| Another SPAC / fintech deal: 
 On August 4, 2002, Colonnade Acquisition Corp. II (stock symbol: CCLA), a SPAC that raised $330 million when it completed its IPO in March 2021, has agreed to merge with Plastiq, "...a B2B payments platform that empowers the small- to medium-sized business (SMB) economy."
 
 Investor presentation:  sec.gov
 
 CCLA closed at $9.90 on Friday.
 
 Plastiq Plans SPAC Merger With Colonnade in Move to Go Public
 
 By                            Cindy Capitani
 PYMTS
 on                                 August 4, 2022
 
 Plastiq, a B2B payments platform that empowers the small- to medium-sized business (SMB) economy, is planning to go public via a merger with    Colonnade Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
 
 Once the deal closes, the combined company, as a publicly-listed entity, will have an implied estimated enterprise value of $480 million, according to a Thursday (Aug. 4)    press release. Plastiq will use the proceeds from the transaction to grow its business and expand its product suite.
 
 The combined company will operate under the name Plastiq, the release stated.
 
 Plastiq Founder and CEO    Eliot Buchanan will continue to lead Plastiq, which was launched in 2012. He called the SPAC merger with Colonnade an “important milestone” toward going public, according to the release.
 
 “For too long, SMBs have been neglected from financial services,” he said, per the release. “As a public company, we plan to continue to invest in opportunities to scale the business with a growing product suite that enables us to provide SMB owners with access to sufficient, on-demand cash flow, which is a critical component to grow their businesses.”
 
 Colonnade Acquisition Corp. II Chairman    Joseph Sambuco said the SPAC thinks “Plastiq has a significant opportunity to penetrate its vast $9 trillion total addressable market of SMB payments,” considering the company’s “growth, highly scalable business model, expanding product suite and efficient go-to-market approach.”
 
 Plastiq is at the crossroads between payer and supplier, and the company offers SMBs a choice in how to make payments. It also provides automation efficiency with payables and receivables and unlocks cash flow from business credit cards and instant short-term financing.
 
 Many smaller firms think they are using a flexible solution when paying their vendors — namely through credit cards or bank accounts, Plastiq Chief Operating Officer    Stoyan Kenderov told PYMNTS in an April interview. Many don’t realize they can accept payments across platforms regardless of how their buyers want to pay.
 
 pymnts.com
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