References in this report (the "Annual Report") to "we," "us" or the "Company" refer to Pono Capital Two, Inc. References to our "management" or our "management team" refer to our officers and directors, and references to the "Sponsor" refer to Mehana Capital LLC. The following discussion and analysis of the Company's financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Annual Report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see "Forward-Looking Statements" elsewhere in this report for a description of these risks and uncertainties.





Overview


We are a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on March 11, 2022 formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of our initial public offering (the "Initial Public Offering") and the sale of the private placement units, the proceeds of the sale of our shares in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the shares issued to the owners of the target, debt issued to bank or other lenders or the owners of the target, or a combination of the foregoing or other sources.





Results of Operations


We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities for the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022 were organizational activities, those necessary to prepare for the Initial Public Offering, described below, and, after our Initial Public Offering, identifying a target company for a business combination. We do not expect to generate any operating revenues until after the completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Initial Public Offering. We incur expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses.

For the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022, we had net income of $552,813, which resulted from interest and dividend income on investments held in the Trust Account for $1,345,016, partially offset by operating and formation costs of $382,051, franchise tax expense of $161,644, and income tax expense of $248,508.





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Liquidity and Capital Resources

For the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was $462,816, which was due to interest earned on marketable securities held in the Trust Account of $1,345,016, offset by net income of $552,813 and a change in operating assets and liabilities of $329,387.

For the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022, net cash used in investing activities was $117,875,000 which was primarily due to the investment of cash in the Trust Account.

For the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $118,823,380, which was due to the proceeds from the sale of Units (as defined below) (net of the underwriting discount) of $113,045,000, proceeds from the sale of Placement Units (as defined below) of $6,343,750, and proceeds from the issuance of Class B common stock to the Sponsor of $25,000, offset in part by payment of offering costs of $590,370.

The registration statement for the Company's Initial Public Offering was declared effective on August 4, 2022. On August 9, 2022, the Company consummated the Initial Public Offering of 11,500,000 units, (the "Units" and, with respect to the shares of Class A common stock included in the Units sold, the "Public Shares"), including 1,500,000 Units issued pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option in full, generating gross proceeds of $115,000,000.

Simultaneously with the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company consummated the sale of 634,375 units (the "Placement Units") at a price of $10.00 per Placement Unit in a private placement to Mehana Capital LLC (the "Sponsor"), including 63,000 Placement Units issued pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option in full, generating gross proceeds of $6,343,750.

Following the closing of the Initial Public Offering on August 9, 2022, an amount of $117,875,000 ($10.25 per Unit) from the net proceeds of the sale of the Units in the Initial Public Offering and the sale of the Placement Units was placed in a trust account.

We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the funds held in the trust account and not previously released to us to pay our taxes (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay our taxes, if any. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. We expect the only taxes payable by us out of the funds in the trust account will be income and franchise taxes, if any. To the extent that our common stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination.





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The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of the Company's financing and acquisition plans. Management plans to address this uncertainty with the successful closing of the business combination. The Company will have until May 9, 2023 (or up to February 9, 2024, as applicable) to consummate a business combination. If a business combination is not consummated by May 9, 2023, less than one year after the date the accompanying financial statements are issued, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of the Company. Management has determined that the mandatory liquidation, should a business combination not occur, and potential subsequent dissolution, raises substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. No adjustments have been made to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities should the Company be required to liquidate after May 9, 2023. The Company intends to complete the initial business combination before the mandatory liquidation date. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate any business combination by May 9, 2023.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of December 31, 2022, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.





Contractual Obligations


Registration and Stockholder Rights Agreement

The holders of the Founder Shares and Placement Units (including securities contained therein) and Units (including securities contained therein) that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and extension loans, and any shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Placement Warrants and any shares of Class A common stock and warrants (and underlying Class A common stock) that may be issued upon conversion of the Units issued as part of the working capital loans and extension loans and Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the Founder Shares, will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Offering, requiring the Company to register such securities for resale (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to the Class A common stock). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to two demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company registers such securities. In addition, the holders have certain "piggy-back" registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the completion of the initial business combination and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.

Administrative Support Agreement

The Company's Sponsor has agreed, commencing from the date of the Initial Public Offering through the earlier of the Company's consummation of a business combination and its liquidation, to make available to the Company certain general and administrative services, including office space, utilities and administrative services, as the Company may require from time to time. The Company has agreed to pay to Mehana Capital LLC, the Sponsor, $10,000 per month for these services during the 9-month period to complete a business combination. For the period from March 11, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022, $50,000 was paid to Mehana Capital LLC for these services.





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Underwriters Agreement


Simultaneously with the Initial Public Offering, the underwriters fully exercised the over-allotment option to purchase an additional 1,500,000 Units at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit for an aggregate purchase price of $15,000,000.

The underwriters were paid a cash underwriting discount of $0.17 per Unit, or $1,955,000 in the aggregate, upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per unit, or $4,025,000 in the aggregate will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a business combination, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.





Critical Accounting Policies


The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and income and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging ("ASC 815"). For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For derivative instruments that are classified as equity, the derivative instruments are initially measured at fair value (or allocated value), and subsequent changes in fair value are not recognized as long as the contracts continue to be classified in equity.





Warrants


The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant's specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in ASC 480 and ASC 815. The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company's own common stock, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.

For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as liabilities at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations.

The warrants are not precluded from equity classification, and are accounted for as such on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter.





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Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

All of the Class A common stock sold as part of the Units in the Initial Public Offering contain a redemption feature which allows for the redemption of such Public Shares in connection with the Company's liquidation, if there is a stockholder vote or tender offer in connection with the business combination and in connection with certain amendments to the Company's amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In accordance with ASC 480, conditionally redeemable Class A common stock (including shares of Class A common stock that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company's control) is classified as temporary equity. Ordinary liquidation events, which involve the redemption and liquidation of all of the entity's equity instruments, are excluded from the provisions of ASC 480. Although the Company did not specify a maximum redemption threshold, its charter provides that currently, the Company will not redeem its Public Shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets (stockholders' equity) to be less than $5,000,001. However, the threshold in its charter would not change the nature of the underlying shares as redeemable and thus Public Shares would be required to be disclosed outside of permanent equity. The Company recognizes changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable common stock to equal the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Such changes are reflected in additional paid-in capital, or in the absence of additional paid-in capital, in accumulated deficit.





Net Income Per Share


Net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period. Therefore, the income per share calculation allocates income shared pro rata between Class A and Class B common stock. As a result, the calculated net income per share is the same for Class A and Class B common stock. The Company has not considered the effect of the Public Warrants and Placement Warrants, to purchase an aggregate of 12,134,375 shares in the calculation of income per share, since the exercise of the warrants is contingent upon the occurrence of future events.





Recent Accounting Standards


In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2020-06, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-0) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) ("ASU 2020-06") to simplify accounting for certain financial instruments. ASU 2020-06 eliminates the current models that require separation of beneficial conversion and cash conversion features from convertible instruments and simplifies the derivative scope exception guidance pertaining to equity classification of contracts in an entity's own equity. The new standard also introduces additional disclosures for convertible debt and freestanding instruments that are indexed to and settled in an entity's own equity. ASU 2020-06 amends the diluted earnings per share guidance, including the requirement to use the if-convened method for all convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and should be applied on a full or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 effective March 11, 2022 (inception). The adoption of ASU 2020-06 did not have a material impact on the financial statements.

Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company's financial statements.

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