SPACInsider

This week, we speak with Michael Beer, CFO of Agility Robotics, and Daniel Diez, Chief Business Officer of the company. Together, we discuss Agility’s $2.5 billion business combination with Churchill Capital Corp. XI (NASDAQ:CCXI). SPACs have a knack for being the first to bring cutting edge new technologies to public market investors. Now, one of the most prominent SPAC teams is set to create a unique pure play in humanoid robotics. Michael explains how the company’s two different pricing models offer customers competitive options while getting its Digit robots deployed quickly. Daniel discusses the jobs Digit robots are already performing and how the next-generation Digit 5 models could expand their capabilities even further. Forward-Looking Statements and Transaction Information This podcast contains forward-looking statements regarding Agility Robotics, Inc. (“Agility”), including its technology, commercial operations, financial outlook and proposed business combination with Churchill Capital Corp XI (“CCXI”). Actual results may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties, including challenges in scaling production, customer adoption, achieving projected costs and completing the transaction. Additional risks are described in CCXI's SEC filings. Investors are urged to read the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant SEC filings regarding the proposed transaction before making any voting or investment decision, as they contain important information. These documents are available free of charge at www.sec.gov, and copies may be requested from CCXI free of charge. CCXI, Agility and certain of their directors, officers and employees may be participants in the solicitation of proxies relating to the transaction. Information about these participants and their interests is included in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus available at www.sec.gov.  

This week, we speak with Andrew Clare, CEO of Elroy Air, which announced a $961 million business combination with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VII (NASDAQ:IPXG) in June. Drones are suddenly everywhere, but very few can handle jobs that require heavy lift along with vertical takeoff. Elroy Air not only aims to change that, but its drones are taking on those challenges now. Andrew explains how it has developed a modular heavy drone for both defense and commercial missions that is already taking on hard jobs in both sectors. And, how the company aims to put proceeds from this transaction to use in the next critical stages of Elroy Air’s strategy.

This week, we speak with Megan O’Connor, CEO of Nth Cycle, and Justin Mirro, CEO of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI (NYSE:KCA.U). The two announced a $585 million business combination in July. A number of transactions have brought rare earth miners public at a time of acute need due to trade snares and growing awareness of their strategic importance. But, the biggest missing piece in the critical minerals space is arguably not in the exploitation of these resources, but rather on the refining side. Megan explains how the company has developed a modular refining solution that is built to hit the ground running in the industry, and how the company has set itself up with multiple revenue models for both resiliency and growth. Justin lays out how this unique setup, along with the structure of the deal itself, hold what he believes are the ideal properties that SPAC transactions are built for.  

This week, we speak with Anindya Datta, CEO of Mobilewalla, and Bala Padmakumar, CEO and Chairman of SPACSphere Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:SSAC). The two announced a $250 million business combination in June. Agentic AI is here and already at work in a number of industries, but the question of which model can win is increasingly defined by who has the data to back it up. Anindya explains how Mobilewalla’s long tail of data forms the backbone of its own AI offerings, and how it has innovated internally to give it an edge. Bala gets into why he sees Mobilewalla as standing above the noise in the AI space and how SPACSphere concluded it was ready for the public markets.  

This week, we speak with Dr. José Rosas-Bustos, CEO of EigenQ, and Dan Nash, CEO and Chairman of Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. The two announced a $2.93 billion business combination in June. As quantum computers advance the speed and complexity of computing, cybersecurity counter-measures will need to keep up. EigenQ is developing defensive quantum server hardware to do just that. Jose explains how EigenQ has positioned itself to take advantage of the acute short-term need to protect sensitive server infrastructure from potential quantum-powered hacking threats and how it has integrated its products with strategic partners to accelerate deployments. Dan gets into why EigenQ has the potential for a unique financial trajectory in the quantum technology space, and how it stacks up against a comps universe that is increasingly populated by high-performing de-SPACs.

This week, we speak with Gianfranco Imperato, CEO of Trasteel, and Jamie Karson, Vice Chairman of Sizzle Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ:SZZL). The two announced a $1.3 billion business combination in April. It has been an interesting year for steel as it has been the target of trade restrictions and supply chain snares. In the center of that all has been steel producing and trading platform Trasteel. Gianfranco explains how the company has been an active consolidator in the industry that has managed to avoid certain operational risks despite an ever-changing steel pricing situation. He also gets into how the company has been able to leverage its global platform to be opportunistic when trade disruptions shake up the market. Jamie tells us why Sizzle II admired Trasteel’s financial discipline and why it sees the company’s business as being upstream of some of the world’s biggest investment trends of the moment.  

For our first-ever video podcast episode, we headed to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to speak with Allyson Satin, COO of the Ares SPACs, and Paul Wood, Co-Head of SPAC Investment Banking at BTIG.. 2026 has already been a breakout year for SPAC issuance, and deals are moving through the pipeline faster than they have in years. We discuss what's driving the rebound, why sponsor quality is rising to the top, and how SPACs are competing with a strong traditional IPO market. Plus, we look ahead to the fall and Q4 for any positive or negative catalysts that could affect the SPAC market. Give it a listen.

This week, we speak with Allyson Satin, COO of the Ares SPACs, and Paul Wood, Co-Head of SPAC Investment Banking at BTIG. 2026 has already been a breakout year for SPAC issuance, and deals are moving through the pipeline faster than they have in years. We discuss what's driving the rebound, why sponsor quality is rising to the top, and how SPACs are competing with a strong traditional IPO market. Plus, we look ahead to the fall and Q4 for any positive or negative catalysts that could affect the SPAC market. Give it a listen.

This week, we speak with Tod Higinbotham, CEO of battery maker ZincFive and Jim Rhee, Chairman and CEO of Spark I Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:SPKL). The two announced a $752 million combination in June. Lithium-ion batteries have dominated much of the conversation in cutting-edge technology. But, what if there was a battery chemistry based on more available materials that were more recyclable and that were an even better fit for certain data center energy needs? Tod explains how ZincFive’s nickel and zinc-based battery chemistry is uniquely suited to providing high-density backup power to data centers, and how this SPAC transaction will help it meet the ballooning demand for its products.

This week, we speak with Paul Lichty, Co-Founder and CEO of Forge Nano. He explains how Forge Nano’s atomic layer deposition approach can build better batteries and semiconductors while maximizing the rarest materials these require. And, how its manufacturing plans and growing sales pipeline led the company into a $1.3 billion business combination with Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II Co. (NASDAQ:ATII). Investment has poured into the companies making the chips and batteries needed for cutting age technology to work. Now, a company that has pioneered a new way of building those key components at the atomic level, is going public, via a SPAC.