SPECIAL purpose acquisition companies (Spacs) have gained a reputation for overvaluing hyped-up startups at the point of listing, while being rather value-destructive for shareholders who stick with the process.

Yet, AvePoint chief executive Jiang Tianyi believes there is still a place for the instrument.

In his opinion, Spacs provides startups with an alternative form of listing which prioritises the company’s interests better than that of a traditional initial public offering (IPO).