NILS MICHAELIS

President, COO & Head of M&A, Fat Projects Acquisition Corporation

Meeting clients and teams was always a key element of successful advisory and ventures. Without in-person meetings it seemed progress would slow down. Yet, most quickly we adjusted to video calls and made it effective. The biggest ‘innovation’ was our ability to adjust to a ‘new normal’. We have been shopping online, communicating over digital channels, engaging with business and governments for a good 20 years, but the pandemic made us adopt these practices much faster than imagined. We have seen an astonishing evolution in the way companies bridge the sometimes long and strenuous journey between early-stage financing and going public to accelerate their growth and global expansion. With lockdowns and less travel came the opportunity for senior leaders with significant experience to explore building Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) teams to support successful start-ups, not just with funding but also through time investment, dedication, and networks to provide mentoring and access to markets. With Singapore actively supporting the listing of SPACs, I am confident that we will see many companies strive and succeed faster, and help the world drive more innovation, especially in areas and industries that may be less well understood and valued by traditional funding and listing approaches—deep tech, bio tech, and ESG related businesses. Great SPAC teams will make a big difference in 2022.