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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM

10-K

(Mark One)

☒	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from

Commission File Number:

001-40984

ALTENERGY ACQUISITION CORP.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


Delaware		84-2157013
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

600 Lexington Avenue 9th Floor New York, New York		10022
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

(203)

299-1400

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

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	AEAEU	OTC Pink Open Market
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share	AEAE	OTC Pink Open Market
Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock, each at an exercise price of $11.50 per share	AEAEW	OTC Pink Open Market

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

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation

S-T

(Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a

non-accelerated

filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule

12b-2

of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

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. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to

§240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule

12b-2

of the Exchange Act). Yes ☒ No ☐

The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the Registrant, computed by reference to the closing price of the common stock reported on The Nasdaq Global Market on June 28, 2024, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second quarter, was $8,377,957.

As of March

5, 2025, 6,238,146 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001, and 250,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, were issued and outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None.

Table of Contents


		Page
PART I			2
Item 1.	Business		2
Item 1A.	Risk Factors		10
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments		33
Item 1C.	Cybersecurity		33
Item 2.	Properties		33
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings		34
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures		34

PART II			34
Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities		34
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data		34
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		34
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk		41
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data		F-1
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure		F-30
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures		F-30
Item 9B.	Other Information		II-1

PART III			II-2
Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance		II-2
Item 11.	Executive Compensation		II-9
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters		II-10
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence		II-11
Item 14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services		II-12

PART IV			II-14
Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules		II-14

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND RISK FACTOR SUMMARY

Certain statements in this annual report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”) may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s 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,” “intend,” “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 in this Form 10-K may include, for example, statements about:

•

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

•

our expectations around the performance of the prospective target business or businesses;

•

our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;

•

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination, as a result of which they would then receive expense reimbursements;

•

our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;

•

our pool of prospective target businesses;

•

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

•

the lack of a market for our securities;

•

the use of proceeds not held in the trust account (as described below) or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;

•

the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or

•

our financial performance.

The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the section of this Form 10-K entitled “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

PART I

References in this report to “we,” “us” or the “Company” refer to AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors, and references to the “Sponsor” refer to AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of Russell Stidolph, our Chief Executive Officer.

Item 1. Business. Introduction

AltEnergy Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company formed in February, 2021, as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K as our initial business combination. We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue to date. Based on our business activities, the Company is a “shell company” as defined under the Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) because we have no operations and nominal assets consisting almost entirely of cash.

On November 2, 2021, we consummated our initial public offering (the “initial public offering”) of 23,000,000 units (the “Units”), including 3,000,000 Units sold pursuant to the exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option. Each Unit consists of one share of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”) and one-half of one redeemable warrant (“Warrants”), each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating gross proceeds to the Company of $230,000,000. On November 2, 2021, simultaneously with the consummation of the initial public offering, we consummated a private placement (“the private placement”) of an aggregate of 12,000,000 warrants (the “private placement warrants”) at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant, to the Sponsor and B. Riley Principal Investments, LLC (“BRPI”) an affiliate of B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley”), an underwriter in the initial public offering, generating total gross proceeds of $12,000,000. Such securities were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

Prior to the consummation of the initial public offering, on March 25, 2021, we issued an aggregate of 5,750,000 shares (the “founder shares”) of the Company’s Class B common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000.

We paid a total of $4,600,000 in underwriting discounts and commissions and $635,000 for other costs and expenses related to the initial public offering. B. Riley received a portion of the underwriting discounts and commissions related to the initial public offering. The total net proceeds from our initial public offering and the sale of the private placement warrants was approximately $236,765,000, of which $234,600,000 (or $10.20 per unit sold in the initial public offering) was placed in a U.S.-based trust account (the “trust account”) at Morgan Stanley, maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, acting as trustee.

Non-Redemption Agreement

On April 26, 2023 and April 27, 2023, the Company and the Sponsor entered into non-redemption agreements (each, a “Non-Redemption Agreement”) with certain unaffiliated third parties (each, a “Holder,” and collectively, the “Holders”) in exchange for the Holder or Holders agreeing either not to request redemption in connection with the Extension (as defined below) or to reverse any previously submitted redemption demand in connection with the Extension with respect to an aggregate of 1,250,000 Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Shares”), of the Company sold in its initial public offering at the special meeting of stockholders called by the Company to consider and act upon a proposal to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate an initial business combination (the “Termination Date”) from May 2, 2023 to May 2, 2024.

In consideration of the foregoing agreement, immediately prior to, and substantially concurrently with, the closing of an initial business combination, (i) the Sponsor (or its designees) will surrender and forfeit to the Company for no consideration an aggregate of 250,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, held by the Sponsor (the “Forfeited Shares”) and (ii) the Company shall issue to the Holders a number of Class A Shares equal to the Forfeited Shares.

The foregoing description of the Non-Redemption Agreements do not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of Non-Redemption Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 27, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference.

On April 28, 2023, following the approval by the stockholders of the Company at a special meeting of stockholders, the Company filed an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware to extend the date from May 2, 2023 (18 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering), to May 2, 2024 (30 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering) (the “Extension,”) by which the Company must (1) consummate a business combination or (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such initial business combination, and redeem all of the Class A Shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s Initial Public Offering. Stockholders holding 21,422,522 Class A Shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Company’s Trust Account in connection with the Extension. As a result, $222,484,624 (approximately $10.38 per share) was removed from the Trust Account on or about May 15, 2023 to pay such holders, and an additional $855,762 (including $100,000 reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses discussed below) was removed from the Trust Account on or about May 9, 2023 and deposited into a restricted investment account.

On April 16, 2024, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders (the “April 2024 Special Meeting”). As of March 5, 2024, the record date of the April 2024 Special Meeting, there were 7,327,478 issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) comprised of 7,077,478 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Shares”), and 250,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. At the April 2024 Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the proposal to file an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware (the “Amendment”) to extend the date from May 2, 2024 to November 2, 2024 (the “Extended Date”) and to allow the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”), without another stockholder vote, to elect to further extend the date to consummate an initial business combination after the Extended Date up to six times, by an additional month each time, upon two days’ advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, up to May 2, 2025 (the “Additional Extension Date” and together with the Extended Date the “Extension” and such proposal, the “Extension Proposal”); by which the Company must (1) consummate a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (an “initial business combination”) or (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such initial business combination, and redeem all of the Class A Shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering. On April 17, 2024, to effectuate the Extension, the Company filed the Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

At the April 2024 Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders also approved a proposal to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate the limitation that the Company shall not redeem Class A Common Stock included as part of the units sold in the IPO (including any shares issued in exchange thereof, the “public shares”) to the extent that such redemption would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (the “Redemption Limitation”) to allow us to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed the Redemption Limitation.

Stockholders holding 839,332 Class A Shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Company’s trust account (“Trust Account”) in connection with the Extension. As a result, $9,513,007. (approximately $11.33 per share) was removed from the Trust Account to pay such holders.

Additional Extensions

Pursuant to the amendment to AltEnergy’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation referred to above, the Board (i) on October 30, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from November 2, 2024 to December 2, 2024; (ii) on November 25, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from December 2, 2024 to January 2, 2025; (iii) on December 20, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from January 2, 2025 to February 2, 2025; (iv) on January 28, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from February 2, 2025 to March 2, 2025; (v) on February 25, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from March 2, 2025 to April 2, 2025; and (vi) on March 26, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from April 2, 2025 to May 2, 2025.

The Company has scheduled a meeting for April 23, 2025, for the purpose of amending the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to further extend the date by which the Company is required to complete an initial business combination from May 2, 2025 to May 1, 2026.

Sponsor Warrant Forfeiture

On December 31, 2024, Sponsor forfeited 4,000,000 of the 11,600,000 private placement warrants purchased in connection with the Company’s IPO for no consideration.

Amended and Restated Merger Agreement

As previously disclosed, on February 21, 2024, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Original Merger Agreement”), by and among AltEnergy, Car Tech Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Merger Sub I”), and Car Tech, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company (“Car Tech”).

On February 14, 2025, we entered into an Amended and Restated Merger Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) by and among AltEnergy, Merger Sub I, Car Tech Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Merger Sub II” and, together with Merger Sub I, “Merger Subs”), and Car Tech, which amended and restated the Original Merger Agreement in its entirety.

The Mergers

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement and in accordance with the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (Car Tech having been converted to a Delaware limited liability company), (a) Merger Sub I will merge with and into Car Tech, with Car Tech surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AltEnergy (the “First Merger”), and (b) immediately following the effective time of the First Merger, Car Tech will merge with and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AltEnergy (the “Second Merger” and, together with the First Merger, the “Mergers”). Upon the consummation of the Mergers, subject to approval by AltEnergy’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions, the combined company (“New Car Tech”) will be renamed and is expected to list on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

Consideration

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, in consideration of the Merger, membership interests in Car Tech (the “Car Tech Units”) will be converted into the right to receive for each Car Tech Unit owned (I) a number of shares of AltEnergy’s common stock (the “Parent Common Stock”) obtained by dividing (i) a fraction equal to (a) the quotient of (x) the Closing Share Consideration divided by (y) ten dollars ($10.00), by (ii) the number of Car Tech Units that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger and (II) a number of warrants to purchase Common Stock equal to the quotient of (A) six million (6,000,000) divided by (B) the number of Car Tech Units that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger (the “Merger Consideration Warrants”).

“Closing Share Consideration” means (1) $80,000,000, plus (2) an additional $40,000,000 (the “Earn Out Consideration”).

Pursuant to the Lock-up Agreements described below, all of the shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to holders of Car Tech Units (other than 500,000 shares issued pursuant to clause (I) of the definition of Closing Share Consideration) will be subject to time based restrictions on transfer, and the 4,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to holders of Car Tech Units based on the Earn Out Consideration will be subject to additional transfer restrictions, release and forfeiture terms.

Representations and Warranties

The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and warranties of the parties thereto with respect to the parties, the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and their respective business operations and activities, including, with respect to Car Tech, its material properties, leases, and contracts. The representations and warranties of the parties do not survive the closing.

Covenants

The Merger Agreement contains customary covenants of the parties thereto, including: (a) conduct of business pending the Merger, (b) preparation and filing of a Form S-4 with respect to the Parent Common Stock issuable under the Merger Agreement (the “Form S-4”), which Form S-4 will contain a proxy statement for AltEnergy’s stockholders, (c) the requirement to make appropriate filings and obtain clearance pursuant to the HSR Act, if required, and (d) the preparation and delivery of updated audited financial statements for Car Tech.

The Merger Agreement also contains mutual exclusivity provisions prohibiting the parties thereto and their respective representatives and subsidiaries from soliciting initiating, continuing or otherwise encouraging or participating in an Acquisition Proposal (as defined in the Merger Agreement), or entering into any contracts or agreements in connection therewith.

Conditions to Consummation of the Transactions

Consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement is subject to conditions of the respective parties that are customary for a transaction of this type, including, among others: (a) obtaining approval of the Mergers by the holders of a majority in voting power of the Parent Common Stock; (b) obtaining approval of the Mergers by the holders of a majority of the Car Tech Units; (c) there being no laws or injunctions by governmental authorities or other legal restraint prohibiting consummation of the transactions contemplated under the Merger Agreement; (d) if required, the required filings under the HSR Act having been completed and the waiting period applicable to the Merger under the HSR Act having expired or terminated; (e) the Parent Common Stock being listed on Nasdaq; (f) the Form S-4 having become effective and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Form S-4 having been issued by the SEC; (g) the accuracy of the representations and warranties, measured by a material adverse effect standard, and the performance of the covenants and agreements, of AltEnergy and Car Tech, respectively, subject to customary materiality qualifications; (h) the delivery of customary closing certificates by officers of AltEnergy and Car Tech, as well as satisfaction of the condition that Shinyoung Co., Ltd. shall have provided a customary notice filing concerning the Merger with the Bank of Korea, as required by applicable law, and shall have received confirmation from the Bank of Korea that such notice filing has been accepted; and (i) AltEnergy shall have received a Transaction Financing in an amount and on terms reasonably acceptable to AltEnergy and Car Tech.

A “Transaction Financing” means a financing transaction with one or more investors that will commit to make secured loans or provide other financing to AltEnergy, which debt or financing will be guaranteed by Shinyoung Co., Ltd., unless such requirement is waived by AltEnergy.

Additional conditions to Car Tech’s obligations to consummate the Mergers pursuant to the Merger Agreement, subject to written waiver by Car Tech include, among others, that in accordance with the Non-Redemption Agreements, (i) the Sponsor shall have surrendered and forfeited to AltEnergy for no consideration 250,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (after which there shall be no shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding), and (ii) AltEnergy shall have issued to the appropriate unaffiliated third parties 250,000 shares of Class A Common Stock. The obligations of AltEnergy to consummate the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement are also subject to additional conditions, which may be waived in writing by AltEnergy, including, among others, that (a) no material adverse effect has occurred with respect to Car Tech and (b) the transactions contemplated by the Contribution and Exchange Agreement have been consummated.

Termination

The Merger Agreement may be terminated under certain customary and limited circumstances prior to the closing of the Merger, including: (a) by mutual written consent of AltEnergy and Car Tech; (b) by either party if the closing has not occurred prior to May 2, 2025; (c) there is a final non-appealable order issued by a governmental authority preventing or making illegal the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; (d) by Car Tech if AltEnergy fails to obtain the requisite stockholder approvals; (e) by AltEnergy if Car Tech fails to obtain the requisite member approvals; and (f) by either party if, subject to certain exceptions, any of the representations and warranties of the other party are not true and correct or if the other party fails to perform any of its respective covenants or agreements set forth in the Merger Agreement such that certain conditions to the obligations of such party cannot be satisfied and the breach (or breaches) of such representations or warranties or failure (or failures) to perform such covenants or agreements, as applicable, are not cured or cannot be cured within certain specified time periods.

If the Merger Agreement is validly terminated, none of the parties will have any liability or any further obligation under the Merger Agreement with certain limited exceptions, including liability arising out of fraud or willful material breach of the Merger Agreement.

Governance

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, following the Merger AltEnergy’s board will consist of seven members, with Car Tech appointing five directors, including Ho Gap Kang, Jonghoon Ha and three independent directors (as defined under applicable Nasdaq rules), one of whom will be Dohyung Kim, and the sponsor of AltEnergy (the “Sponsor”) appointing two directors, including Russell Stidolph and one independent director (as defined under applicable Nasdaq rules). Unless otherwise agreed by Car Tech and the Sponsor prior to the effective time of the Frist Merger, Car Tech, AltEnergy, Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II shall take all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to establish staggered three year terms for service on AltEnergy’s board, with (i) Ho Gap Kang and Russell Stidolph holding initial three-year terms, (ii) Jonghoon Ha and Dohyung Kim holding initial two-year terms, and (iii) Peter Hasenkamp, Robert Mancini and John Craig holding initial one-year terms.

The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.2 to this Annual Report and is incorporated by this reference.

Certain Related Agreements

Contribution and Exchange Agreement

Contemporaneously with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Shinyoung Co., Ltd, a corporation organized in the Republic of Korea (“Shinyoung”) and AltEnergy entered into a contribution and exchange agreement (the “Contribution and Exchange Agreement”) pursuant to which prior to the effective time of the Merger, Shinyoung will contribute to the capital of Car Tech all indebtedness owed by Car Tech to Shinyoung in exchange for Car Tech Units with a fair market value equal to the aggregate amount Car Tech is obligated to pay pursuant to such indebtedness. Shinyoung is a 78.32% holder of the Car Tech Units and is a holder of a significant portion of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness. Pursuant to the Contribution and Exchange Agreement Shinyoung also has agreed to issue the Shinyoung Guaranty.

The foregoing description of the Contribution and Exchange Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Contribution and Exchange Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.13 to this Form 10-K and incorporated by reference herein.

Support Agreement

Contemporaneously with the execution of the Merger Agreement, AltEnergy and Car Tech entered into a support agreement (the “Support Agreement”) with the Sponsor and certain members of Car Tech (the “Support Parties”), whereby the Support Parties have agreed, among other things, to vote in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and approval of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby.

The foregoing description of the Support Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the form of Support Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.14 to this Form 10-K and incorporated by reference herein

Lock-up Agreements

The Merger Agreement contemplates that following the execution of the Merger Agreement, holders of Company Units, shares of AltEnergy Common Stock, or Private Placement Warrants, as applicable, (the “Lock-up Holders”) will enter into lock-up agreements (each, a “Lock-up Agreement”) with Car Tech and AltEnergy. Pursuant to the Lock-up Agreements, the Lock-up Holders will agree, among other things, that the Restricted Securities (as defined in the Lock-up Agreements), held following consummation of the Merger shall be subject to a lock-up restriction that will terminate with respect to (i) 50% of such shares on the 12 month anniversary of the closing date, (ii) 25% of such shares on the 18 month anniversary of the closing date, and (iii) 25% of such shares on the 24 month anniversary of the closing date.

Under the terms of the Lock-up Agreement, upon completion of the Merger, 4,000,000 shares of AltEnergy Common Stock to be held by the Sponsor (the “Sponsor Earn Out Shares”) and 4,000,000 of the Restricted Securities designated as Earn Out Shares under the Merger Agreement to be held by holders of Car Tech Units (the “Company Member Earn Out Shares”; and together with the Sponsor Earn Out Shares, the “Earn Out Shares”) will be subject to additional transfer restrictions, release and forfeiture terms. A block of fifty percent (50%) of the Earn Out Shares (2,000,000 shares of AltEnergy Common Stock held by each of Sponsor and 2,000,000 shares of AltEnergy Common Stock held by holders of Car Tech Units) (the “Block A Earn Out Shares,” of which 1,850,000 held by each are designated as Block A-1 Earn Out Shares and the balance are designated as Block A-2 Earn Out Shares) may not be transferred unless and until either (i) the closing price of shares of AltEnergy Common Stock on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the AltEnergy Common Stock is then traded equals or exceeds $14.00 per share for any 20 trading days within any consecutive 30-trading day period during the Earn Out Period (as defined below) or (ii) immediately prior to the consummation of a Block A Change of Control (as defined below) during the Earn Out Period (each of clauses (i) and (ii), a “Block A Triggering Event”). If a Block A Triggering Event does not occur or a Block A Forfeiting Change of Control (as defined below) is consummated during the Earn Out Period, the Block A Earn Out Shares shall be automatically forfeited and cancelled for no consideration at the end of the Earn Out Period or immediately prior to the consummation of such Block A Forfeiting Change of Control, as applicable.

The remaining Earn Out Shares (the “Block B Earn Out Shares”) will be subject to a transfer restriction unless and until either (i) the closing share price of shares of AltEnergy Common Stock on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the AltEnergy Common Stock is then traded equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within any consecutive 30-trading day period during the Earn Out Period or (ii) immediately prior to the consummation of a Block B Change of Control (as defined below) during the Earn Out Period (each of clauses (i) and (ii), a “Block B Triggering Event”, and together with a Block A Triggering Event, a “Triggering Event”). If a Block B Triggering Event does not occur or a Block B Forfeiting Change of Control (as defined below) is consummated during the Earn Out Period, the Block B Earn Out Shares shall be automatically forfeited and cancelled for no consideration at the end of the Earn Out Period or immediately prior to the consummation of such Block B Forfeiting Change of Control, as applicable.

For purposes of the Lock-up Agreements:

“Earn Out Period” means (A) with respect to the Block A-1 Earn Out Shares, the period from (and excluding) the closing date of the Merger to (and including) the day that is the fifth (5th) anniversary of the closing date, and (B) with respect to the Block A-2 Earn Out Shares and the Block B Earn Out Shares, the period from (and excluding) the closing date to (and including) the day that is the tenth (10th) anniversary of the closing date.

“Block A Change of Control” means a Cashout Change of Control (as defined below) which implies a value per share of Parent Common Stock that equals or exceeds $14.00 per share.

“Block A Forfeiting Change of Control” means a Cashout Change of Control which implies a value per share of Parent Common Stock that is less than $14.00 per share.

“Block B Change of Control” means a Cashout Change of Control which implies a value per share of Parent Common Stock that equals or exceeds $18.00 per share.

“Block B Forfeiting Change of Control” means a Cashout Change of Control which implies a value per share of Parent Common Stock that is less than $18.00 per share.

“Cashout Change of Control” means a Change of Control where all of the Parent Common Stock and other equity securities of AltEnergy outstanding immediately prior to such Change of Control is sold, transferred, exchanged or redeemed exclusively for cash, and not for other securities or non-cash consideration.

“Change of Control” means, other than the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (i) any transaction or series of related transactions that results in any person or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) acquiring equity securities that represent more than 50% of the total voting power of AltEnergy (for the avoidance of doubt, excluding Shinyoung, the Sponsor or their affiliates), or (ii) a sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of AltEnergy and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, in each case that results in shares of AltEnergy Common Stock being converted into cash or other consideration (including equity securities of another person) (other than a transaction or series of related transactions where shares of AltEnergy Common Stock are converted into equity securities of another person who has substantially similar equity ownership to AltEnergy immediately prior to such transaction or series of related transactions).

In addition to the foregoing, 500,000 of the Restricted Shares subject to only time-based restrictions on trading and the Earnout Shares, in each case owned by our Sponsor are restricted from trading until the Shinyoung Guaranty is terminated.

The foregoing description of the form of Lock-up Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the form of Lock-up Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.15 to this Form 10-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed business combination, AltEnergy filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which includes a preliminary proxy statement to be sent to AltEnergy stockholders and a preliminary

prospectus relating to the registration of AltEnergy Common Stock (as amended from time to time, the “S-4 Registration Statement”).. AltEnergy urges investors, stockholders and other interested persons to read, when available, the S-4 Registration Statement as well as other documents filed with the SEC because these documents will contain important information about AltEnergy, Car Tech and the Proposed Business Combination. If and when the S-4 Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents will be mailed to stockholders of AltEnergy as of a record date to be established for voting on the Proposed Business Combination. Stockholders and other interested persons will also be able to obtain a copy of the proxy statement, without charge, by directing a request to: AltEnergy Acquisition Corp., 600 Lexington Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022. The preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this Annual Report is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this Annual Report.

Unless specifically stated, this Annual Report does not give effect to the proposed business combination and does not contain the risks associated with the proposed business combination. Such risks and effects relating to the proposed business combination will be included in the Form S-4 Registration Statement.

Nasdaq Notice

On October 9, 2023, the Company received a written notice (the “Notice”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(2), which requires the Company to maintain at least 400 total holders for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Notice is only a notification of deficiency, not of imminent delisting, and has no current effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Global Market.

The Company disclosed its receipt of the Notice pursuant to a Form 8-K filed on October 13, 2023, as required by NASDAQ rules. On November 20, 2023, the Company submitted a plan to regain compliance within the required timeframe. If Nasdaq accepts the Company’s plan, Nasdaq may grant the Company an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the date of the Notice to evidence compliance. If Nasdaq does not accept the Company’s plan, the Company will have the opportunity to appeal the decision in front of a Nasdaq Hearings Panel.

On May 7, 2024, the Company received a written notice (the “MVPHS Notice”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(C), which requires the Company to maintain a Market Value of Publicly Held Shares (“MVPHS”) of no less than $15 million for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Notice is only a notification of deficiency, not of imminent delisting, and has no current effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Global Market.

In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(D), the Company had 180 calendar days, or until November 3, 2024, to regain compliance. The MVPHS Letter noted that to regain compliance, the Company’s MVPHS must close at or above $15 million for a minimum of ten consecutive business days during the compliance period. The MVPHS Letter further noted that if the Company is unable to satisfy the MVPHS requirement prior to such date, the Company may be eligible to transfer the listing of its securities to The Nasdaq Capital Market (provided that the Company then satisfies the requirements for continued listing on that market).

The Company disclosed its receipt of the MVPHS Notice pursuant to a Form 8-K filed on May 13, 2024, as required by Nasdaq rules.

In connection with the foregoing, the Company transferred from the Nasdaq Global Market to the Nasdaq Capital Market.

On October 29, 2024, the Company, received a written notice from Nasdaq that the Company’s securities would be delisted from The Nasdaq Stock Market by reason of the failure of the Company to complete its initial business combination by October 28, 2024 (36 months from the effectiveness of the Company’s IPO registration statement) as required by IM-5101-2. Accordingly, trading in the Company’s Class A Common Stock, Units and Warrants was suspended at the opening of business on November 5, 2024 and Form 25-NSE was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which removed the Company’s securities from listing and registration on The Nasdaq Stock Market.

The Company’s Class A Common Stock, Units and Warrants continue to be traded in the over-the-counter market.

Effecting Our Initial Business Combination

General

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination (pursuant to forward purchase agreements or backstop agreements we may enter into prior to and in connection with our initial business combination), shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders preferred equity issued to investors or a combination of the foregoing.

We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would expect to complete such financing only simultaneously with the completion of our initial business combination. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities, the incurrence of debt or otherwise.

Employees

We currently have two officers. These individuals are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time they will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the stage of the initial business combination process we are in. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination.

Available Information

Our executive offices are located at 600 Lexington Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York, and our telephone number is (203) 299-1400. Our corporate website address is https://altenergyacquisition.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this annual report. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to invest in our securities.

We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on a regular basis, and are required to disclose certain material events in a Current Report on Form 8-K. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accountants. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s Internet website is located at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company will provide copies of these documents without charge upon request from us.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this Report, the following risks and uncertainties could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company also may impair the Company’s business operations and financial condition. Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or on our initial business combination or that would entitle holders thereof to receive funds from the trust account. Our initial stockholders will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our Sponsor, executive officers and directors

have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation), or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A Common Stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our Sponsor, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Summary of Risk Factors

This risk factor summary highlights a number of risk factors that we believe are the most important risks associated with our business at this time. It does not contain a summary of all of the risks associated with our business or all of the information that may be important to you. The following summary should be read together with the more detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties set forth following this summary.

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We may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

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A public stockholder’s only opportunity to affect an investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of such stockholder’s right to redeem shares for cash.

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We will only be able to complete one business combination which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of services and limited operating activities.

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We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.

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An active trading market for our common stock may not continue to develop or be sustained.

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If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.20 per share.

Risk Factors

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. Our business, prospects, financial condition, or operating results could be harmed by any of these risks, as well as other risks not known to us or that we consider immaterial as of the date of this Form 10-K. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and, as a result, you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Searching for and Consummating a Business Combination

We may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

We may complete our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our public shares do not approve of the initial business combination we complete.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote in favor of our initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.

Pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote their founder shares, as well as any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions), in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares and private shares, we would not need any of the 738,146 remaining shares that were sold in the initial public offering to be voted in favor of an initial business combination in order to have our initial business combination approved.

A public stockholder’s only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to exercising such stockholder’s redemption rights in connection with any potential business combination.

If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per share on our redemption of our public shares, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares, which may include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself. For example, we may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these or any other procedures, its shares may not be redeemed.

If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.20 per share upon our liquidation.

Stockholders will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our stock will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value unless they are able to successfully claim that the reduction was due to the breach by our officers or directors of a duty of care or other fiduciary duty owed to them, or if they are able to successfully bring a private claim under securities laws that the proxy solicitation or tender offer materials, as applicable, relating to the business combination contained an actionable material misstatement or material omission.

Past performance by members of our management team may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us or in the future performance of any business that we may acquire.

Past performance by members of our management team is not a guarantee either (i) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate or (ii) that we will be able to locate a suitable candidate for our initial business combination. You should not rely on the historical record of members of our management team’s performance as indicative of our future performance of an investment in the company or the returns the company will, or is likely to, generate going forward.

We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity or our board cannot independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our proxy materials or tender offer documents, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

We are dependent upon our officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, our officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

We will only be able to complete one business combination which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of services and limited operating activities. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operating results and profitability.

We will only be able to effectuate our initial business combination with only one target business. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory developments. Further, we will not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry.

Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

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solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset, or

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dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.

This lack of diversification will subject us to numerous economic, competitive, and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and other governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. While we previously amended our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on April 16, 2024 we cannot assure you that we will not seek to further amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our stockholders may not support.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. Amending provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-initial business combination activity will require the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, and amending our warrant agreement will require a vote of holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private warrants, 50% of the number of the then outstanding private warrants. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires us to provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash if we propose an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. Our Sponsor, which beneficially owns approximately 78% of our common stock, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which govern our pre-initial business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination.

The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-initial business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account), including an amendment to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated, may be amended with the approval of holders of 65% of our common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that any of its provisions related to pre-initial business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of the initial public offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein and including to permit us to withdraw funds from the trust account such that the per share amount investors will receive upon any redemption or liquidation is substantially reduced or eliminated) may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. In all other instances, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock entitled to vote thereon, subject to applicable provisions of the DGCL or applicable stock exchange rules. We may not issue additional securities that can vote on amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our Sponsor, which beneficially owns approximately 78% of our common stock, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which govern our pre-initial business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete an initial business combination with which stockholders do not agree. Our stockholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100%

of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

We may be required to seek additional financing to complete a proposed initial business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per share plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination.

Our initial stockholders may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

Our initial stockholders currently own approximately 78% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, they may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that public stockholders do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. In addition, our board of directors, whose members were elected by certain of our initial stockholders, is and will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our initial business combination, in which case all of the current directors will continue in office until at least the completion of the initial business combination. If there is an annual meeting, as a consequence of our “staggered” board of directors, only a minority of the board of directors will be considered for election and our initial stockholders, because of their ownership position, will have considerable influence regarding the outcome. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will continue to exert control at least until the completion of our initial business combination.

Our public warrants, founder shares and private placement warrants (including the securities contained therein) may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock.

We issued warrants to purchase 11,500,000 shares of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share (subject to adjustment as provided herein), as part of the units offered by the initial public offering and, simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering, we issued in a private placement an aggregate of 12,000,000 private warrants, each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein.

Our sponsor currently owns an aggregate of 5,500,000 shares of Class A common stock and 250,000 shares of Class B common stock. In addition, if our sponsor made working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may

be converted into warrants, at the price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. The issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of these warrants will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and reduce the value of the shares of Class A common stock issued to complete the initial business combination.

Our warrants are accounted for as a warrant liability and are recorded at fair value upon issuance with changes in fair value each period reported in earnings, which may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Common Stock.

We issued 11,500,000 warrants as part of the units offered by the initial public offering and, simultaneously with the closing of the initial public offering, we issued in a private placement, 12,000,000 private placement warrants of which 8,000,000 remain outstanding following the forfeiture of 4,000,000 private placement warrants by our Sponsor on December 31, 2024 for no consideration. We account for both the warrants underlying the units offered by the initial public offering and the private placement warrants as a warrant liability. At each reporting period (1) the accounting treatment of the warrants will be re-evaluated for proper accounting treatment as a liability or equity and (2) the fair value of the liability of the public warrants and the private placement warrants will be remeasured and the change in the fair value of the liability will be recorded as other income (expense) in our income statement. The impact of changes in fair value on earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

Subsequent to the completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our stock price, which could cause stockholders to lose some or all of their investment.

Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will surface all material issues that may be present inside a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining debt financing to partially finance the initial business combination. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities.

Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination.

Even if the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own shares representing 50% or more of the voting securities of the target business, our stockholders prior to the initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of Class A common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.

We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may affect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company, which could, in turn, negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders who choose to remain stockholders following the initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such stockholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we employ after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements. In addition, the officers and directors of an initial business combination candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of an initial business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an initial business combination candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an initial business combination candidate’s management team will remain associated with the initial business combination candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an initial business combination candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post- combination business.

Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a “going concern.”

We have until May 2, 2025, unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, to consummate an initial business combination. Although we intend to complete a business combination prior to such deadline, it is uncertain that we will be able consummate an initial business combination by either date. If an initial business combination is not consummated by the required dates, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution. In connection with our assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with the authoritative guidance in ASC Topic 205-40, “Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern,” management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, and subsequent dissolution, should we be unable to complete a business combination, raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this report do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to continue as a going concern.

We have identified material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting and may identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, which may result in material misstatements of our financial statements or cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations.

We are required to comply with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) rules implementing Sections 302 and 404 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“SOXA”), which require management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports. Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to reasonably detect and prevent fraud. We are also required to report any material weakness in such internal control. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis.

As disclosed under “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures” of this Annual Report, (i) during the course of preparing our audited financial statements for our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that certain disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2022, due to a material weakness that existed related to our accounting for complex financial instruments and our accounting and reporting for the completeness and accuracy of warrant liabilities and the corresponding change in the fair value of the warrant liability; (ii) during the course of preparing our audited financial statements for this Annual Report, our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer identified as it relates to the material weakness relating to accounting for complex financial instruments, a failure to properly record in the Company’s financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2023, and September 30, 2023, the capital contributions and related costs associated with non-redemption agreements entered into with certain stockholders of the Company in connection with the special meeting of stockholders of the Company held on April 28, 2023; and (iii) during the course of preparing our audited financial statements for this Annual Report, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer identified a material weakness in relation to the accounting of contractual liabilities which led to errors in the accounting of consulting fees pursuant to a consulting agreement with our chief financial officer in our financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, and September 30, 2023. Our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that certain disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2024.

While as discussed in “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures” we have implemented and plan to implement changes to remediate the material weaknesses identified above, we cannot predict the success of such plan or the outcome of our assessment of this plan at this time. If our steps are insufficient to successfully remediate the material weaknesses and otherwise establish and maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, the reliability of our financial reporting, investor confidence in us, and the value of our common stock could be materially and adversely affected. We can give no assurance that this implementation will remediate these deficiencies in disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls or that additional material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting will not be identified in the future. Our failure to implement and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting could result in errors in our financial statements that could result in a restatement of our financial statements or cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations.

For as long as we are an “emerging growth company” under The Jumpstart Our Business Startup Act (“JOBS Act”), our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404.

Risks Relating to Conflicts of Interest of our Officers, Directors and Others

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.

Our key personnel may be able to remain with the company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the initial business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the initial business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a

target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for an initial business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. Our independent directors may also serve as officers or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

Until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, and may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business.

Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties.

Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into an initial business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us, including the formation or participation in one or more other blank check companies. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us, which may include acting as financial advisor in connection with an initial business combination or as

placement agent in connection with a related financing transaction. Our underwriters are entitled to receive deferred commissions that will be released from the trust only on a completion of an initial business combination. These financial incentives may cause them to have potential conflicts of interest in rendering any such additional services to us.

We may engage one or more of our underwriters or one of their respective affiliates to provide additional services to us after the initial public offering, including, for example, identifying potential targets, providing financial advisory services, acting as a placement agent in a private offering or arranging debt financing. The underwriters are also entitled to receive deferred commissions that are conditioned on the completion of an initial business combination. The underwriters’ or their affiliates’ financial interests tied to the consummation of a business combination transaction may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in providing any such additional services to us, including potential conflicts of interest in connection with the sourcing and consummation of an initial business combination.

Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

On March 25, 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.004 per share. An affiliate of B. Riley purchased from our sponsor an aggregate 400,000 founder shares. The founder shares were purchased at a price of $4.00 per founder share, or an aggregate purchase price of $1,600,000, which was payable at the time of the closing of the initial public offering. The founder shares will be delivered by the sponsor to the underwriters upon consummation of our initial business combination and immediately following the expiration of the transfer restrictions applicable to the founder shares. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our sponsor and an affiliate of our underwriter purchased 12,000,000 private placement warrants at a price of $1.00 per private placement warrant. Among the private placement warrants, 11,600,000 were purchased by our sponsor at a price of $1.00 per warrant, and 400,000 warrants were purchased by an affiliate of our underwriter at a price of $1.00 per warrant. On December 31, 2024, our sponsor forfeited 4,000,000 private placement warrants to the Company for no consideration. The private placement warrants will also be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. Holders of founder shares have agreed (A) to vote any shares owned by them in favor of any proposed initial business combination and (B) not to redeem any founder shares in connection with a stockholder vote to approve a proposed initial business combination. In addition, we may obtain loans from our sponsor, affiliates of our sponsor or an officer or director, and we may pay our sponsor, officers, directors and any of their respective affiliates fees and expenses in connection with identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination. The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.

Risks Relating to Our Securities

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may only receive $10.20 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we must complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation). We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein.

If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not

previously released to us to pay our taxes ), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may only receive $10.20 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.20 per share on the redemption of their shares.

Our public stockholders will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (i) our completion of an initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity and (iii) the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete an initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation), subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

Because our common stock, units and warrants are quoted on the OTC Pink Open Market, instead of a national securities exchange, our stockholders and warrant holders may experience significant volatility in the market price of our stock, units or warrants and have difficulty selling their such securities.

Our common stock, units and warrants are currently quoted on the OTC Pink Open Mark (the “OTC Pink”), under the ticker symbol “AEAE”, “AEAEU” and “AEAEW.” The OTC Pink is a regulated quotation service that displays real-time quotes and last sale prices in over-the-counter securities. Trading in securities quoted on the OTC Pink is often thin and characterized by volatility. This volatility may be caused by a variety of factors, including the lack of readily available price quotations, the absence of consistent administrative supervision of bid and ask quotations, lower trading volume and market conditions. As a result, there may be wide fluctuations in the market price of our securities for reasons unrelated to operating performance, and this volatility, when it occurs, may have a negative effect on the market price for our securities. Moreover, the OTC Pink is not a stock exchange, and trading of securities on this platform is more sporadic than the trading of securities listed on a national quotation system or stock exchange. Accordingly, our stockholders and warrant holders may not be able to realize a fair price of their shares or warrants when they determine to sell them or may have to hold them for a substantial period of time until the market for such securities improves.

An active trading market for our common stock may not continue to develop or be sustained.

Although our securities are listed on the OTC Pink Open Market, we cannot assure you that an active, liquid trading market for our shares, units or warrants will continue to develop or be sustained. If an active market for any of our securities does not continue to develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult for you to sell shares, units or warrants quickly or without depressing the market price for such securities or to sell your such securities at all.

If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.20 per share.

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue.

Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we do not complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption.

Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.20 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting

firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have entered into a written letter of intent, confidentiality or similar agreement or business combination agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of (i) $10.20 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, if less than $10.20 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, less taxes payable, provided that such liability will not apply to any claims by a third party or prospective target business who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the monies held in the trust account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) nor will it apply to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of the initial public offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. However, we have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such indemnification obligations, nor have we independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.20 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.20 per public share and (ii) the actual amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account if less than $10.20 per share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment and subject to their fiduciary duties may choose not to do so in any particular instance if, for example, the cost of such legal action is deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or if the independent directors determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.20 per share.

We may not have sufficient funds to satisfy indemnification claims of our directors and officers.

We have agreed to indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law. However, our officers and directors have agreed to waive any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies in the trust account and not to seek recourse against the trust account for any reason whatsoever. Accordingly, any indemnification provided will be able to be satisfied by us only if (i) we have sufficient funds outside of the trust account or (ii) we consummate an initial business combination. Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts

received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.20 per share.

The proceeds held in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. While short-term U.S. government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we are unable to complete our initial business combination or make certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our initial business combination, up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.20 per share.

If we have not completed an initial business combination within on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation), our public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond such date before redemption from our trust account.

If we have not completed an initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation), the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of the interest to pay dissolution expenses), will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, as further described herein. Any redemption of public stockholders from the trust account will be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind-up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public stockholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the DGCL. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond such date before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them, and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless we complete our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their Class A common stock. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public stockholders be entitled to distributions if we do not complete our initial business combination.

Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 30th month from the closing of the initial public offering in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful (potentially due to the imposition of legal proceedings that a party may bring or due to other circumstances that are currently unknown), then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.

We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination, which could delay the opportunity for our stockholders to elect directors.

In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.

Holders of Class A common stock will not be entitled to vote on any election of directors we hold prior to our initial business combination.

Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our public shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. Accordingly, you may not have any say in the management of our company prior to the consummation of an initial business combination.

We have not registered the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of warrants is not registered, qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless.

We have not registered the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and thereafter will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days following our initial business combination and to maintain a current prospectus relating to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure holders of warrants that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis in which case the number of shares of our Class A common stock that holders of warrants will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum number of shares equal to 0.361 shares of our Class A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment). However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a registration statement covering the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is not effective within a specified period following the consummation of our initial business combination, warrant holders may, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and during any period when we shall have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, exercise warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, provided that such exemption is available. If that exemption, or another exemption, is not available, holders will not be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and there is no exemption available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Class A common stock included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue-sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in the initial public offering. However, there may be instances in which holders of our public warrants may be unable to exercise such public warrants but holders of our private warrants may be able to exercise such private warrants.

The future exercise of registration rights granted to our initial stockholders may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

Pursuant to an agreement that was entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in the initial public offering, our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the founder shares, the private placement warrants, the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private warrants held, or to be held, by them and holders of units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such units, the private shares and private warrants included in such units and the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private warrants included in such units. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock.

We may issue additional shares of Class A common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination (although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we may not issue securities that can vote with common stockholders on matters related to our pre-initial business combination activity).. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that prior to or in connection with our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, like all provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, may be amended with the approval of our stockholders. However, our officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

The issuance of additional shares of Class A common stock or shares of preferred stock:

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may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in the initial public offering;

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may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

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could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and

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may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants.

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of warrants could be increased, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without a holder’s approval.

Our warrants were issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

Our warrant agreement designates the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.

Our warrant agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.

This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.

We may redeem unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to holders of warrants, thereby making warrants worthless.

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may not exercise our redemption right if the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is not exempt from registration or qualification under applicable state blue sky laws or we are unable to effect such registration or qualification. We will use our best efforts to register or qualify such shares of common stock under the blue sky laws of the state of residence in those states in which the warrants were offered by us in the initial public offering. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force a warrant holder (i) to exercise warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for a warrant holder to do so, (ii) to sell warrants at the then-current market price when such warrant holder might otherwise wish to hold such warrant holder’s warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of warrants.

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the sponsor, the underwriters or their permitted transferees.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A common stock and could entrench management.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include a staggered board of directors and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall have concurrent jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

General Risks

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the aggregate worldwide market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) our annual revenues equaled or exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year or the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.

We depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early-stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:

•

restrictions on the natures of our investments; and

•

restrictions on the issuance of securities, each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:

•

registration as an investment company;

•

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

•

reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and other rules and regulations.

In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading in securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete an initial business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemption in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; or (iii) absent an initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation), our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete an initial business combination or may result in our liquidation. If we do not complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.20 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly.

Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination and results of operations.

Risks Related to Taxes

New legislation that would change U.S. or foreign taxation of business activities could seriously harm our business, or the financial markets and the market price of our Class A common stock.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded U.S. domestic corporations and certain U.S. domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations occurring on or after January 1, 2023. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax. Any redemption or other repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022, in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise, may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent the Company would be subject to the excise tax in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the Business Combination, extension or otherwise, (ii) the structure of a Business Combination, (iii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with a Business Combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with a Business Combination but issued within the same taxable year of a Business Combination) and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. As such, the Company has recorded a 1% excise tax liability in the amount of $2,224,846 and $2,319,976.31 on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2023 and 2024, respectively. The liability does not impact the condensed statements of operations and is offset against additional

paid-in

capital or accumulated deficit if additional

paid-in

capital is not available.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity.

We are a SPAC with no business operations. Since our IPO, our sole business activity has been identifying, evaluating suitable acquisition transaction candidates and completing the merger with our target acquisition companies. Therefore, we do not consider that we face significant cybersecurity risk and have not adopted any cybersecurity risk management program or formal processes for assessing cybersecurity risk. Our board of directors is generally responsible for the oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats, if there is any. We have not encountered any cybersecurity incidents since our IPO.

Item 2. Properties.

Our executive offices are located at 600 Lexington Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York, 10022. Our executive offices are provided to us by an affiliate of the Sponsor and we have agreed to pay such affiliate of the Sponsor a total of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial, and administrative support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

Table of Contents

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us or any of our officers or directors in their corporate capacity.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

Our shares of common stock, units and warrants are traded on the OTC Pink Market under the ticker symbols “AEAE”, “AEAEU” and “AEAEW”, respectively.

Holders

As of March 15, 2025, there was 1 holder of record of our units, 2 holders of record of our Class A common stock and 3 holders of record of our warrants.

Dividends

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of an initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial conditions subsequent to completion of an initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to an initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. If we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

None.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Offerings

None.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

Not required.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion And Analysis of Financial Condition And Results of Operations

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements (Restated)

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Form

10-K

including, without limitation, statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form

10-K,

words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management.

Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.

Overview

We are a blank check company 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 (the “initial business combination”). We intend to effectuate our business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering and the private placement that occurred simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering to the extent any funds remain available after any redemptions effected in connection with the initial business combination, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.

As discussed under Item 1 of this Form 10-K, we expect to issue additional shares in connection with the proposed initial business combination to the owners of the target or other investors, with the following consequences:

•

significant dilution of the equity interest of holders of our common stock;

•

Potential subordination of the rights of holders of our common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

•

a change in control, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and will likely result in the resignation or removal of one or more of our present officers and directors;

•

potential delay or prevention of a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; and

•

potentially adversely affecting prevailing market prices for our Class A common stock and/or warrants.

Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant debt to bank or other lenders or the owners of a target, it could result in:

•

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after our initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

•

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

•

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;

•

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;

•

our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;

•

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, our ability to pay expenses, make capital expenditures and acquisitions, and fund other general corporate purposes;

•

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

•

increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;

•

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, and execution of our strategy; and

•

other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

In the short term, we are incurring costs in the pursuit of our initial business combination plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

Extension of Combination Period

April 2023 Special Meeting

On April 28, 2023, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders (the “April 2023 Special Meeting”). As of April 10, 2023, the record date of the April 2023 Special Meeting, there were 28,750,000 issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) comprised of 23,000,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Shares”), and 5,750,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. At the April 2023 Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the proposal to file an amendment to AltEnergy’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware (the “Amendment”) to extend the date from May 2, 2023, to May 2, 2024 (the “Extension,” and such proposal, the “Extension Proposal”) by which the Company must (1) consummate a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (an “initial business combination”) or (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such initial business combination, and redeem all of the Class A Shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s IPO that was consummated on November 2, 2021. On April 28, 2023, to effectuate the Extension, the Company filed the Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. Stockholders holding 21,422,522 Class A Shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Company’s trust account (“Trust Account”) in connection with the Extension. As a result, $222,484,624 (approximately $10.38 per share) was removed from the Trust Account on or about May 15, 2023 to pay such holders, and an additional $855,761 was removed from the Trust Account on or about May 9, 2023. As of December 31, 2023 there was $17,591,536 (or approximately $11.15 per share of Class A common stock that is subject to redemption) held in the Trust Account.

On April 28, 2023, following the April 2023 Special Meeting, 5,500,000 shares of Class B Common Stock were converted into Class A Shares, which Class A Shares are not subject to redemption.

April 2024 Special Meeting

On April 16, 2024, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders (the “April 2024 Special Meeting”). As of March 5, 2024, the record date of the April 2024 Special Meeting, there were 7,327,478 issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock comprised of 7,077,478 shares of the Company’s Class A Shares, and 250,000 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. At the April 2024 Special Meeting, AltEnergy’s stockholders approved the proposal to file an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware (the “Amendment”) to extend the date from May 2, 2024, to November 2, 2024 (the “Extended Date”) and to allow the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”), without another stockholder vote, to elect to further extend the date to consummate an initial business combination after the Extended Date up to six times, by an additional month each time, upon two days’ advance notice prior to the applicable deadline, up to May 2, 2025 (the “Additional Extension Date” and together with the Extended Date the “Extension” and such proposal, the “Extension Proposal”); by which the Company must (1) consummate a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (an “initial business combination”) or (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such initial business combination, and redeem all of the Class A Shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s IPO that was consummated on November 2, 2021. On April 17, 2024, to effectuate the Extension, the Company filed the Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

At the April 2024 Special Meeting, the Company’s stockholders also approved a proposal to amend our amended

and restated certificate of incorporation to eliminate the limitation that the Company shall not redeem Class A Common Stock included as part of the units sold in the IPO (including any shares issued in exchange thereof, the “public shares”) to the extent that such redemption would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (the “Redemption Limitation”) to allow us to redeem public shares irrespective of whether such redemption would exceed the Redemption Limitation.

As a result of the April 2024 Special Meeting, stockholders holding 839,332 Class A Shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Company’s trust account (“Trust Account”) in connection with the Extension. As a result, $9,513,007 (approximately $11.20 per share) was removed from the Trust Account on or about April 23, 2024 to pay such holders. As of April 30, 2024 there was $8,344,700 (or approximately $11.30 per share of Class A common stock that is subject to redemption) held in the Trust Account.

Additional Extensions

Pursuant to the amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation referred to above, the Board (i) on October 30, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which the Company is required to complete an initial business combination from November 2, 2024 to December 2, 2024; (ii) on November 25, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which the Company is required to complete an initial business combination from December 2, 2024 to January 2, 2025; (iii) on December 20, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which the Company is required to complete an initial business combination from January 2, 2025 to February 2, 2025; January 28, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from February 2, 2025 to March 2, 2025; (v) on February 25, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from March 2, 2025 to April 2, 2025; (vi) on March 26, 2025 approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from April 2, 2025 to May 2, 2025.

The Company has scheduled a meeting for April 23, 2025 for the purpose of amending the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to further extend the date by which the Company is required to complete an initial business combination from May 2, 2025 to May 1, 2026.

Results of Operations

We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the initial public offering, and identifying a target company for a business combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our business combination. We generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on marketable securities. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses in connection with completing a business combination.

Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 consisted of interest income earned on the funds held in Trust in the amount of $576,286, interest earned on the operating and investment accounts of $4,285 and a gain of $858,100 on the change in fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities associated with the warrants issued as part of the Units sold in the Public Offering and the Private Placement Warrants offset by operating expenses that total $3,942,881, interest expense of $102,355 and income tax expense of $91,276.

Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of interest income earned on the funds held in Trust in the amount of $4,216,411, interest earned on the operating and investment accounts of $11,337 and a gain of $1,410,000 on the change in fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities associated with the warrants issued as part of the Units sold in the Public Offering and the Private Placement Warrants offset by operating expenses that total $2,283,526, interest expense of $19,404 and income tax expense of $861,417.

Going Concern Considerations, Liquidity and Capital Resources

investment account in excess of $100,000 will be for the benefit of the Trust. If an initial business combination is consummated all funds then held in the restricted investment account, including amounts previously reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses in the event the Company fails to complete an initial business combination will be for the benefit of the Trust. As described in Note 6 to the financial statements, the $8,050,000 deferred underwriting fees are contingent upon the consummation of the Business Combination.

We intend to use all of such funds held outside the Trust Account other than the $100,000 reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses primarily to perform business, legal and financial due diligence in connection with our business combination agreement as described in Item 1 of this Form 10-K, and structure, negotiate and complete the business combination.

For the year ending December 31, 2024, cash used in operating activities was $1,765,142, consisting primarily of net loss of $2,697,841, including interest income on the funds held in the Trust of $576,286, interest income earned on the operating and investment accounts of $4,285 and a gain on the change in the fair value of the warrant liabilities of $858,100 offset by changes in operating assets and liabilities providing $2,371,370 of cash from operating activities.

In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” management has determined that the Company may lack the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. Management has also determined that , in accordance with the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation, unless the Company completes a business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 or the Company’s articles of incorporation are further amended to extend such date beyond May 2, 2025, the Company will cease all operations, redeem the public shares and thereafter liquidate and dissolve. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern.

The Company intends to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account, excluding the deferred underwriting commissions, and amounts paid to redeem public shares, to complete an initial business combination. To the extent that capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete an initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue growth strategies. If an initial business combination agreement requires the Company to use a portion of the cash in the Trust Account to pay the purchase price or requires the Company to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the Company will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the Trust Account to meet such requirements or arrange for third-party financing.

We may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of public shares upon completion of our business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, we would only complete such financing simultaneously with the completion of our business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the Trust Account. In addition, following our business combination, if cash on hand is insufficient, we may need to obtain additional financing in order to meet our obligations.

Convertible Working Capital Loan

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a business combination, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete a business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the

event that a business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our Trust Account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such working capital loans may be convertible into private placement units at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. There is no outstanding balance as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Loan Payable — Sponsor

Additionally, per a Commitment Letter, dated July 19, 2022, the Sponsor undertook upon the Company’s written request to make available an aggregate amount of up to $250,000 to provide the Company funds for working capital purposes to ensure that the Company would continue as a going concern for at least 12 months. A second Commitment Letter was dated May 4, 2023 for up to an additional $750,000. A third Commitment Letter was dated December 20, 2023 for up to an additional $800,000. The Sponsor is charging interest at the mid-term applicable federal rate at the time of funding. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Sponsor loaned an aggregate of $1,335,000 to the Company for working capital purposes. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, $2,335,000 and $1,000,000 remained outstanding, respectively. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was accrued interest of $91,688 and $19,404, respectively.

Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements

We have no obligations, assets or liabilities, which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2024. We do not participate in transactions that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or purchased any non-financial assets.

Contractual Obligations

We do not have any long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations or long-term liabilities, other than an agreement to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor a monthly fee of $15,000 for office space, utilities, and administrative support to the Company. We began incurring these fees on October 28, 2021. On January 28, 2023 this agreement was amended to provide that, rather than be payable on a monthly basis, the payments due thereunder commencing with the monthly payment payable on or about February 28, 2023 shall accrue and be payable on the completion of a business combination or the Company’s liquidation.

The Underwriting Agreement with B. Riley Securities, Inc., provides that upon the consummation of our initial business combination, we will pay B. Riley Securities, Inc. out of the funds in the Trust Account a cash fee in an amount equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Public Offering (exclusive of any applicable finders’ fees which might become payable). No fee will be due if we do not complete an initial business combination.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements.

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the balance sheet, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. One of the more significant accounting estimates included in these financial statements is the determination of the fair value of the warrant liabilities and the fair value of the non-redemption agreements. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policy:

Common stock subject to possible redemption

The Company accounts for its shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance enumerated in ASC 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity”. Common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that features redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The shares of the Company’s Class A common stock feature certain redemption rights that are considered by the Company to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in the amount of $8,646,368 and $17,700,146 are presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ deficit section of the Company’s balance sheets, respectively. The shares of Class A common stock that were issued upon conversion of shares of Class B common stock are not subject to redemption and accordingly are presented in the stockholders’ deficit section of the Company’s balance sheets.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging.” The Company’s derivative instruments are recorded at fair value as of the closing date of the Initial Public Offering (November 2, 2021) and re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. Derivative assets and liabilities are classified on the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement or conversion of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date. The Company has determined the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are derivative instruments. As the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants meet the definition of a derivative, the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are measured at fair value at issuance and at each reporting date in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, with changes in fair value recognized in the statement of operations in the period of change.

Warrants Instruments

We evaluated the Warrants in accordance with ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity” and concluded that a provision in the Warrant Agreement related to certain tender or exchange offers as well as provisions that provided for potential changes to the settlement amounts dependent upon the characteristics of the holder of the warrant, precludes the Warrants from being accounted for as components of equity. As the Warrants meet the definition of a derivative as contemplated in ASC 815 and are not eligible for an exception from derivative accounting, the Warrants are recorded as derivative liabilities on the Balance Sheet. Upon consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the Company used a Monte Carlo simulation model to value the Public Warrants and a modified Black-Scholes model to value the Private Placement Warrants. The Company allocated the proceeds received from (i) the sale of Units (which is inclusive of one share of Class A common stock and one-half of one Public Warrant), (ii) the sale of Private Warrants, and (iii) the issuance of shares of Class B common stock, first to the warrants based on their fair values as determined at initial measurement, with the remaining proceeds allocated to shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption (temporary equity) and Class B common stock (permanent equity) based on their relative fair values at the initial measurement date. The Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants were classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy at the measurement dates due to the use of unobservable inputs.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Public Warrants were valued using the publicly available price for the Warrant and are classified as Level 1 on the Fair Value Hierarchy. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the

Company used a modified Black-Scholes model to value the Private Placement Warrants. The Company relied upon the implied volatility of the Public Warrants and the implied volatilities of comparable companies and the closing price as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 per Public Warrant to estimate the volatility for the Private Placement Warrants. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Private Placement Warrants were classified within Level 3 of the Fair Value Hierarchy at the measurement dates due to the use of unobservable inputs.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid to transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. US GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers include:

•

Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets;

•

Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and

•

Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

Net income (loss) per share

Net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The Company applies the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. Earnings and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. The calculation of diluted income (loss) per share of common stock does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the (i) Initial Public Offering, and (ii) the private placement since the exercise of the warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events. As of December 31, 2024, the Company did not have any dilutive securities or other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted net income per common share is the same as basic net income per common share for the period presented. As of December 31, 2024, the warrants are exercisable to purchase 19,500,000 shares of Class A common stock in the aggregate.

Recent accounting pronouncements

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2023-09, “Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). The ASU is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in the ASU address investor requests for enhanced income tax information primarily through changes to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU 2023-09 will be effective for us in the annual period beginning January 1, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is still evaluating the presentational effect that ASU 2023-09 will have on its financial statements, but we expect changes to our income tax footnote.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

As a “smaller reporting company,” we are not required to provide the information called for by this Item.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

ALTENERGY ACQUISITION CORP.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


	Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID 688)		F-2
Financial Statements:
Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023		F-3
Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023		F-4
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023		F-5
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023		F-6
Notes to Financial Statements		F-7

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of AltEnergy Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, based on our audit, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company is a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation that was formed for the purpose of completing a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities on or before May 2, 2024, which date had been extended by amendments to the Company’s articles of incorporation which currently provide that the Company must complete such a transaction on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation). The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with a business combination target on February 21, 2024, which was amended and restated on February 14, 2025; however, the completion of this transaction is also subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders among other conditions. There is no assurance that the Company will obtain the necessary approvals, satisfy the required closing conditions, raise the additional capital it needs to fund its operations, and complete the transaction prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation). The Company also has no approved plan in place to extend the business combination deadline and fund operations for any period of time after May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation). These matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans with regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that may be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Marcum LLP

Marcum LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.

New York, NY

March 28, 2025

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AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

BALANCE SHEETS


	December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash	$	18,458		$	79,974
Prepaid expenses – Short-Term		62,894			153,498
Income tax receivable		17,296			23,527
Other investments held for trading		101,511			108,610

Total Current Assets		200,159			360,609
Investments held in the Trust Account		8,544,857			17,591,536

Total Assets	$	8,745,016		$	17,952,145

LIABILITIES, COMMON STOCK POSSIBLE REDEMPTION AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	$	473,369		$	127,368
Accrued Tax Payable – Franchise Tax		—			—
Accrued Tax Payable – Excise Tax		2,319,976			2,224,846
Other accrued expenses – deferred		2,082,125			340,791
Due to related party		872,888			433,404
Loan payable – Sponsor		2,335,000			1,000,000

Total Current Liabilities		8,083,358			4,126,409
Derivative warrant liabilities		81,900			940,000
Deferred underwriting commission		8,050,000			8,050,000

Total liabilities		16,215,258			13,116,409
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 6)
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption; 738,146 and 1,577,478 shares at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively – approximately $11.71 and $11.22 per share, respectively		8,646,368			17,700,146
Stockholders’ deficit:
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding		—			—
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 5,500,000 issued and outstanding (excluding 738,146 and 1,577,478 shares subject to possible redemption) at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively		550			550
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, 250,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively		25			25
Additional paid-in capital		—			—
Accumulated deficit		(16,117,185	)		(12,864,985	)

Total Stockholders’ Deficit		(16,116,610	)		(12,864,410	)

Total Liabilities, Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption and Stockholders’ Deficit	$	8,745,016		$	17,952,145

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS


	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023
EXPENSES
Administrative fee - related party	$	180,000		$	180,000
Non-redemption agreement expense		—			180,000
Consulting fees – related party		187,200			234,000
Business combination expenses		1,669,253			—
General and administrative		1,906,428			1,689,526

TOTAL EXPENSES		3,942,881			2,283,526

OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Income earned on investments held in Trust Account		576,286			4,216,411
Income earned on cash and investment accounts		4,285			11,337
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities		858,100			1,410,000
Interest expense		(102,355	)		(19,404	)

TOTAL OTHER INCOME, NET		1,336,316			5,618,344

Net income (loss) before income tax provision		(2,606,565	)		3,334,818

Income tax provision		(91,276	)		(861,417	)

Net income (loss)	$	(2,697,841	)	$	2,473,401

Weighted average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding, basic and diluted		6,483,524			12,225,033

Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock	$	(0.40	)	$	0.17

Weighted average number of shares of Class B common stock outstanding, basic and diluted		250,000			2,028,082

Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of Class B common stock	$	(0.40	)	$	0.17

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024


	Class A Common Stock				Class B Common Stock				Additional Paid In Capital		Accumulated Deficit			Stockholders’ Deficit
	Shares		Amount		Shares		Amount		Additional Paid In Capital		Accumulated Deficit			Stockholders’ Deficit
Balance, January 1, 2024		5,500,000	$	550		250,000	$	25	$	—	$	(12,864,985	)	$	(12,864,410	)
Remeasurement of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption to redemption amount		—		—		—		—		—		(459,229	)		(459,229	)
Excise tax imposed on common stock redemptions		—		—		—		—		—		(95,130	)		(95,130	)
Net loss		—		—		—		—		—		(2,697,841	)		(2,697,841	)

Balance, December 31, 2024		5,500,000	$	550		250,000	$	25	$	—	$	(16,117,185	)	$	(16,116,610	)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023


	Class A Common Stock				Class B Common Stock						Additional Paid In Capital			Accumulated Deficit			Stockholders’ Deficit
	Shares		Amount		Shares			Amount			Additional Paid In Capital			Accumulated Deficit			Stockholders’ Deficit
Balance, January 1, 2023		—	$	—		5,750,000		$	575		$	—		$	(9,494,365	)	$	(9,493,790	)
Remeasurement of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption to redemption amount		—		—		—			—			(180,000	)		(3,619,175	)		(3,799,175	)
Excise tax imposed on common stock redemptions		—		—		—			—			—			(2,224,846	)		(2,224,846	)
Contribution - Non-redemption agreement		—		—		—			—			180,000			—			180,000
Class B common stock converted to Class A common stock		5,500,000		550		(5,500,000	)		(550	)		—			—			—
Net income		—		—		—			—			—			2,473,401			2,473,401

Balance, December 31, 2023		5,500,000	$	550		250,000		$	25		$	—		$	(12,864,985	)	$	(12,864,410	)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS


	For the Year Ended December 31, 2024			For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)		(2,697,841	)		2,473,401
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Investment income earned on investments held in the Trust Account		(576,286	)		(4,216,411	)
Gain on change in fair value of derivative liabilities		(858,100	)		(1,410,000	)
Interest income earned on investment account		(4,285	)		(11,337	)
Non-redemption agreement expense		—			180,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses		90,604			225,766
Income tax receivable		6,231			(23,527	)
Other deferred expenses		1,741,334			327,976
Consulting fees payable - related party		187,200			234,000
Accrued income taxes payable		—			(295,065	)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		346,001			(47,769	)

Net Cash Used In Operating Activities		(1,765,142	)		(2,562,966	)

Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Taxes paid from trust		120,225			658,027
Cash withdrawn from Trust Account to redeeming stockholders		9,513,007			222,484,624
Cash withdrawn from Trust Account for taxes payable and dissolution expenses		10,267			855,762
Funds deposited into held to maturity investment account		(9,150	)		(775,762	)
Funds withdrawn from held to maturity investment account		—			678,489

Net Cash Provided by Investing Activities		9,634,349			223,901,140

Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Redemption of Class A common stock		(9,513,007	)		(222,484,624	)
Proceeds from loan payable - Sponsor		1,335,000			825,000
Proceeds from related party advances		252,284			184,192

Net Cash Used In Financing Activities		(7,925,723	)		(221,475,432	)

Net change in cash		(56,516	)		(137,258	)
Cash at beginning of period		74,974			212,232

Cash at end of period	$	18,458		$	74,974

Supplemental Schedule of Cash Flow Information:
Cash paid for income taxes	$	85,055		$	1,180,000
Supplemental Schedule of Non-cash Financing Activities:
Remeasurement of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption to redemption amount	$	459,229		$	3,799,175
Excise tax liability accrued for common stock redemptions	$	95,130		$	2,224,846

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

Notes to Financial Statements

NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND LIQUIDITY

AltEnergy Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on February 9, 2021. The Company was 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 (the “Business Combination”). The Company is not limited to a particular industry or sector for purposes of consummating a Business Combination. The Company is an early stage and emerging growth company and, as such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage and emerging growth companies.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from February 9, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2024 relates to the Company’s formation and the initial public offering (“Initial Public Offering”), which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of the Business Combination at the earliest. The Company will generate

non-operating

income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the net proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31st as its fiscal year end.

The registration statement for the Company’s Initial Public Offering was declared effective on October 28, 2021. On November 2, 2021, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 20,000,000 units (“Units” and, with respect to the common stock included in the Units being offered, the “Public Shares”), generating gross proceeds of $200,000,000, which is described in Note 3.

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering and the exercise by the underwriters of the over-allotment option, the Company consummated the private sale (the “Private Placement”) of an aggregate of 12,000,000 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) allocating 11,600,000 warrants to AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor LLC (the “Sponsor”) (including 1,200,000 warrants purchased in connection with the exercise of the over-allotment option) and 400,000 warrants to an affiliate of the underwriter at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds to the Company in the amount of $12,000,000.

Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on November 2, 2021, an amount of $234,600,000 ($10.20 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement was placed in a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee (the “

Trust Account

”) which may be invested in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), with a maturity of 185 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting the conditions of Rule

2a-7

of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the consummation of a Business Combination or (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account, as described below.

As of November 2, 2021, transaction costs amounted to $13,355,589 consisting of $4,600,000 of underwriting fees, $8,050,000 of deferred underwriting fees payable (which are held in the Trust Account) and $705,589 of costs related to the Initial Public Offering.

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On April 28, 2023, following the approval by the stockholders of the Company at a special meeting of stockholders the Company filed an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware to extend the date from May 2, 2023 (18 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering), to May 2, 2024 (30 months for the closing of the Initial Public Offering) (the “

Extension

,”) by which the Company must (1) consummate a Business Combination or (2) cease its operations except for the purpose of winding up if it fails to complete such initial business combination, and redeem all of the Class A Shares included as part of the units sold in the Company’s Initial Public Offering. Stockholders holding 21,422,522 Class A Shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Company’s Trust Account in connection with the Extension. As a result, $222,484,624 (approximately $10.38 per share) was removed from the Trust Account on or about May 15, 2023 to pay such holders, and an additional $855,762 (including $100,000 reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses discussed below) was removed from the Trust Account on or about May 9, 2023 and deposited into a restricted investment account.

Form 8-K

with the Securities and Exchange Commission to effect the required two days’ notice.

Stockholders holding 839,332 Class A Shares exercised their right to redeem such shares for a pro rata portion of the funds in the Company’s trust account (“Trust Account”) in connection with the Extension. As a result, $9,513,007 (approximately $11.33 per share) was removed from the Trust Account to pay such holders.

Pursuant to the amendment to AltEnergy’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation referred to above, the Board (i) on October 30, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from November 2, 2024 to December 2, 2024; (ii) on November 25, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from December 2, 2024 to January 2, 2025; (iii) on December 20, 2024, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from January 2, 2025 to February 2, 2025; (iv) January 28, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from February 2, 2025 to March 2, 2025; (v) on February 25, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from March 2, 2025 to April 2, 2025; and (vi) on March 26, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete and initial business combination from April 2, 2025 to May 2, 2025.

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As of December 31, 2024 there was $$8,544,857 (or approximately $11.58 per share) held in the Trust Account. Cash of $18,458 was held outside of the Trust Account on December 31, 2024 and was available for working capital purposes. As of December 31, 2024, there was $101,511 held in the restricted investment account of which $100,000 is reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses in the event the Company fails to complete in initial business combination and is dissolved. To the extent such funds in the restricted investment account are insufficient (less than $100,000), additional funds will be dispersed from the Trust up to a combined total of $100,000. Any amount in the restricted investment account in excess of $100,000 will be for the benefit of the Trust. If an initial business combination is consummated all funds then held in the restricted investment account, including amounts previously reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses in the event the Company fails to complete an initial business combination will be for the benefit of the Trust. As described in Note 6, the $8,050,000 deferred underwriting fees are contingent upon the consummation of the Business Combination.

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Initial Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Business Combination successfully. The Company must complete one or more initial Business Combinations with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account). The Company will only complete a Business Combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, management agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.20 per Unit sold in the Initial Public Offering, including proceeds of the Private Placement Warrants, will be held in a trust account, located in the United States and invested only in U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less or in any open-ended investment company that holds itself out as a money market fund selected by the Company meeting certain conditions of Rule

2a-7

of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Business Combination and (ii) the distribution of the funds held in the Trust Account, as described below.

The Company will provide the holders of the outstanding Public Shares (the “Public Stockholders”) with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer in connection with the Business Combination. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Business Combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company. The Public Stockholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.20 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest then in the Trust Account, net of taxes payable). There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of a Business Combination with respect to the Company’s warrants. The Public Shares subject to redemption were recorded at a redemption value and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 480 “

Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity

.”

If the Company seeks stockholder approval of the Business Combination, the Company will proceed with a Business Combination if a majority of the outstanding shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination, or such other vote as required by law or stock exchange rule. If a stockholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to its amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination. If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules.

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If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Business Combination, the Sponsor has agreed to vote its Founder Shares (as defined in Note 5) and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Initial Public Offering in favor of approving a Business Combination. Additionally, each Public Stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks stockholder approval of a Business Combination and it does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Certificate of Incorporation provides that a Public Stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 20% of the Public Shares, without the prior consent of the Company.

The holders of the Founder Shares have agreed (a) to waive their redemption rights with respect to the Founder Shares and Public Shares held by them in connection with the completion of a Business Combination and (b) not to propose an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with a Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its Public Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period (as defined below) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or

pre-business

combination activity, unless the Company provides the Public Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public Shares in conjunction with any such amendment.

If the Company has not completed a Business Combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 or such later date if the date is further extended (the “Combination Period”), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to pay taxes

(less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Company’s warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period.

The holders of the Founder Shares have agreed to waive their liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. However, if the holders of Founder Shares acquire Public Shares in or after the Initial Public Offering, such Public Shares will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 6) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution will be less than the Initial Public Offering price per Unit ($10.00).

In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.20 per Public Share or (ii) such lesser amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, if less than $10.20 per public Share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay

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taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity of the underwriters of the Initial Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (except for the Company’s independent registered accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.

Going Concern, Liquidity and Management’s Plan

As of December 31, 2024 there was $8,544,857 (or approximately $11.58 per share) held in the Trust Account. Cash of $18,458 was held outside of the Trust Account on December 31, 2024 and was available for working capital purposes. As of December 31, 2024, there was $101,511 held in the restricted investment account which together with interest earned thereon and after payment of associated taxes and account fees up to $100,000 is reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses in the event the Company fails to complete an initial business combination and is dissolved. To the extent such funds in the restricted investment account are insufficient (less than $100,000), additional funds will be dispersed from the Trust up to a combined total of $100,000. Any amount in the restricted investment account in excess of $100,000 will be for the benefit of the Trust. If an initial business combination is consummated all funds then held in the restricted investment account, including amounts previously reserved to pay dissolution costs and expenses in the event the Company fails to complete an initial business combination will be for the benefit of the Trust. As described in Note 6, the $8,050,000 deferred underwriting fees are contingent upon the consummation of the Business Combination.

In connection with the Company’s assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”)

2014-15,

“

Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

,” management has determined that the Company may lack the financial resources it needs to sustain operations for a reasonable period of time, which is considered to be one year from the issuance date of the financial statements. Management has also determined that, in accordance with the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation, if the Company is unsuccessful in consummating an initial business combination by May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s articles of incorporation), the Company will cease all operations, redeem the public shares, and thereafter liquidate and dissolve. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern.

The Company intends to use substantially all of the funds held in the Trust Account after payments on account of any redemptions, including any amounts representing interest earned on the Trust Account, excluding the deferred underwriting commissions, to complete an initial business combination. To the extent that capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete an initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the Trust Account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business. If an initial business combination agreement requires the Company to use a portion of the cash in the Trust Account to pay the purchase price or requires the Company to have a minimum amount of cash at closing (including any cash available from the Trust Account), the Company will need to arrange for third-party financing.

The Company is required to complete an initial business combination on or prior to May 2, 2025 (unless such date is further extended by an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation). If the Company is unable to complete an initial business combination on or prior to such date, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, and subject to having lawfully available funds therefore, redeem the public shares, at a

per-share

price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest earned on the trust account deposits (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then-outstanding public shares, which

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redemption will completely extinguish the public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

Nasdaq Delisting

On October 9, 2023, the Company received a written notice (the “Notice”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(2), which requires the Company to maintain at least 400 total holders for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Notice was only a notification of deficiency, not of imminent delisting, and had no current effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Global Market.

The Company disclosed its receipt of the Notice pursuant to a Form

8-K

filed on October 13, 2023, as required by NASDAQ rules. On November 20, 2023, the Company submitted a plan to regain compliance within the required timeframe.

On May 7, 2024, the Company received a written notice (the “MVPHS Notice”) from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(C), which requires the Company to maintain a Market Value of Publicly Held Shares (“MVPHS”) of no less than $15 million for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Notice was only a notification of deficiency, not of imminent delisting, and had no current effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Global Market.

ten

consecutive business days during the compliance period. The MVPHS Letter further noted that if the Company is unable to satisfy the MVPHS requirement prior to such date, the Company may be eligible to transfer the listing of its securities to The Nasdaq Capital Market (provided that the Company then satisfied the requirements for continued listing on that market).

The Company disclosed its receipt of the MVPHS Notice pursuant to a Form

8-K

filed on May 13, 2024, as required by Nasdaq rules.

In connection with the foregoing, the Company transferred from the Nasdaq Global Market to the Nasdaq Capital Market.

On October 29, 2024, the Company received a written notice from Nasdaq that the Company’s securities would be delisted from The Nasdaq Stock Market by reason of the failure of the Company to complete its initial business combination by October 28, 2024 (36 months from the effectiveness of the Company’s IPO registration statement) as required by

IM-5101-2.

Accordingly, trading in the Company’s Class A Common Stock, Units and Warrants was suspended at the opening of business on November 5, 2024 and Form

25-NSE

was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which removed the Company’s securities from listing and registration on The Nasdaq Stock Market.

The Company’s Class A Common Stock, Units and Warrants continue to be traded in the

over-the-counter

market.

Risks and Uncertainties

Management continues to evaluate the impact of global conflicts and any further escalation of hostilities related thereto, terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases, on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that such events could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

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NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements are presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Emerging Growth Company

The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

Further, section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to

non-emerging

growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Use of Estimates

non-redemption

agreements. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company had no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Investments held in the Trust Account and the Investment Account

At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s portfolio of investments held in the Trust Account and the Investment Account were invested in mutual funds and government securities, which are reported at fair value, and

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are treated as trading securities. The Company’s portfolio of investments held in the Trust Account and the Investment Account is comprised of U.S. government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less, investments in money market funds that invest in U.S. government securities, cash, or a combination thereof. Gains and losses resulting from the change in fair value of these securities are recorded to net income each period. The estimated fair values of the investments held in the Trust Account and the Investment Account are determined using quoted market prices in active markets.

Offering Costs associated with an Initial Public Offering

The Company complies with the requirements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic 5A, “

Expenses of Offering

.” Deferred offering costs were allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the Initial Public Offering based on a relative fair value basis, compared to total proceeds received. Upon completion of the Initial Public Offering, offering costs associated with warrant liabilities were expensed as incurred and offering costs associated with the shares of Class A Common Stock were allocated between temporary equity and the Public Warrants by the relative fair value method. Offering

costs of $705,589 consisted principally of costs incurred in connection with preparation for the Initial Public Offering. These offering costs, together with the underwriter fees of $12,650,000, were allocated between temporary equity and the Public Warrants in a relative fair value method upon completion of the Initial Public Offering. Of these costs, $926,044 were allocated to the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants and were expensed in the statement of operations for the period ended December 31, 2021.

Class A common stock subject to possible redemption

The Company accounts for its shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance enumerated in ASC 480 “

Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity

”. Common stock subject to mandatory redemption is classified as a liability instrument and is measured at fair value. Conditionally redeemable common stock (including common stock that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, common stock is classified as stockholders’ equity. The shares of the Company’s Class A common stock feature certain redemption rights that are considered by the Company to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, at December 31, 2024 and 2023, the shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in the

amount of $8,646,368 and $17,700,146, respectively, are presented as temporary equity, outside of the stockholders’ deficit section of the Company’s balance sheets.

At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Class A common stock reflected in the balance sheets is reconciled in the following table:

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Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2021	$	234,600,000
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		1,785,597

Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2022	$	236,385,597
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		2,240,671

Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at March 31, 2023	$	238,626,268
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		1,003,291
Redemption of Class A common stock		(222,484,624	)

Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at June 30, 2023	$	17,144,935
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		299,813

Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at September 30, 2023	$	17,444,748
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		255,398

Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2023	$	17,700,146
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		212,490
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at March 31, 2024	$	17,912,636
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		102,198
Redemption of Class A common stock		(9,513,007	)
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at June 30, 2024	$	8,501,827
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		92,073
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at September 30, 2024	$	8,593,900
Remeasurement adjustment of Class A common stock to redemption value		52,468
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption at December 31, 2024	$	8,646,368

Net income (loss) per share

Net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The Company applies the

two-class

method in calculating earnings and losses per share. Earnings and losses are shared pro rata between the two classes of shares. The calculation of diluted income (loss) per share of common stock does not consider the effect of the warrants issued in connection with the (i) Initial Public Offering, and (ii) the private placement since the exercise of the warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not have any dilutive securities or other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings and losses of the Company. As a result, diluted net income per common share is the same as basic net income per common share for the periods presented. The warrants are exercisable to purchase 19,500,000 shares of Class A common stock in the aggregate.

The following table reflects the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share (in dollars, except per share amounts):

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	For the Year Ended December 31, 2024
	Class A			Class B
Basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net loss	$	(2,597,676	)	$	(100,165	)
Denominator:
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding		6,483,524			250,000
Basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock	$	(0.40	)	$	(0.40	)


	For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
	Class A		Class B
Basic and diluted net income per share of common stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net income	$	2,121,460	$	351,941
Denominator:
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding		12,225,033		2,028,082
Basic and diluted net income per share of common stock	$	0.17	$	0.17

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution which, at times, may exceed the Federal depository insurance coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts.

Income Taxes

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, “

Income Taxes

.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

The Company has identified the United States as its only “major” tax jurisdiction. The Company is subject to income taxation by major taxing authorities since inception. These examinations may include questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions and compliance with federal and state tax laws. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months.

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Inflation Reduction Act

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IR Act”) was signed into federal law. The IR Act provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of stock by publicly traded U.S. domestic corporations and certain U.S. domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations occurring on or after January 1, 2023. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its stockholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new stock issuances against the fair market value of stock repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain exceptions apply to the excise tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) has been given authority to provide regulations and other guidance to carry out and prevent the abuse or avoidance of the excise tax. Any redemption or other repurchase that occurs after December 31, 2022, in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise, may be subject to the excise tax. Whether and to what extent the Company would be subject to the excise tax in connection with a Business Combination, extension vote or otherwise would depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the redemptions and repurchases in connection with the Business Combination, extension or otherwise, (ii) the structure of a Business Combination, (iii) the nature and amount of any “PIPE” or other equity issuances in connection with a Business Combination (or otherwise issued not in connection with a Business Combination but issued within the same taxable year of a Business Combination) and (iv) the content of regulations and other guidance from the Treasury. As such, the Company has recorded a 1% excise tax liability in the amount of $2,319,976 and $2,224,846 on the balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The liability does not impact the statements of operations and is offset against

additional paid-in capital

or accumulated deficit if additional

paid-in

capital is not available. As of December 31, 2024, the Company has accrued $52,294 for interest and penalties of unpaid taxes which is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the accompanying balance sheet.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “

Derivatives and Hedging

.” The Company’s derivative instruments are recorded at fair value as of the closing date of the Initial Public Offering (November 2, 2021) and

re-valued

at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. Derivative assets and liabilities are classified on the balance sheets as current or

non-current

based on whether or not

net-cash

settlement or conversion of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet dates. The Company has determined the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are derivative instruments. As the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants meet the definition of a derivative, the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are measured at fair value at issuance and at each reporting date in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, with changes in fair value recognized in the statements of operations in the period of change.

Warrant Instruments

The Company accounts for the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants issued in connection with the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC 815, “

Derivatives and Hedging

” whereby under that provision the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as a liability. Accordingly, the Company classifies the warrant instrument as a liability at fair value and adjust the instrument to fair value at each reporting period. This liability will be

re-measured

at each balance sheet date until the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are exercised or expire, and any change in fair value will be recognized in the Company’s statements of operations. The fair value of the Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants are measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value presented within change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the statements of operations.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Public Warrants were valued using the publicly available price for the Warrant and are classified as Level 1 on the Fair Value Hierarchy. The Company relied upon the implied volatility of the Public Warrants and the implied volatilities of comparable companies and the closing price as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 per Public Warrant to estimate the volatility for the Private Placement Warrants.

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Fair Value Measurements

•

Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical instruments in active markets;

•

Segment Reporting

The Company complies with ASU 2023-07, “

Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (ASU 2023-07)

”

which improves reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses among other disclosure requirements. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 on January 1, 2024. The amendments will be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements (see Note 11).

Recent Accounting Standards

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU

2023-09,

“

Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures

” (“ASU

2023-09”).

The ASU is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in the ASU address investor requests for enhanced income tax information primarily through changes to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU

2023-09

will be effective for us in the annual period beginning January 1, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is still evaluating the presentational effect that ASU

2023-09

will have on its financial statements.

NOTE 3. INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

Pursuant to the Initial Public Offering, the Company sold 20,000,000 Units at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit generating gross proceeds to the Company in the amount of $200,000,000. Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A common stock”), and

one-half

of one redeemable warrant of the Company (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”), with each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment.

NOTE 4. PRIVATE PLACEMENT

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the private sale (the “Private Placement”) of an aggregate of 12,000,000 warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) allocating 11,600,000 warrants to AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor LLC (the “Sponsor”) and 400,000 warrants to an affiliate of the underwriter at a purchase price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, generating gross proceeds to the Company in the amount of $12,000,000.

A portion of the proceeds from the Private Placement Units was added to the proceeds from the Initial Public Offering held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Placement Units will be worthless.

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The Private Placement Warrants (including the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of an Initial Business Combination, subject to certain exceptions.

On December 31, 2024, Sponsor forfeited 4,000,000 of the 11,600,000 private placement warrants it purchased in connection with the Company’s IPO for no consideration.

NOTE 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Founder Shares

On March 25, 2021, the Sponsor purchased 5,750,000 of the Company’s Class B common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. The Founder Shares included an aggregate of up to 750,000 shares subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters’ over-allotment was not exercised in full or in part, so that the number of Founder Shares would equal, on an

as-converted

basis, approximately 20% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock after the Initial Public Offering. Upon exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, these shares were no longer subject to forfeiture.

The holders of the Founder Shares have agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of a Business Combination and (B) subsequent to a Business Combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any

30-trading

day period commencing at least 150 days after a Business Combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

Our underwriter entered into a purchase agreement in connection with the closing of the Initial Public Offering pursuant to which it or its affiliates purchased from our sponsor an aggregate of 400,000 Founder Shares at a price of $4.00 per Founder Share, or an aggregate purchase price of $1,600,000, which was paid at the time of the closing of the Initial Public Offering. The Founder Shares will be delivered by the Sponsor to the underwriter or its affiliate upon consummation of our initial Business Combination and immediately following the expiration of the transfer restrictions applicable to the Founder Shares.

On April 28, 2023, in connection with the Extension, 5,500,000 Founder Shares were converted into shares of Class A common stock.

Promissory Note — Related Party

On March 25, 2021, the Sponsor issued an unsecured promissory note to the Company (the “Promissory Note”), pursuant to which the Company had the ability to borrow up to an aggregate principal amount of $250,000. The Promissory Note was

non-interest

bearing and payable on the earlier of (i) December 31, 2021 or (ii) the consummation of the Initial Public Offering. As of November 2, 2021, there was $250,000 outstanding under the Promissory Note. On November 3, 2021, the Promissory Note was paid down in its entirety by the Company.

General and Administrative Services

The Company entered into an agreement, commencing on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor an aggregate of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial, and administrative support services. This agreement was amended on January 28, 2023 to provide that, rather than be payable on a monthly basis, the payments due thereunder commencing with the monthly payment payable on or about February 28, 2023, shall accrue and be payable on the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. During the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $180,000 in administrative fees. As of December 31, 2024 and 202

, there was a balance of $360,000 and $180,000, respectively, due to the affiliate, which amount is included in due to related party on the accompanying balance sheets.

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Related Party Loans

Convertible Working Capital Loans

In order to fund working capital deficiencies, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Such Working Capital Loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes may be repaid upon completion of a Business Combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of the notes may be converted upon completion of a Business Combination into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant. Such warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. In the event that a Business Combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no amounts outstanding under the Working Capital Loans.

Loan payable — Sponsor

Per a Commitment Letter, dated July 19, 2022, the Sponsor undertook upon the Company’s written request to make available an aggregate amount of up to $250,000 to provide the Company funds for working capital purposes to ensure that the Company would continue as a going concern for at least 12 months A second Commitment Letter was dated May 4, 2023 for up to an additional $750,000. A third Commitment Letter was dated December 20, 2023 for up to an additional $800,000. A fourth Commitment Letter was dated March 04, 2025 for up to an additional $475,000. The Sponsor is charging interest at the

mid-term

applicable federal rate at the time of funding. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Sponsor loaned an aggregate of $825,000 to the Company for working capital purposes. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, $2,335,000 and $1,000,000 remained outstanding, respectively. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was accrued interest of $91,688 and $19,404, respectively.

Consulting Agreement

The Company and its Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) entered into a consulting agreement pursuant to which the CFO was entitled to receive $15,600 per month for services rendered, commencing February 1, 2021, through the closing of our initial business combination. On April 1, 2022, the agreement with the CFO was amended so that the CFO would be paid $10,400 per month and an additional amount of $5,200 per month beginning April 1, 2022 through the consummation of the initial business combination would become payable upon a successful consummation of a business combination. If a successful business combination does not occur, the Company would not be required to pay this additional contingent amount. The consulting agreement was further amended on January 1, 2023, to provide that commencing on January 1, 2023, 100% of the consulting fee of $15,600 per month shall be accrued by the Company for the CFO’s benefit to be paid upon the closing of a business combination if such closing occurs, and if such business combination does not occur, then the accrued amount shall not be due or paid. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $187,200 and $234,000 of compensation for services provided. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was $421,000 and $234,000 accrued, respectively.

Limited Payments

The Company has agreed to pay its Chief Financial Officer a

one-time

fee of $150,000, upon the consummation of the initial business combination. The amount will only become payable upon a successful business combination. If a successful business combination does not occur, the Company will not be required to pay this contingent fee. This fee has therefore not been accrued for as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. There can be no assurances that the Company will complete a business combination.

The Company had agreed to pay its Chief Operating Officer a

one-time

fee of $300,000 upon the consummation of the initial business combination. The Chief Operating Officer resigned effective June 6, 2023. Accordingly, the Company will not be required to pay this contingent fee. The amount would only have become payable upon a successful business combination. If a successful business combination does not occur, the Company would not have been required to pay this contingent fee. This fee has therefore not been accrued for as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

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Non-redemption Agreements

The Sponsor entered into

Non-redemption

agreements with various stockholders of the Company (the

“Non-Redeeming

Stockholders”), pursuant to which these stockholders agreed not to redeem a portion of their shares of Company common stock (the

“Non-Redeemed

Shares”) in connection with the Special Meeting held on April 28, 2023, but such stockholders retained their right to require the Company to redeem such

Non-Redeemed

Shares in connection with the closing of the Business Combination. The Sponsor has agreed to transfer to such

Non-Redeeming

Stockholders an aggregate of 250,000 the Founder Shares held by the Sponsor immediately following the consummation of an initial Business Combination. The Company estimated the aggregate fair value of such 250,000 Founder Shares transferrable to the

Non-Redeeming

Stockholders pursuant to the

Non-redemption

agreements to be $180,000 or $0.72 per share. The fair value as of April 26 and 27, 2023 was determined using the probability of a successful Business Combination of 7%, derived from an option pricing model for the publicly traded warrants, and the average value per shares as of the valuation date of $10.30. Each

Non-Redeeming

Stockholder acquired from the Sponsor an indirect economic interest in such Founder Shares. The fair value of such Founder Shares was determined to be to be a cost associated with completing a Business Combination and a capital contribution from a related entity under SAB Topic 5T.

Warrant Forfeiture

On December 31, 2024, Sponsor forfeited 4,000,000 of the 11,600,000 private placement warrants it purchased in connection with the Company’s IPO for no consideration.

NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Registration Rights

The holders of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to shares of Class A common stock). The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to completion of a Business Combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that the Company will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their

lock-up

restrictions. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Consulting Agreement

We have agreed to make payment to our Chief Financial Officer of $15,600 per month for his services prior to the consummation of our initial business combination. On April 1, 2022, the agreement with the Chief Financial Officer was amended so that he would be paid $10,400 per month, and an additional amount of $5,200 per month beginning April 1, 2022 through the consummation of the initial business combination will become payable to the Chief Financial Officer upon a successful consummation of a business combination. This agreement with the Chief Financial Officer was further amended on January 1, 2023, to provide that commencing on January 1, 2023, 100% of the consulting fee of $15,600 per month shall be accrued by the Company for the CFO’s benefit to be paid upon the closing of a business combination. If a successful business combination does not occur, we will not be required to pay any further amounts to our Chief Financial Officer. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. Additionally, we have agreed to make

one-time

payments of $150,000 to our Chief Financial Officer, subject to the terms of an independent consulting services

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agreements. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $187,200 and $234,000 of compensation for services provided. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was $421,200 and $234,000 accrued, respectively.

Non-Redemption

Agreement

On April 26, 2023 and April 27, 2023, the Company and the Sponsor entered into

non-redemption

agreements (each, a

“Non-Redemption

Agreement”) with certain unaffiliated third parties (each, a “Holder,” and collectively, the “Holders”) in exchange for the Holder or Holders agreeing either not to request redemption in connection with the Extension (as defined below) or to reverse any previously submitted redemption demand in connection with the Extension with respect to an aggregate of 1,250,000 Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Shares”), of the Company sold in its initial public offering at the special meeting of stockholders called by the Company to consider and act upon a proposal to extend the date by which the Company has to consummate an initial business combination (the “Termination Date”) from May 2, 2023 to May 2, 2024.

Underwriting Agreement

The Company granted the underwriters a

45-day

option from the date of Initial Public Offering to purchase up to 3,000,000 additional Units to cover over-allotments, if any, at the Initial Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriters were entitled to a cash underwriting discount of $0.20 per Unit, or $4,600,000 paid upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, the underwriters will be entitled to a deferred fee of $0.35 per Unit, or $8,050,000. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Business Combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.

On November 2, 2021, the underwriters purchased an additional 3,000,000 Units pursuant to the exercise of the over-allotment option. The Units were sold at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit, generating additional gross proceeds to the Company of $30,000,000. Also, in connection with the exercise of the over-allotment option, the Sponsor purchased 1,200,000 Private Placement Warrants at a purchase price of $1.00 per warrant.

NOTE 7. STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Preferred Stock

— The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

Class

A Common Stock

— The Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were shares 738,146 and 1,577,478 shares of the Class A common stock that were classified as temporary equity in the accompanying balance sheets. In addition, there were 5,500,000 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding on December 31, 2024 and 2023 that were issued upon the conversion of 5,500,000 shares of Class B common stock into 5,500,000 shares of Class A common stock on April 28, 2023, which are not subject to redemption.

Class

B Common Stock

— The Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of Class B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. Holders of Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were 250,000 shares and 250,000 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding, respectively.

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Only holders of the Class B common stock will have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to the Business Combination. Holders of Class A common stock and holders of Class B common stock will vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders except as otherwise required by law. In connection with our initial business combination, we may enter into a stockholders agreement or other arrangements with the stockholders of the target or other investors to provide for voting or other corporate governance arrangements that differ from those in effect upon completion of this offering.

The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into Class A common stock at the time of a Business Combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a

one-for-one

basis, subject to adjustment. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in the Initial Public Offering and related to the closing of a Business Combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of Class B common stock agree to waive such adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an

as-converted

basis, 20% of the sum of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon the completion of Initial Public Offering plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with a Business Combination (net of the number of shares of Class A common stock redeemed in connection with a Business Combination), excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued or issuable to any seller of an interest in the target to us in a Business Combination.

NOTE 8. WARRANT LIABILITIES

Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination and (b) 12 months from the closing of the Initial Public Offering. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of a Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available, subject to the Company satisfying its obligations with respect to registration, or a valid exemption from registration is available. No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of residence of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available.

The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of a Business Combination, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file, and within 60 business days following a Business Combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed. Notwithstanding the above, if the Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, the Company will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

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Redemption of Warrants When the Price per Share of Class A Common Stock Equals or Exceeds $18.00

Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants:

•

in whole and not in part;

•

at a price of $0.01 per Public Warrant;

•

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, or the

30-day

redemption period to each warrant holder; and

•

if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganization, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a

30-trading

day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to warrant holders.

If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if it is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, as described above, its management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis,” as described in the warrant agreement. The exercise price and number of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, extraordinary dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, except as described below, the Public Warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of common stock at a price below its exercise price. Additionally, in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Public Warrants. If the Company is unable to complete a Business Combination within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of Public Warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their Public Warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Company’s assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such Public Warrants. Accordingly, the Public Warrants may expire worthless.

The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants underlying the Units sold in the Initial Public Offering, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants are not transferable, assignable or saleable until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination, subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants are exercisable on a cashless basis and are

non-redeemable,

except as described above, so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants are redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.

NOTE 9. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company follows the guidance in ASC 820 for its financial assets and liabilities that are

re-measured

and reported at fair value at each reporting period, and

non-financial

assets and liabilities that are

re-measured

and reported at fair value at least annually.

The fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities reflects management’s estimate of amounts that the Company would have received in connection with the sale of the assets or paid in connection with the transfer of the liabilities in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In connection with measuring the fair value of its assets and liabilities, the Company seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs (market data obtained from independent sources) and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs (internal assumptions about how market participants would price assets and liabilities). The following fair value hierarchy is used to classify assets and liabilities based on the observable inputs and unobservable inputs used in order to value the assets and liabilities:

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Level 1:		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. An active market for an asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2:		Observable inputs other than Level 1 inputs. Examples of Level 2 inputs include quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities and quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

Level 3:		Unobservable inputs based on our assessment of the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:


Description:	Level		December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Assets:
Investments Held for Trading		1	$	101,511	$	108,610
Investments held in Trust Account		1	$	8,544,857	$	17,591,536
Liabilities:
Warrant liability – Private Placement Warrants		3	$	33,600	$	480,000
Warrant liability – Public Warrants		1	$	48,300	$	460,000

The Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants were accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC

815-40

and are presented within liabilities on the balance sheets. The warrant liabilities were measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value presented within change in fair value of warrant liabilities in the statements of operations.

Upon consummation of the Initial Public Offering, the Company used a Monte Carlo simulation model to value the Public Warrants and a modified Black-Scholes model to value the Private Placement Warrants. The Company allocated the proceeds received from (i) the sale of Units (which is inclusive of one share of Class A common stock and

one-half

of one Public Warrant) and (ii) the sale of Private Warrants, first to the warrants based on their fair values as determined at initial measurement, with the remaining proceeds allocated to shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption (temporary equity) based on their relative fair values at the initial measurement date. The Public Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants were classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy at the issuance due to the use of unobservable inputs. As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Public Warrants were valued using the publicly available price for the Warrant and are classified as Level 1 on the Fair Value Hierarchy. The Company relied upon the implied volatility of the Public Warrants and the implied volatilities of comparable companies and the closing price as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 per Public Warrant to estimate the volatility for the Private Placement Warrants. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Private Placement Warrants were classified within Level 3 of the Fair Value Hierarchy at the measurement dates due to the use of unobservable inputs. The table below provides a summary of the changes in fair value, including net transfers in and/or out, of all financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

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	Fair Value Measurement Using Level 3 Inputs Total
Balance, fair value at December 31, 2022	$	1,200,000
Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities		(720,000	)

Balance, fair value at December 31, 2023	$	480,000


	Fair Value Measurement Using Level 3 Inputs Total
Balance, fair value at December 31, 2023	$	480,000
Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities		(429,600	)
Forfeiture of 4,000,000 Private Placement Warrants		(16,800)

Balance, fair value at December 31, 2024	$	33,600

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the fair value of the derivative feature of the Warrants was calculated using the following range of weighted average assumptions:


	December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Risk-free interest rate		4.38	%		3.84	%
Expected volatility of underlying shares		2.00	%		2.00	%
Dividend yield		0.00	%		0.00	%
Probability of business combination		0.30	%		2.75	%

The following table provides a summary of the changes in the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

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	Private Placement Warrants			Public Warrants			Total
Fair value at December 31, 2022	$	1,200,000		$	1,150,000		$	2,350,000
Change in fair value		(720,000	)		(690,000	)		(1,410,000	)

Fair value at December 31, 2023	$	480,000		$	460,000		$	940,000
Forfieture of 4,000,000 Private Placement Warrants		(16,800	)		—			(16,800	)
Change in fair value		(429,600	)		(411,700	)		(841,300	)

Fair value at December 31, 2024	$	33,600		$	48,300		$	81,900

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the derivative liability was $81,900 and $940,000, respectively. In addition, for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded a gain of $858,100 and $1,410,000 on the change in fair value of the derivative warrants on the statements of operations, respectively.

NOTE 10. INCOME TAXES

The Company’s net deferred tax assets are as follows:


	December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Deferred tax assets:
Startup/organizational costs	$	1,220,968		$	760,924

Total deferred tax assets		1,220,968			760,924

Valuation Allowance		(1,220,968	)		(760,924	)

Deferred tax asset, net of allowance	$	—		$	—

Below is breakdown of the income tax provision.


	For the Year Ended December 31, 2024			For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Federal
Current	$	91,218		$	861,364
Deferred		(460,044	)		(386,973	)
State and local
Current		58			53
Deferred		—			—
Change in valuation allowance		460,044			386,973

Income tax provision	$	91,276		$	861,417

In assessing the realization of the deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion of all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences

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representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. After consideration of all of the information available, management believes that significant uncertainty exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has therefore established a full valuation allowance. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the change in the valuation allowance was $460,044 and $386,973, respectively.

A reconciliation of the federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate is as follows:


	For the Year Ended December 31, 2024			For the Year Ended December 31, 2023
U.S. federal statutory rate		21.0	%		21.0	%
Change in fair value of warrants		6.91	%		(8.88	)%
Non-deductible transaction costs		(13.45	)%		—	%
Other		(0.32	)%		2.11	%
Valuation allowance		(17.65	)%		11.60	%

Income tax provision		(3.50	)%		25.83	%

The Company’s effective tax rates for the periods presented differ from the expected (statutory) rates due to certain permanent differences including changes in the fair value of warrants, nondeductible expenses, and the change in the valuation allowances on deferred tax assets.

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and is subject to examination by the various taxing authorities. The Company’s tax returns since inception remain open to examination by the taxing authorities. The Company considers New York to be a significant state tax jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no U.S. federal net operating loss carryovers available to offset future taxable income.

We applied the applicable authoritative guidance which prescribes a comprehensive model for the manner in which a company should recognize, measure, present and disclose in its financial statements all material uncertain tax positions that it has taken or expects to take on a tax return. As of December 31, 2024, and 2023, we had no material uncertain tax positions. We do not expect that our unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within twelve months.

NOTE 11. SEGMENT INFORMATION

ASC Topic 280, “

Segment Reporting

,” establishes standards for companies to report in their financial statements information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), or group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance.

The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a Business Combination. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had not commenced any operations. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering, and non-operating income or expense from the changes in the fair value of warrant liability.

The Company’s CODM has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer, who reviews the operating results for the Company as a whole to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing financial performance. Accordingly, management has determined that the Company only has one operating segment. The CODM does not review assets in evaluating the results of the Company, and therefore, such information is not presented.

The significant segment expenses provided to the CODM are consistent with those reported on the statements of operations and include general and administrative, interest expense and income taxes.

NOTE 12. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Company’s management has evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to the date that the financial statements were issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events other than the below that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

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Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement and in accordance with the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (Car Tech having been converted to a Delaware limited liability company), (a) Merger Sub I will merge with and into Car Tech, with Car Tech surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AltEnergy (the “First Merger”), and (b) immediately following the effective time of the First Merger, Car Tech will merger with and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AltEnergy (the “Second Merger” and, together with the First Merger, the “Mergers”). Upon the consummation of the Mergers, subject to approval by AltEnergy’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions, the combined company (“New Car Tech”) will be renamed and is expected to list on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, in consideration of the Merger, membership interests in Car Tech (the “Car Tech Units”) will be converted into the right to receive for each Car Tech Unit owned (I) a number of shares of AltEnergy’s common stock (the “Parent Common Stock”) obtained by dividing (i) a fraction equal to (a) the quotient of (x) the Closing Share Consideration divided by (y) ten dollars ($10.00), by (ii) the number of Car Tech Units that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger and (II) a number of warrants to purchase Common Stock equal to the quotient of (A) six million (6,000,000) divided by (B) the number of Car Tech Units that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (the “Merger Consideration Warrants”).

“Closing Share Consideration” means (1) $80,000,000, plus (2) an additional $40,000,000 (the “Earn Out Consideration”).

Pursuant to the

Lock-up

Agreements described below, all of the shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to holders of Car Tech Units (other than 500,000 shares issued pursuant to clause (I) of the definition of Closing Share Consideration) will be subject to time based restrictions on transfer, and the 4,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to holders of Car Tech Units based on the Earn Out Consideration will be subject to additional transfer restrictions, release and forfeiture terms. Other Agreements executed in connection with the Merger Agreement include a Contribution and Exchange Agreement executed by Car Tech’s principal equity holder and the Company, a Support Agreement executed by the Company and Car Tech and the Company’s Sponsor and certain members of Car Tech, and a Merger Warrant Agreement executed by the Company’s Sponsor and an affiliate of the underwriter in the Company’s Initial Public Offering.

In connection with the proposed business combination, the Company filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form

S-4,

and Amendment No. 1 to the registration statement which includes a proxy statement to be sent to the Company’s stockholders and a prospectus for the registration of the Company’s Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Merger (as amended from time to time, the “Registration Statement”). A full description of the terms of the proposed business combination is provided in the Registration Statement, subject to amendment prior to the registration statement becoming effective.

Extensions

Pursuant to the amendment to AltEnergy’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Board on January 28, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from February 2, 2025 to March 2, 2025; on February 25, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete an initial business combination from March 2, 2025 to April 2, 2025; and on March 26, 2025, approved an extension of the date by which AltEnergy is required to complete and initial business combination from April 2, 2025 to May 2, 2025.

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AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), such as this annual report, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer (our “Certifying Officers”) evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2023, pursuant to Rules

13a-15(e)

and

15d-15(e)

under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that certain disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2022 due to material weaknesses that existed related our accounting for complex financial instruments and our accounting and reporting for the completeness and accuracy of warrant liabilities and the corresponding change in the fair value of the warrant liability, that led to the restatement of the Company’s Annual Report on Form

10-K

for the year ended December 31, 2022. Management additionally identified, as it relates to the material weakness discussed above relating to the accounting for complex financial instruments, a failure to properly record the capital contributions and related costs associated with

non-redemption

agreements entered into with certain stockholders of the Company in connection with the special meeting of stockholders of the Company held on April 28, 2023 that led to the restatement of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form

10-Q

for the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023. In addition, management identified a material weakness in relation to the accounting of contractual liabilities which led to errors in our financial statements in the accounting of consulting fees pursuant to a consulting agreement with our chief financial officer that led to the restatement of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form

10-Q

for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, and September 30, 2023. In addition to the remediation steps discussed below, the Company has added additional steps to its internal financial review process in order to provide reasonable assurance that a reoccurrence of a material misstatement of any item in our financial statements will not occur. Our Certifying Officers evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2024, pursuant to Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the previously identified material weaknesses have not been remediated and that no additional material weaknesses were identified.

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A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis.

Effective disclosure controls and internal control are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. We continue to evaluate steps to remediate the material weaknesses. These remediation measures may be time consuming and costly and there is no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.

Management has implemented remediation steps to improve our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, we expanded and improved our review process for complex securities and related accounting standards. We plan to further improve this process by enhancing access to accounting literature, identification of third-party professionals with whom to consult regarding complex accounting applications and consideration of additional staff with the requisite experience and training to supplement existing accounting professionals.

If we identify any new material weakness in the future, any such newly identified material weakness could limit our ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of our accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements. In such case, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and our stock price may decline as a result. We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, or any measures we may take in the future, will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses.

We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules

13a-15(f)

and

15d-15(f)

under the Exchange Act). Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations and may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can only provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial reporting reliability and financial statement preparation and presentation. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls become inadequate because of changes in conditions and that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

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of the Treadway Commission. Based on the results of its evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2024, due to the material weaknesses noted above.

Our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on the results of its evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2024.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules

13a-15(f)

and

15d-15(f)

of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information

None.

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PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Directors and Executive Officers

Our officers and directors are as follows:


Name	Age	Position
Russell Stidolph	49	Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
Jonathan Darnell	65	Chief Financial Officer
William Campbell	77	Director
Kimberly Heimert	55	Director
Michael Salvator	53	Director
Daniel Shribman	41	Director

Russell Stidolph

has served as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since our inception. Mr. Stidolph served as a director of Eos Energy Storage LLC (“EES LLC”) and its chairman of the board from 2014 and 2018, respectively, until the closing of its business combination with BMRG. Mr. Stidolph continued as a director and chairman of the board of the surviving entity, Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. (“EOSE”). Mr. Stidolph is the founder of AltEnergy, LLC a private equity firm focused on alternative energy investing, where he has served as Managing Director since 2006. Prior to forming AltEnergy, Mr. Stidolph was a Principal at J.H. Whitney & Co., LLC, a middle-market private equity firm based in New Canaan, Connecticut. While at J.H. Whitney Mr. Stidolph was responsible for starting and developing the firm’s alternative energy investing practice where he was responsible for Hawkeye Renewables, LLC and Iowa Winds, LLC. Mr. Stidolph was both the Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chairman of Hawkeye Renewables, LLC before it was sold in 2006 to Thomas H. Lee Partners, LP. Prior to joining J.H. Whitney, Mr. Stidolph was a member of the corporate finance group at PaineWebber, Inc., that was responsible for high yield and leverage finance origination. Mr. Stidolph also acted as Senior Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of Tres Amigas, LLC and he still sits on the Company’s board of directors, and was Chairman of the board of directors of Viridity Energy, Inc before it was sold to Ormat Technologies in 2017. He also serves as a director of Hulett Bancorp. Mr. Stidolph received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College.

Jonathan Darnell

has served as our Chief Financial Officer since our inception. Mr. Darnell is a Managing Director of AltEnergy, LLC since 2016 and has over 30 years of experience with the U.S. alternative energy sector spanning the public policy and commercial arenas. Prior to joining AltEnergy, Mr. Darnell founded and ran Patolan Partners, an alternative energy-oriented placement agent that has sourced capital commitments exceeding $450MM, including utility scale solar and wind developments and institutional equity for Eos Energy Storage. Mr. Darnell serves as Trustee and Member of the Investment and Audit Committees of Green Century Capital Management, the nation’s first pure environmentally screened and fossil-free family of mutual funds. He is also a Managing Director at Lime Rock New Energy Management LP. Previously, Mr. Darnell was Vice President at Morgan Stanley & Co., where he advised clients with total capital exceeding $5 billion. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Mr. Darnell served in senior management with The Public Interest Network and as chief executive of Telefund, Inc., serving the nation’s major environmental organizations while achieving 45% CAGR in profit for 10 years. Mr. Darnell’s current and past board experience includes Green Century Funds, Paradigm Partners, board member, The Public Interest Network, advisory board member, and Citizens for Safe Energy, founding chair. Mr. Darnell graduated

magna cum laude

with an AB in philosophy from Princeton University and earned his MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

William Campbell

has served as a director since our inception. Mr. Campbell provides a global

law-firm

legal perspective on energy and more than thirty years of experience with the development and operation of large-scale, global energy and infrastructure projects. Since January 1, 2025, Mr. Campbell has served as Senior Counsel for Strategic Affairs of I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC. From 2014 until assuming his present position, Mr. Campbell was General Counsel and Managing Director of I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC . Mr. Campbell also previously held the position of Chief Compliance Officer at I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC. Before joining I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC, Mr. Campbell served as

co-chair

of the Global Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group at the international law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

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Kimberly Heimert

has served as a director since April 2022. She is the Founder and CEO of Energy Transition Advisory Group LLC, a specialized strategic advisory firm that works with companies and governments on domestic and international energy transition matters and financing opportunities. She also works with the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition at the Wilson Center to strengthen the U.S. role in global infrastructure. Previously, she was the General Counsel of Africa50, a private equity investment fund that invests in African infrastructure, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC, now DFC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, and Deputy Chief Counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office. In addition, Ms. Heimert worked for the law firms of Shearman & Sterling, Chadbourne & Parke and White & Case.

Michael Salvator

has served as a director since our inception. Mr. Salvator is a senior partner and the Chief Operating Officer of SCI Capital Partners LP, a private equity firm, from 2017 to the present. Previously, from 1997 to 2017, Mr. Salvator was Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of J.H. Whitney & Co, where he was responsible for the oversight of the firm’s accounting, compliance, finance and investor relation functions. Additionally, Mr. Salvator was a member of the firm’s Investment Committee and served on the board of directors of several industrial, manufacturing, consumer products and energy companies, including Viridity Energy. Mr. Salvator began his career as an accountant with the accounting firms of Arthur Andersen and Grant Thornton.

Daniel Shribman

has served as a director since our inception. Mr. Shrib

n currently serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hildene Holdings LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused on small public companies and

pre-IPO

private companies. From 2019 to 2024, Mr. Shribman served as Chief Investment Officer of B. Riley Financial, Inc., a public holding company. From 2010 to 2018, Mr. Shribman was a Portfolio Manager at Anchorage Capital Group, a special situation asset manager. During Mr. Shribman’s tenure at Anchorage, he led investments in dozens of public and private opportunities across the general industrials, transportation, automotive, aerospace, gaming, hospitality, and real estate industries. Prior to Anchorage, Mr. Shribman worked at Tinicum Capital Partners, a private equity firm, and at Lazard Freres in the restructuring advisory group. Mr. Shribman also serves on the board of Alta Equipment Group (NYSE: ALTG) since February 2020. Previously, Mr. Shribman had served as a member of the board of directors of The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AREN) from June 2021 until November 2023, Faze Holdings (Nasdaq: FAZE) from July 2022 until August 2023, NextPoint Financial Inc. (OTCMKTS: NACQF) from August 2021 until April 2023 and Eos Energy (Nasdaq: EOSE) from November 2020 until September 2022. Mr. Shribman holds an A.B. in Economics and History from Dartmouth.

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

We have five directors. Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term. In accordance with Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on Nasdaq. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Ms. Heimert, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Campbell and Salvator, will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Messrs. Stidolph and Shribman, will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders.

Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate. Our bylaws provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretaries and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.

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Committees of the Board of Directors

Audit Committee

We have established an audit committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Shribman, Salvator and Campbell serve as members of our audit committee, and Mr. Shribman will chair the audit committee. Under Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least three members of the audit committee, all of whom must be independent. Each of Messrs. Shribman, Salvator and meet the independent director standard under Nasdaq listing standards and under Rule

10-A-3(b)(1)

of the Exchange Act. Each member of the audit committee is financially literate, and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Salvator qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.

We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:

assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and the independent registered public accounting firm;

•

the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

•

pre-approving

all audit and permitted

non-audit

services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing

pre-approval

policies and procedures;

•

setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm, including but not limited to, as required by applicable laws and regulations;

•

setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

•

obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered public accounting firm describing (i) the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures, (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues and (iii) all relationships between the independent registered public accounting firm and us to assess the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence;

•

meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”;

•

reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation

S-K

promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and

•

reviewing with management, the independent registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

Compensation Committee

We have established a compensation committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Campbell and Salvator and Ms. Heimert serve as members of our compensation committee. Under the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members of the compensation committee, all of whom must be independent. Messrs. Campbell and Salvator and Ms. Heimert are independent, and Mr. Salvator chairs the compensation committee.

We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

•

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, if any is paid by us, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation;

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•

reviewing and making recommendations on an annual basis to our board of directors with respect to (or approving, if such authority is so delegated by our board of directors) the compensation, if any is paid by us, and any incentive-compensation and equity-based plans that are subject to board approval, of our other officers;

•

reviewing on an annual basis our executive compensation policies and plans;

•

implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;

•

assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;

•

approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees;

•

if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

•

reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, until the earlier of the consummation of our initial business combination or our liquidation other than the items discussed in Item 11 of this Form

10-K-

Executive Compensation, no compensation of any kind, including finders, consulting or other similar fees, will be paid to any of our sponsor, officers or directors or any of their respective affiliates, prior to, or for any services they render in order to effectuate the consummation of an initial business combination. Accordingly, it is likely that prior to the consummation of an initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the review and recommendation of any compensation arrangements to be entered into in connection with such initial business combination. As no such compensation arrangements were contemplated in 2024, no meeting of the Compensation Committee occurred in 2024.

The charter also provides that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by Nasdaq and the SEC.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

We have established a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. Messrs. Campbell and Shribman and Ms. Heimert serve as members of our compensation committee. Under Nasdaq listing standards, all members of the nominating and corporate governance committee must be independent. Messrs. Campbell and Shribman and Ms. Heimert are independent, and Mr. Campbell chairs the nominating and corporate governance committee.

We have adopted a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which details the principal functions of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:

•

identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of stockholders or to fill vacancies on the board of directors;

•

developing and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;

•

coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and

•

reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.

Our nominating and corporate governance committee recommends to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of the stockholders. We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in

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identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders.

To date the nominating and corporate governance committee has not met. It is likely that other than in connection with the nomination of individuals to serve as directors of the Company following the initial business combination as contemplated in the Merger Agreement relating to our proposed initial business combination, prior to the consummation of the proposed initial business combination, the compensation committee will only be responsible for the recommendation of an individual to serve as a director of the Company if a vacancy in the board of directors occurs.

The charter also provides that the nominating and corporate governance committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and is directly responsible for approving the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance; Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. These reporting persons are also required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely upon a review of such forms, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2023 there were no delinquent filers.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees that complies with the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq. The Code of Ethics codifies the business and ethical principles that govern all aspects of our business. We have previously filed copies of our form of Code of Ethics, our form of Audit Committee Charter, our form of Compensation Committee Charter and our form of nominating and corporate governance committee charter as exhibits to our registration statement in connection with our initial public offering. You may review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request to us.

Conflicts of Interest

Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present the opportunity to such entity, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to such entity. We believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will not materially affect our ability to identify and pursue business combination opportunities or complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

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Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

•

None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities.

•

In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.

•

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 30 months after the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private warrants will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable by our sponsor until the earlier of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any

30-trading

day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the securities underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or saleable by our sponsor, the underwriters or their permitted transferees until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Permitted transferees of the founder shares would be subject to the same restrictions.

•

Our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

•

Our sponsor, officers or directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a business combination and financing arrangements as we may obtain loans from our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or any of our officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.

The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.

In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:

•

the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;

•

the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and

•

it would not be fair to our company and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.

Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and to the extent the director or officer is permitted to refer that opportunity to us without violating another legal obligation.

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Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:


Individual	Entity	Entity’s Business	Affiliation
Russell Stidolph	AltEnergy, LLC	Private Equity	Managing Director
	Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc.	Energy Equipment	Chair
	Hulett Bancorp	Bank Holding Company	Director
	Tres Amigas, LLC	Utilities	Director

Jonathan Darnell	AltEnergy, LLC	Private Equity	Managing Director
	Green Century Funds	Mutual Funds	Trustee
	Lime Rock New Energy Management LP	Private Equity	Managing Director
	Accelerate Change, Inc.	Digital Media Lab	Director

William Campbell	I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC	Investment Advisor	Senior Counsel for Strategic Affairs
	Silvertip Resources Holdings, LLC	Private Equity	Director

Michael Salvator	SCI Capital Partners LP	Private Equity Firm	Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer
	Stone Canyon Industries, LLC	Industrial Holding Company	Director
	SCIH Salt Parent, Inc.	Producer & Supplier of Salt	Director
	SCIH Salt Intermediate Holdings Inc.	Producer & Supplier of Salt	Director
	SCIH Salt Holdings Inc.	Producer & Supplier of Salt	Director

Daniel Shribman	Hildene Holdings LLC	Financial Services	Chief Executive Officer
	Alta Equipment Group Inc.	Construction Equipment	Director
	Great American Group	Valuation & Appraisal Services	Director

Kimberly Heimert	Energy Transition Advisory Group LLC	Advisory Services	Chief Executive Officer

Accordingly, if any of the above officers or directors becomes aware of a business co

mbi

nation opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he has current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, pursuant to the letter agreement, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after the initial public offering (including in open market and privately negotiated transactions) in favor of our initial business combination.

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, unless they violated

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their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived an improper personal benefit from their actions as directors.

We entered into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We purchased a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.

These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

We believe that these provisions, the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

Commencing on the date of final registration statement on Form

S-1

(No.

333-

258594) filed with the SEC on October 28, 2021, we have agreed to pay an affiliate of our sponsor an aggregate of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support. The agreement with the affiliate of our sponsor was amended on January 28, 2023 to provide that, rather than be payable on a monthly basis, the payments due thereunder commencing with the monthly payment payable on or about February 28, 2023 shall accrue and be payable on the consummation of a business combination or the Company’s liquidation.

one-time

payments of $150,000 to our Chief Financial Officer, subject to the terms of an independent consulting services agreements. Except as set forth above and in this paragraph, no finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation will be paid by the company to our sponsor or any of our existing officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, be paid any finder’s fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment of a loan or other compensation by the company prior to, or in connection with any services rendered for any services they render in order to effectuate, the completion of our initial business combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is). However, these individuals will be reimbursed for any

out-of-pocket

expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. We do not have a policy that prohibits our sponsor, officers or directors, or any of their respective affiliates, from negotiating for the reimbursement of

out-of-pocket

expenses by a target business. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors or our or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to an initial business combination will be made using funds held outside the trust account. Other than quarterly audit committee review of such payments, we do not expect to have any additional controls in place governing our reimbursement payments to our directors and officers for their

out-of-pocket

expenses incurred in connection with identifying and consummating an initial business combination.

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After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.

We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after our initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management team’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 20, 2025, by:

•

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;

•

each of our officers and directors that beneficially owns shares of our common stock; and

•

all of our officers and directors as a group.

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this Form

10-K.

The beneficial ownership of our common stock is based on 6,488,146 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of March 20, 2025, consisting of 6,238,146 shares of Class A common stock and 250,000 shares of Class B common stock


Name and Address of Beneficial Owner (1) Directors, Executive Officers and Founders	Number of Shares Beneficially Owned			Approximate Percentage of Outstanding Common Stock
AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor, LLC (3)		5,750,000	(2)		78.5	%
Russell Stidolph (3)		5,750,000	(2)		78.5	%
Jonathan Darnell
William Campbell
Kimberly Heimert
Michael Salvator
Daniel Shribman
All officers and directors as a group (six individuals)		5,750,000	(2)		78.5	%
Five Percent Holders

American Financial Group		500,000	(4)		7.0	%

(1)	Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is 600 Lexington Ave, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

(2)	Interests shown include 250,000 founder shares, classified as shares of Class B common stock. Such shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis.

(3)

Our sponsor is the record holder of such shares. Mr. Stidolph is the manager of our sponsor, and as such, has voting and investment discretion with respect to the common stock held of record by our sponsor and may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the common stock held directly by our sponsor. Mr. Stidolph disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

(4)

According to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 26, 2024, American Financial Group, Inc, has voting and dispositive power over 500,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The business address of this reporting person is Great American Insurance Group Tower, 301 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

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Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

Founder Shares

On March 25, 2021, our sponsor purchased 5,750,000 founder shares for an aggregate price of $25,000. Of such shares, 5,500,000 shares were converted into Class A Common Stock in April, 2023. The remaining founder shares will automatically convert into Class A common stock upon the consummation of a business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments.

The holders of the founder shares have agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to transfer, assign or sell any of the founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of an initial business combination and (B) subsequent to an initial business combination, (x) if the last reported sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after an initial business combination, or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

An affiliate of B. Riley entered into a purchase agreement pursuant to which it purchased from our sponsor an aggregate of 400,000 founder shares. The founder shares were purchased at a price of $4.00 per founder share, or an aggregate purchase price of $1,600,000, which was payable at the time of the closing of our initial public offering. The founder shares will be delivered by the sponsor to the affiliate of the underwriter upon consummation of our initial business combination and immediately following the expiration of the transfer restrictions applicable to the founder shares.

As discussed under Item 1 to this Form 10-K, the holders of founders shares have also agreed to additional lock-up terms in connection with our initial business combination.

Related Party Loans

In order to finance transaction costs in connection with an initial business combination, the sponsor or an affiliate of the sponsor, or certain of the Company’s officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (“Working Capital Loans”). Such Working Capital Loans would be evidenced by promissory notes. The notes may be repaid upon completion of an initial business combination, without interest, or, at the lender’s discretion, up to $1,500,000 of the notes may be converted upon completion of an initial business combination into warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant. Such warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. In the event that an initial business combination does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the trust account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the trust account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. As of December 31, 2024, there were no amounts outstanding under the Working Capital Loans.

Per a Commitment Letter, dated July 19, 2022, the Sponsor undertook upon the Company’s written request to make available an aggregate amount of up to $250,000 to provide the Company funds for working capital purposes to ensure that the Company would continue as a going concern for at least 12 months A second Commitment Letter was dated May 4, 2023 for up to an additional $750,000. A third Commitment Letter was dated July 8, 2024 for up to another $750,000. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Sponsor loaned an aggregate of $1,335,000 to the Company for working capital purposes. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, $2,335,000 and $1,000,000 remained outstanding, respectively.

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Administrative Services Agreement

The Company entered into an agreement, commencing on the effective date of the Initial Public Offering through the earlier of the Company’s consummation of a Business Combination and its liquidation, to pay an affiliate of the Sponsor an aggregate of $15,000 per month for office space, utilities, and secretarial, and administrative support services. This agreement was amended on January 28, 2023 to provide that, rather than be payable on a monthly basis, the payments due thereunder commencing with the monthly payment payable on or about February 28, 2023, shall accrue and be payable on the consummation of the Business Combination or the Company’s liquidation. During the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $180,000 in administrative fees. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was a balance of $360,000 and $180,000, respectively, due to the affiliate, which amount is included in due to related party on the accompanying balance sheets.

Consulting Agreement

Limited Payments

The Company has agreed to pay its Chief Financial Officer a one-time fee of $150,000, upon the consummation of the initial business combination. The amount will only become payable upon a successful business combination. If a successful business combination does not occur, the Company will not be required to pay this contingent fee. There can be no assurances that the Company will complete a business combination.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to Marcum LLP (“Marcum”) for services rendered.

Audit Fees. Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by Marcum in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees billed by Marcum for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 totaled $277,585 and $212,510, respectively. This amount includes interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.

Audit-Related Fees. Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. We did not pay Marcum any fees for consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards during the year ended December 31. 2024.

Tax Fees. We did not pay Marcum for tax planning and tax advice during the year ending December 31, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

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All Other Fees. We did not pay Marcum for other services during the year ending December 31, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

Pre-Approval Policy

Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).

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PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)

The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

1. Financial Statements: See “Index to Financial Statements” at “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” herein.

(b)

Financial Statement Schedules. All schedules are omitted for the reason that the information is included in the financial statements or the notes thereto or that they are not required or are not applicable.

(c)

Exhibits: The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index below are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Exhibit Number		Description

2.2		Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 14, 2025, by and among the Company, Car Tech Merger Sub, LLC, Car Tech Merger Sub II, LLC and Car Tech, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2025)

3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation together with the First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-40984), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 2023).

3.2		Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-258594), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2021).

4.1		Specimen Unit Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-258594), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2021).

4.2		Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-258594), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2021).

4.3		Specimen Warrant Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-258594), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2021).

4.4		Warrant Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40984, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2021).

4.5		Form of Merger Warrant Agreement

10.1		Letter Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, among the Company, AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor, LLC and B. Riley Securities, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40984, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2021).

10.2		Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, among the Company, AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor and B. Riley Principal Investments, LLC. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40984, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2021).

10.3		Administrative Services Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, between the Company and AltEnergy, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40984, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2021).

10.4		Private Placement Warrant Subscription Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, among the Company, AltEnergy Acquisition Sponsor and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40984, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2021).

10.5		Private Placement Warrant Subscription Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, among the Company, B. Riley Principal Investments, LLC and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-40984, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2021).

10.6		Form of Indemnity Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-258594) , filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2021).

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Exhibit Number		Description

10.7		Consulting Agreement, dated April 12, 2021, by and between the Registrant and Jonathan R. Darnell (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-258594), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2021).

10.8		Amendment to Administrative Services Agreement, dated January 28, 2023, between the Company and AltEnergy, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 11, 2023).

10.9		Amendment to Consulting Agreement, dated April 1, 2022, by and between the Registrant and Jonathan R. Darnell (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 11, 2023).

10.10		Amendment to Consulting Agreement, dated January 1, 2023, by and between the Registrant and Jonathan R. Darnell (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 11, 2023).

10.11		Form of Non-Redemption Agreement (incorporated by Reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 4, 2023).

10.12		Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated October 28, 2021, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 28, 2021).

10.13		Contribution and Exchange Agreement dated February 14, 2025 by and among the Company, Car Tech LLC, and Shinyoung Co., Ltd.

10.14		Form of Support Agreement

10.15		Form of Lock-up Agreement

14		Code of Ethics (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 14 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2022.

19		Insider Trading Policy

31.1		Certification of the Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).

31.2		Certification of the Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).

32.1		Certification of the Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.

32.2		Certification of the Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350.

101.INS		Inline XBRL Instance Document — the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

101.CAL		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.SCH		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE		Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

104		The cover page for the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q has been formatted in Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on the 28th day of March, 2025.


AltEnergy Acquisition Corp.

By:		/s/ Russell Stidolph
Name:		Russell Stidolph
Title:		Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:


Name	Position	Date

/s/ Russell Stidolph	Chief Executive Officer (Principal executive officer) and Director	March 28, 2025
Russell Stidolph

/s/ Jonathan Darnell	Chief Financial Officer (Principal financial and accounting officer)	March 28, 2025
Jonathan Darnell

/s/ William Campbell	Director	March 28, 2025
William Campbell

/s/ Kimberly Heimert	Director	March 28, 2025
Kimberly Heimert

/s/ Michael Salvator	Director	March 28, 2025
Michael Salvator

/s/ Daniel Shribman	Director	March 28, 2025
Daniel Shribman

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Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated
filer

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

AltEnergy Acquisition Corp 10-K