position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward looking statements. When used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. No assurance can be given that results in any forward-looking statement will be achieved and actual results could be affected by one or more factors, which could cause them to differ materially. The cautionary statements made in this Annual Report should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including but not limited to, those detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on July 22, 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While we are evaluating potential business combination targets, we have not entered into any definitive acquisition agreement with any potential business combination target. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any industry. In particular, we expect to seek assets that target three broad themes: (1) innovative platforms that support evolving consumer trends; (2) next-generation technology that may unlock new markets and strong growth; and (3) traditional media and entertainment businesses requiring an injection of capital due to exogenous shocks from the current environment. Our sponsor is Horizon II Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. We are an emerging growth company and, as such, we are subject to all the risks associated with emerging growth companies.
Our registration statement for our initial public offering was declared effective on October 19, 2020. On October 22, 2020, we consummated the initial public offering of 50,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $500.0 million, and incurring offering costs of approximately $19.6 million, inclusive of approximately $12.1 million in deferred underwriting commissions. The underwriter was granted a 45-day option from the date of the final prospectus relating to the initial public offering to purchase up to 5,175,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any, at $10.00 per unit. The underwriters exercised the over-allotment option on November 24, 2020 to purchase an additional 2,500,000 units, which closed on November 27, 2020 generating gross proceeds of $25.0 million, and incurring additional offering costs of approximately $1.4 million in underwriting fees (inclusive of approximately $0.9 million in deferred underwriting fees).
Simultaneously with the closing of our initial public offering, we consummated the private placement of 5,933,333 warrants to our sponsor, each exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, at a price of $1.50 per private placement warrant, generating gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $8.9 million, pursuant to the private placement warrants purchase agreement, dated October 19, 2020, by and between us and our sponsor. The private placement purchase agreement provided for a second closing of the private placement simultaneously with the closing of the over-allotment units. Accordingly, on November 27, 2020, the second closing of the private placement was consummated, resulting in the purchase of an aggregate of 333,334 private placement warrants by our sponsor, generating gross proceeds of $0.5 million.
Our sponsor agreed to forfeit up to 1,875,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters, so that the founder shares will represent 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after the IPO. On October 22, 2020, in connection with consummation of the sponsor IPO units, our sponsor surrendered 581,250 founder shares to the Company for no consideration, thus reducing the amount of Class B ordinary shares subject to forfeiture to 1,293,750 Class B ordinary shares. As a result of the underwriters’ partial exercise of the over-allotment option, and the remainder of the over-allotment units expiring unexercised on December 3, 2020, 668,750 Class B ordinary shares were automatically surrendered for no consideration by the sponsor.
Upon the closing of the initial public offering, the over-allotment, and the private placements, a total of $525.0 million ($10.00 per unit) of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and over-allotment, and certain of the proceeds of the private placement was placed in a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee and invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S.