safe Harbor and Northern Lights), and other assumptions, that may cause the actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

 

Additional Information about the Business Combination and Where to Find It

 

The proposed business combination involving Northern Lights and Safe Harbor will be submitted to the stockholders of Northern Lights for their consideration. Northern Lights has filed a preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC on April 15, 2022 (as amended thereafter, the “Preliminary Proxy Statement”) to be distributed to the stockholders of Northern Lights in connection with Northern Lights’ solicitation for proxies for the vote by the stockholders of Northern Lights connection with the proposed business combination and other matters as described in the Preliminary Proxy Statement. After the Preliminary Proxy Statement has been cleared for dissemination by the SEC, Northern Lights will mail a definitive proxy statement (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”) and other relevant documents to its stockholders as of the record date established for voting on the proposed business combination. Before making any voting decision, the stockholders of Northern Lights and other interested persons are advised to read, once available, the Preliminary Proxy Statement and any amendments thereto and, once available, the Definitive Proxy Statement, along with all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination and Northern Lights’ solicitation of proxies for its special meeting of stockholders to be held to approve, among other things, the proposed business combination, because these documents will contain important information about Northern Lights, Safe Harbor, and the proposed business combination. Stockholders will be able to obtain free copies of the Preliminary or Definitive Proxy Statement, once available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed business combination and other documents filed with the SEC by Northern Lights, without charge, at the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Northern Lights Acquisition Corporation, 10 East 53rd Street, Suite 3001, New York, NY, 10022, or by telephone at (615) 554-0044.

 

 

No Offer or Solicitation

 

This press release relates to a proposed business combination between Northern Lights and Safe Harbor and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

 

Participants in the Solicitation

 

Northern Lights and Safe Harbor, and certain of their respective directors and executive officers, under the rules of the SEC, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Northern Lights’ stockholders in favor of the approval of the business combination. Information about the directors and officers of Northern Lights and their ownership of Northern Lights Class B common stock can also be found in Northern Lights’ registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on June 2, 2021 in connection with its initial public offering, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 25, 2022, the Preliminary Proxy Statement, and other documents subsequently filed by Northern Lights with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Safe Harbor, as well as information regarding the interests of other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction, may be obtained by reading the Preliminary Proxy Statement and the Definitive Proxy Statement regarding the business combination when it becomes available. Additional information regarding the interests of these participants will also be included in the proxy statement pertaining to the business combination if and when it becomes available. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described above.

 

Safe Harbor Investor Relations Contact:

KCSA Strategic Communications

Adam Holdsworth

[email protected]

 

Safe Harbor Public Relations Contacts:

KCSA Strategic Communications

Joshua Greenwald / Anu Kher

[email protected]

 

 

 

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