UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 8-K

Current Report

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

~~August 29~~May 14, ~~2025~~2026

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

McKinley Acquisition Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Cayman Islands		001-42799		98-1852078
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

75 Second Ave., Suite 605 Needham, MA		02494
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 617-671-5148

N/A

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

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

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act

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

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share	MKLY	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Rights, one right to receive one-tenth (1/10th) of one Class A ordinary share	MKLYR	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one right to receive one-tenth (1/10th) of one Class A ordinary shares	MKLYU	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ☒

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

Item 85.~~01.~~02 ~~Other~~Departure ~~Events.~~of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangement of Certain Officers

AsOn ~~previously~~May ~~disclosed on a Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 15~~14, ~~2025~~2026, ~~McKinley Acquisition Corporation (~~the ~~“Company”)~~holders ~~consummated its initial public offering (the “IPO”)~~ of ~~15,000,000 units (the “Units”). Each Unit consists of one~~ Class AB ordinary shares ~~share~~in ~~(“Class~~McKinley AAcquisition ~~Ordinary~~Corporation ~~Share”) and one right~~ (athe “~~Right~~Company”) to ~~receive~~appointed ~~one-tenth~~Joseph ~~(1/10)~~Shaposhnik ofas ~~one Class A Ordinary Share upon the consummation of~~ an ~~initial~~additional ~~business combination. The Units were sold~~independent atdirector ~~a price~~ of ~~$10.00~~the ~~per Unit~~Company, ~~generating~~and ~~aggregate~~Mr. ~~gross~~Shaposhnik ~~proceeds~~consented to ~~the~~such ~~Company of $150,000,000~~appointment.

~~Simultaneously~~In ~~with the closing of the IPO~~addition, ~~pursuant~~Mr. toShaposhnik ~~certain~~was ~~Private~~designated ~~Placement Units Purchase Agreements, McKinley Partners LLC, Clear Street LLC and~~by ~~Brookline Capital Markets, a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC, completed~~ the ~~private~~board ~~placement~~ of andirectors ~~aggregate~~ of ~~465,000~~the ~~units~~ Company (the “~~Private Placement Units~~Board”) atas ~~$10.00~~an ~~per~~additional ~~Unit, each Unit consisting of one~~ Class AI ~~Ordinary~~Director ~~Share~~who ~~and~~shall ~~one~~stand ~~Right of the Company. The Private Placement Units are identical to the Units sold~~elected infor ~~the~~a ~~IPO,~~term ~~except~~expiring ~~that~~at the ~~Private~~Company’s ~~Placement~~first ~~Units~~annual ~~are~~general ~~subject~~meeting ~~to transfer restrictions. The Sponsor, Clear Street~~ and ~~Brookline were granted certain demand and piggyback registration rights in connection with~~ the ~~purchase~~Board ofappointed ~~the Private Placement Units~~Mr. ~~The Private~~Shaposhnik ~~Placement Units were issued pursuant~~ to ~~Section 4(a)(2) of~~ the ~~Securities~~Audit ~~Act~~Committee and ~~of 1933, as amended, as~~ the ~~transactions~~Compensation ~~did not involve a public offering~~Committee.

AsJoseph Shaposhnik is the Founder and Portfolio Manager of ~~August~~Rainwater Equity, 13an asset management firm that invests in recurring revenue businesses built by exceptional leaders. Prior to founding Rainwater Equity, ~~2025~~he established TCW Group’s New America business unit in 2015, where he served as Portfolio Manager for a ~~total~~ range of ~~$150~~investment strategies,~~000,000~~ ofincluding the ~~net~~TCW ~~proceeds~~New ~~from~~America ~~the~~Premier ~~IPO~~Equities Fund/Compounders ETF (GRW), Global Premier Sustainable Equities UCITS, and Global ~~the~~Space ~~private~~Technology ~~placement~~Equities ~~were~~portfolios. ~~deposited~~Before joining TCW Group in a2011, ~~trust~~Mr. ~~account~~Shaposhnik ~~established~~was an Equity Research Associate at Fidelity Investments, where he covered the semiconductor and entertainment software industries for the ~~benefit~~firm’s U.S. domestic equity funds. Mr. Shaposhnik holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the ~~Company’s~~University ~~public~~of ~~shareholders~~California, Berkeley and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

AnThere ~~audited~~are ~~balance~~no ~~sheet~~arrangements or understandings between asMr. ofShaposhnik ~~August~~and ~~13,~~any ~~2025~~other ~~reflecting~~person ~~receipt~~pursuant ofto ~~the~~which ~~proceeds~~he ~~upon~~was ~~consummation~~appointed to serve as a director of the ~~IPO~~Board and ~~the~~Mr. ~~private~~Shaposhnik does ~~placement~~not ishave ~~included~~a ~~with~~direct ~~this~~or indirect material interest in any “related party” transaction required to be disclosed pursuant ~~report~~to Item as404(a) ~~Exhibit~~of Regulation 99S-K.1 There are no family relationships between Mr. Shaposhnik and any director or executive officer of the Company.

~~Item 9~~Mr.~~01.~~ ~~Financial~~Shaposhnik ~~Statements~~will ~~and~~receive ~~Exhibits~~interests in McKinley Partners, LLC, the Company’s sponsor, for his service as a director of the Company.

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Balance Sheet dated August 13, 2025
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

1SIGNATURES

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

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

Dated: May 18, 2026

MCKINLEY ACQUISITION CORPORATION

By:	/s/ Peter Wright
Name:	Peter Wright
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

Dated: August 29, 2025
MCKINLEY ACQUISITION CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Peter Wright
Name:	Peter Wright
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

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