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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe shareholders of an Indianapolis-based blank check company started by former IndyCar driver Michael Andretti are set to vote Feb. 13 on the company’s previously announced merger with Boston-based artificial intelligence startup Zapata AI.
The deal would merge Zapata with Andretti Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company that launched in 2022. (A SPAC is a shell company formed with the intent of acquiring another company and taking it public.)
Assuming the Andretti Acquisition Corp.’s shareholders approve the merger, the deal is expected to close shortly after the vote, and shares of the combined company will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol ZPTA.
The combined company will be based in Boston and will operate under the Zapata name.
The companies first announced the proposed merger in September, saying in a press release that the deal valued Zapata at $200 million and that the value of the combined company was expected to be between $281 million and $365 million.
Zapata operates in the realm of generative AI. Generative AI refers to technology that can respond to a user’s prompt by creating something new such as written text, images or computer code.
Public documents related to the proposed merger describe Zapata as “an industrial generative AI software company that develops generative AI applications and provides accompanying services to solve complex industrial problems.”
Zapata, which started at Harvard University in 2017, has yet to turn a profit. According to public documents, between its founding in late 2017 and June 2023, the company had posted losses totaling about $69.6 million, and it expects to continue losing money “for the foreseeable future.”
In December, the Andretti SPAC and Zapata entered into a funding agreement with Chicago-based Lincoln Park Capital Fund LLC in which Lincoln Park agreed to purchase up to $75 million of Zapata stock over a 36-month period, public documents show.
The Andretti SPAC is separate from Indianapolis-based Andretti Global, which operated under the name of Andretti Autosport until a rebranding last year. Andretti Global has been and will continue to be a Zapata customer, a Zapata spokesperson told IBJ.
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LOL
1-How did it go with Wejo?
https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/exclusive-10m-month-celebrity-marketers-and-las-vegas-launch-disaster-behind/
2- What is the definition of insanity?
Exactly.
3- Why is the Indiana Economic Development sponsoring this group of losers?
Zapata paid Andretti $9M, and Andretti paid Zapata $6M, shares are 23 cents.
https://autogear.pt/en/michael-andrettis-f1-dream-shattered-andretti-cadillac-bid-crumbles-amid-reshuffle-at-andretti-global/
4- What do we, the citizens of Indiana, win exactly?
Andretti Global colapses:
https://autogear.pt/en/michael-andrettis-f1-dream-shattered-andretti-cadillac-bid-crumbles-amid-reshuffle-at-andretti-global/#google_vignette
I’m not surprised, and here is why:
1- On May 28, 2021, during the Indianapolis 500, Palantir, GM and a group of private investors announced that they were taking public a British company called Wejo, and the IPO took place in Nov 15 2021:
DETROIT, May 28 (Reuters) – Auto data startup Wejo, backed by General Motors Co tab, will go public through a reverse merger with blank-check company Virtuoso Acquisition Corp (VOSO.O), opens new tab in a deal that values the British company at $800 million including debt, the companies said on Friday. The deal will raise $330 million in proceeds for Wejo, the companies said. That includes $230 million from Special-Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) Virtuoso and another $100 million referred to as Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE)
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/exclusive-wejo-go-public-deal-values-auto-data-startup-800-mln-sources-2021-05-28/
2- On Dec 10, 2020, the Purdue Discovery Park announces a study of driver braking data in Indiana with Wejo: https://purr.purdue.edu/publications/3656/1On
3- On Jan 11 2023 Bloomberg reports that Wejo was engaged in a SPAC Squared transaction: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-01-11/spac-squared-is-wall-street-s-latest-wheeze
4- On April 17th 2023 Autoracing reports that Andretti Global invests in Apollo SPAC I Fund L.P.: https://www.autoracing1.com/pl/396599/indycar-f1-as-it-prepares-to-enter-f1-andretti-team-takes-on-co-owners/
5- Apollo SPAC Fund I, L.P. currently owns a total of 1 stock: 7,500,000 shares of Virtuoso Acquisition Corp (VOSO) as of November 15, 2021, with a value of $109 Million.: https://www.gurufocus.com/insider/180613/apollo-spac-fund-i,-l.p.
6- Virtuoso merged with Wejo UK and starts trading in US: https://www.renaissancecapital.com/IPO-Center/News/96823/Media-and-tech-SPAC-Virtuoso-Acquisition-2-withdraws-$200-million-IPO
7- Wejo is an investment of Cambridge Analytica trader Palantir, accused of a $1B pump and dump scheme: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/assets/htmldocuments/complaints/PLTR-Complaint.pdf
8- On May 30th 2023 the senate opens an investigation on this group for illegal data trading: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/technology/driver-data-sold-for-pennies.html
9- On May 30 2023 Wejo cancels the merge with TKB, and it comes out that Wejo was sponsored since May 28th 2021 by an Indiana investment group sponsored by IEDC called Project Energy Reimagined Acquisition Company (PERG) https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/tkb-terminates-wejo-merger-agreement/
10- On May 31st IEDC agent Purdue Research Foundation (dba Purdue Discovery Park, IN3, Indy Innovation, Indiana 5G Zone, 9-12 LLC, Emerging Manufacturing Center, Energy Systems Networks, Battery Innovation Center, and the $100M Indiana Autonomous Challenge) reports that Wejo transferred them driver data from all 50 states:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Wejo_HQ/comments/104qfgo/darcy_bullock_and_the_team_at_purdue_university/
11- On May 31 2023, Palantir announces that went to Jacobs Engineering for a water partnership:
https://www.jacobs.com/newsroom/press-release/jacobs-and-palantir-expand-partnership
12- On Jun 1st, 2023, Wejo UK shuts down, wages are recalled, the collapse is reported to be worse than ENRON, leaving shareholders with a $105M debt:. https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/confusion-wejo-wages-recalled-shares-continue-trade/
13- On Dec 18th 2023 How Purdue University helped bring a ‘hard tech corridor’ to the heartland: https://www.aau.edu/newsroom/articles-op-eds/how-purdue-university-helped-bring-hard-tech-corridor-heartland
14- On Dec 19th 2023 IEDC announces an extension on their Andretti Global sponsorship: https://andrettiglobal.com/news/2023/12/iedcs-andretti-formula-e-partnership-continues-to-highlight-indiana-on-a-global-scale/
15- On Jan 1st, 2024, the Wejo US leftovers are transferred to Jacobs Engineering: https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/100237-42
16- On March 27th, 2024, EDC announces that Jacobs Engineering oversees the controversial LEAP water partnership, a $100M project: https://www.citact.org/leap
17- On May 2024 Hard-Tech Corridor emerges with leadership from Purdue and partners https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/2024/Q2/hard-tech-corridor-emerges-with-leadership-from-purdue-and-partners/
18- On July 1st, 2024, the group announces that they are in charge of the LEAP hard corridor: https://stories.prf.org/hard-tech-corridor/
“The persistent pursuit of the next Giant Leap has led Purdue University and the State of Indiana to establish a hard-tech ecosystem at the smart crossroads of America. The Hard-Tech Corridor along I-65 promises to unlock new advancements in tech for Indiana and beyond.”
https://www.ibj.com/articles/f1-closer-to-approving-expanded-grid-for-gm-entry-initially-started-by-michael-andretti#comment-308549