Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. (SOAC-UN) operates as a blank check company, or special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), focused on effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses, particularly those aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) themes in the energy and resource sectors. The company offers redeemable units comprising one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant, entitling the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at $11.50; it maintains no significant ongoing operations prior to completing an initial business combination. Incorporated in 2020 as a Cayman Islands exempted company, Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and targets global opportunities with an emphasis on sustainable practices that enhance operational and economic outcomes.
In September 2021, the company completed a major business combination with DeepGreen Metals Inc., a deep-sea minerals exploration firm, resulting in a name change to TMC the metals company Inc. TMC the metals company Inc. and a Nasdaq listing under the ticker TMC; this transaction provided approximately $137 million in cash proceeds and shifted focus to collecting, processing, and refining polymetallic nodules from the Pacific Ocean's Clarion-Clipperton Zone for battery metals including nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese. The SPAC's IPO in May 2020 raised $300 million, fully held in trust, with an 18-month tenor that facilitated the DeepGreen merger ahead of its original deadline. Despite the de-SPAC, SOAC-UN units continue to trade on the NYSE, reflecting ongoing redeemable security structures post-combination. The associated website, greenspac.com, supported the SPAC's ESG-oriented strategy during its active targeting phase.