NOTE 5 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Founder Shares

In September 2018, the Sponsor purchased 7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2018, the Sponsor transferred 75,000 founder shares to each of the Company’s six independent directors, 300,000 shares to our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, and 225,000 shares to our President and Chief Operating Officer. In January 2019, the Sponsor forfeited 871,930 shares of Class B common stock and certain funds and accounts managed by subsidiaries of BlackRock, Inc. (collectively, the “Anchor Investor”) purchased 871,930 shares of Class B common stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. On February 28, 2019, the Company effected a stock dividend for approximately 0.05 shares for each of the Company’s shares of Class B common stock, resulting in the Company’s initial stockholders holding an aggregate of 7,503,750 Founder Shares. Following the stock dividend, the Company’s officers and directors retransferred an aggregate of 48,823 Founder Shares to the Sponsor and the Anchor Investor waived its right to the stock dividend. The Founder Shares are identical to the Class A common stock included in the Units sold in the Public Offering except that the Founder Shares automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the initial Business Combination and are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below. The Sponsor and the Anchor Investor had agreed to forfeit up to 978,750 Founder Shares to the extent that the over-allotment option was not exercised in full by the underwriters. The over-allotment option was exercised in full and therefore no shares were forfeited.

The Company’s initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, or (B), subsequent to the Company’s initial Business Combination, if (x) the last reported sale price of the Company’s 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 the Company’s initial Business Combination or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

Private Placement Warrants

The Sponsor and the Anchor Investor purchased from the Company an aggregate of 13,581,500 warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant (an aggregate purchase price of $13,581,500), in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) that occurred simultaneously with the completion of the Public Offering (the “Private Placement Warrants”). Each whole Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. A portion of the purchase price of the Private Placement Warrants was added to the proceeds from the Public Offering deposited in the Trust Account pending completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination. The Private Placement Warrants (including the 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 the initial Business Combination and they will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the Sponsor, the Anchor Investor or their permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the Sponsor, the Anchor Investor or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the Units sold in the Public Offering. Otherwise, the Private Placement Warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the Warrants sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering and have no net cash settlement provisions.

In connection with the Merger Agreement discussed in Note 2, the Sponsor agreed to exchange all of its 11,739,394 outstanding Private Placement Warrants for 2,347,879 newly issued shares of Class B common stock and, in addition, the Sponsor agreed to forfeit an equivalent number of existing shares of Class B common stock to the Company for no consideration.

In addition, if the Company issues additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of its initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by them, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “newly issued price”), the exercise price of the Private Placement Warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the newly issued price.

If the Company does not complete a Business Combination, then the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants will be part of the liquidating distribution to the public stockholders and the Private Placement Warrants issued to the Sponsor will expire worthless.

Registration Rights

The Company’s initial stockholders and the holders of the Private Placement Warrants are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed on the date of the prospectus for the Public Offering. These holders are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by the Company. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. There will be no penalties associated with delays in registering the securities under the registration rights agreement.

Related Party Loans

In August 2018, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of $300,000 by drawdowns of not less than $10,000 each against the issuance of an unsecured promissory note (the “Note”) to cover expenses related to the Public Offering. The Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of March 31, 2019 or the completion of the Public Offering.

In September 2018, the Company drew down $90,000 from the Note in order to fund expenses of the Public Offering. During January and February 2019, the Company drew down on the remaining $210,000. On March 5, 2019, the $300,000 principal amount of the Note was repaid in full in connection with the closing of the Public Offering.

Related Party Subscription Agreement

Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement and as part of the PIPE Financing, the Company entered into a Subscription Agreement with (i) Hennessy Capital SPV II LLC, an entity controlled by Daniel J. Hennessy, the Chairman and CEO of the Company, for the purchase of 500,000 PIPE Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $5.0 million and (ii) an entity controlled by the Anchor Investor (as defined below) for the purchase of 600,000 shares of Class A common stock in the PIPE Financing for an aggregate purchase price of $6.0 million, in each case on the same terms and conditions as the form of Subscription Agreement filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

Administrative Support Agreement and Other Matters

The Company has agreed to pay $15,000 a month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support to an affiliate of the Sponsor, Hennessy Capital LLC. Services commenced on the date the securities were first listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and will terminate upon the earlier of the consummation by the Company of an initial Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company. The financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 include a charge for $45,000, $135,000, $45,000 and105,000, respectively, for such administrative support. There were no amounts outstanding under this agreement at September 30, 2020 or December 31, 2019.

Also, commencing on the date the securities were first listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Company has agreed to compensate its Chief Financial Officer $29,000 per month for his services prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination, of which 60% is payable currently in cash and 40% is payable upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination. The financial statements at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 include an accrued liability for approximately $220,000 and $116,000, respectively, for the deferred portion of this compensation. Approximately $87,000, $261,000, $87,000 and $203,000, respectively, was charged to operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, for the aggregate of cash and deferred compensation.

Further, as compensation for his services in connection with, and prior to, the initial Business Combination, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer will receive a cash payment of $500,000 upon the closing of an initial Business Combination. No amounts have been accrued in the September 30, 2020 financial statements for this fee as the underlying event (completion of the Business Combination) that would trigger this payment is not certain.

NOTE 4 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Founder Shares

In September 2018, the Sponsor purchased 7,187,500 shares of Class B common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. In October 2018, the Sponsor transferred 75,000 founder shares to each of the Company’s six independent directors, 300,000 shares to our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, and 225,000 shares to our President and Chief Operating Officer. In January 2019, the Sponsor forfeited 871,930 shares of Class B common stock and certain funds and accounts managed by subsidiaries of BlackRock, Inc. (collectively, the “Anchor Investor”) purchased 871,930 shares of Class B common stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. On February 28, 2019, the Company effected a stock dividend for approximately 0.05 shares for each of the Company’s shares of Class B common stock, resulting in the Company’s initial stockholders holding an aggregate of 7,503,750 Founder Shares. The financial statements have been retroactively restated to reflect the issuance of the stock dividend in all periods presented. Following the stock dividend, the Company’s officers and directors retransferred an aggregate of 48,823 Founder Shares to the Sponsor and the Anchor Investor waived its right to the stock dividend. The Founder Shares are identical to the Class A common stock included in the Units sold in the Public Offering except that the Founder Shares automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the initial Business Combination and are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below. The Sponsor and the Anchor Investor had agreed to forfeit up to 978,750 Founder Shares to the extent that the over-allotment option was not exercised in full by the underwriters. The over-allotment option was exercised in full and therefore no shares were forfeited.

The Company’s initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, or (B), subsequent to the Company’s initial Business Combination, if (x) the last reported sale price of the Company’s 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 the Company’s initial Business Combination or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction after the initial Business Combination that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property.

Private Placement Warrants

The Sponsor and the Anchor Investor purchased from the Company an aggregate of 13,581,500 warrants at a price of $1.00 per warrant (an aggregate purchase price of $13,581,500), in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) that occurred simultaneously with the completion of the Public Offering (the “Private Placement Warrants”). Each whole Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at $11.50 per share. A portion of the purchase price of the Private Placement Warrants was added to the proceeds from the Public Offering deposited in the Trust Account pending completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination. The Private Placement Warrants (including the 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 the initial Business Combination and they will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the Sponsor, the Anchor Investor or their permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the Sponsor, the Anchor Investor or their permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the Units sold in the Public Offering. Otherwise, the Private Placement Warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the Warrants sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering and have no net cash settlement provisions.

In addition, if the Company issues additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities for capital raising purposes in connection with the closing of its initial Business Combination at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Company’s board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the initial stockholders or their affiliates, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by them, as applicable, prior to such issuance) (the “newly issued price”), the exercise price of the Private Placement Warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the newly issued price.

If the Company does not complete a Business Combination, then the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants will be part of the liquidating distribution to the public stockholders and the Private Placement Warrants issued to the Sponsor will expire worthless.

Registration Rights

The Company’s initial stockholders and the holders of the Private Placement Warrants are entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement signed on the date of the prospectus for the Public Offering. These holders are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company register such securities for sale under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have “piggy-back” registration rights to include their securities in other registration statements filed by the Company. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements. There will be no penalties associated with delays in registering the securities under the registration rights agreement.

Related Party Loans

In August 2018, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate of $300,000 by drawdowns of not less than $10,000 each against the issuance of an unsecured promissory note (the “Note”) to cover expenses related to the Public Offering. The Note was non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier of March 31, 2019 or the completion of the Public Offering.

In September 2018, January 2019 and February 2019, the Company drew down $90,000, $75,000 and $135,000, respectively, from the Note in order to fund expenses of the Public Offering and leaving a balance on the Note at February 27, 2019 of $300,000. On March 5, 2019, the Note was repaid in full in connection with the closing of the Public Offering.

Administrative Support Agreement and Other Matters

The Company has agreed to pay $15,000 a month for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support to an affiliate of the Sponsor, Hennessy Capital LLC. Services commenced on the date the securities were first listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and will terminate upon the earlier of the consummation by the Company of an initial Business Combination or the liquidation of the Company. The financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the period from August 6, 2018 (date of inception) to December 31, 2018 include a charge for $150,000 and $0, respectively, for such administrative support.

Also, commencing on the date the securities were first listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Company has agreed to compensate its Chief Financial Officer $29,000 per month for his services prior to the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination, of which 60% is payable currently in cash and 40% is payable upon the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination. The financial statements at December 31, 2019 include an accrued liability for approximately $116,000 for the deferred portion of this compensation. Approximately $290,000 and $0, respectively, was charged to operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 and for the period from August 6, 2018 (date of inception) to December 31, 2018 for the aggregate of cash and deferred compensation.

Further, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer will be entitled to a $500,000 cash fee from the Company upon the successful completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination. No amounts have been accrued in the December 31, 2019 financial statements for this fee as the underlying event (completion of the Business Combination) that would trigger this payment is not certain.