CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III Announces Registration Statement Effectiveness and Special Meeting Date to Approve Business Combination with AEye, Inc.

NEW YORK, July 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III (Nasdaq: CFAC) ("CF III"), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald, today announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has declared effective its registration statement on Form S-4 in connection with its previously announced business combination with AEye, Inc. ("AEye"), a provider of high-performance, active LiDAR systems.

The declaration of effectiveness by the SEC and the filing of the definitive proxy statement is an important step in AEye becoming a publicly traded company, with the goal of being listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol "LIDR" at the close of the transaction.

As previously announced, the business combination is expected to deliver up to $455 million of gross proceeds to AEye, including up to $230 million of cash held in CF III's trust account and up to $225 million from a fully committed PIPE anchored by strategic and institutional investors.

CF III will hold a Special Meeting of Stockholders at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on August 12, 2021 to approve, among other things, the previously announced business combination with AEye. Shareholders of record at the close of business on July 12, 2021 will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting. The meeting will be held virtually over the internet by means of a live audio webcast. Shareholders will be able to attend, vote their shares and submit questions during the Special Meeting via a live webcast available at www.cstproxy.com/cffinanceacquisitioncorpiii/sm2021.

At the closing, current AEye shareholders will roll their existing equity holdings into the post-business combination company. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both CF III and AEye, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

About CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III

CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III is a blank check company led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Howard W. Lutnick. CF III was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses CF III focuses on industries where its management team and founders have experience and insights and can bring significant value to business combinations.

About Cantor Fitzgerald

CF III is sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald. Cantor Fitzgerald, with over 12,000 employees, is a leading global financial services group at the forefront of financial and technological innovation and has been a proven and resilient leader for over 70 years. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is a preeminent investment bank serving more than 5,000 institutional clients around the world, recognized for its strengths in fixed income and equity capital markets, investment banking, SPAC underwriting and PIPE placements, prime brokerage, commercial real estate and for its global distribution platform. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is one of the 24 primary dealers authorized to transact business with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Cantor Fitzgerald is a leading SPAC sponsor, having completed multiple initial public offerings and announced multiple business combinations through its CF Acquisition platform. For more information, please visit: www.cantor.com.

About AEye

AEye is the premier provider of high-performance, adaptive LiDAR systems for vehicle autonomy, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and robotic vision applications. AEye's AI-enabled and software-definable iDAR™ (Intelligent Detection and Ranging) platform combines solid-state adaptive LiDAR, an optionally fused low-light HD camera, and integrated deterministic artificial intelligence to capture more intelligent information with less data, enabling faster, more accurate, and more reliable perception. The company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and backed by world-renowned financial investors including Kleiner Perkins and Taiwania Capital, as well as GM Ventures, Continental AG, Hella Ventures, LG Electronics, Subaru-SBI, Pegasus Ventures (Aisin), Intel Capital, SK Hynix and Airbus Ventures.

Important Information and Where to Find It

AEye and CF III have entered into a merger agreement in connection with a proposed business combination. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. In connection with the proposed business combination, CF III has filed a registration statement on Form S-4, which includes a definitive proxy statement/prospectus. The definitive proxy statement/ prospectus will be sent to all CF III stockholders. CF III may also file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and security holders of CF III are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed business combination, CF III and AEye.

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/ prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by CF III through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to CF III to 110 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022 or via email at [email protected].

Participants in the Solicitation

CF III and AEye and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from CF III's stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination. Information about CF III's directors and executive officers and their ownership of CF III's securities is set forth in CF III's filings with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed business combination may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.

Non-Solicitation

This Current Report on Form 8-K is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential Transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of CF III or AEye, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this communication may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding CF III's and AEye's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "strive," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of CF III's registration statement on Form S-1, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus on Form S-4 relating to the business combination, and other documents filed by CF III from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and CF III and AEye assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither CF III nor AEye gives any assurance that either CF III or AEye will achieve its expectations.

SOURCE AEye, Inc.; CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III