ACABW Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corporation II

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 16, 2024

ATLANTIC COASTAL ACQUISITION CORP. II

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(248) 890-7200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b–2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b–2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

As previously disclosed, on April 18, 2024, Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corp. II (“we,” “ACAB” or the “Company”) received notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company has failed to maintain a minimum market value of publicly held shares of $15,000,000 for the 30 consecutive trading day such date, as required under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(C) (the “Market Value of Publicly Held Shares Requirement”).

Additionally, on July 31, 2024, we received an notice from Nasdaq informing us that we have failed to comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(2), which requires a minimum of 400 unrestricted round lot holders (with at least 50% of such holders holding unrestricted securities) of our listed securities (the “Total Holders Requirement” and, together with the Market Value of Publicly Held Shares Requirements, the “Nasdaq Deficiencies”).

As previously disclosed, the Company was granted a compliance period to cure the Nasdaq Deficiencies no later than October 15, 2024. The Company expected, and still expects, the Nasdaq Deficiencies to be cured as a result of its previously announced proposed business combination (the “Business Combination”) with Abpro Corporation (“Abpro”).

On October 16, 2024, we received a delisting determination letter (“Delisting Determination Letter”) from Nasdaq notifying us that we failed to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Deficiencies by the expiration of the October 15, 2024 compliance period referenced above. Additionally, the Delisting Determination Letter also noted that, as of September 10, 2024, we failed to meet the minimum requirement of 750,000 publicly held shares of our listed common stock under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(1)(B). The Delisting Determination Letter states that unless we request a hearing before a Nasdaq Hearing Panel (“Panel”) by October 23, 2024, trading of our common stock and warrants would be suspended.

We intend to request a hearing before the Panel prior to October 23, 2024, and such request for a hearing will automatically stay any suspension/delisting action by Nasdaq at least until the hearing process concludes and any extension granted by the Panel expires. We expect that we will regain compliance with each of the foregoing Nasdaq listing rules upon the closing of the Business Combination.

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On October 16, 2024, the Company, by resolution of the board of directors of the Company, in accordance with the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (as amended), extended the expiration date of the amount of time that the Company has available to complete a business combination from October 19, 2024 to November 19, 2024.

On October 18, 2024, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the Business Combination went effective.

Important Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the Business Combination and the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Proposed Transactions”), ACAB has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4, as amended, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes the Proxy Statement distributed to holders of ACAB’s common stock in connection with ACAB’s solicitation of proxies for the vote by ACAB’s stockholders with respect to the Proposed Transactions and other matters as described in the Registration Statement, a prospectus relating to the offer of the securities to be issued to stockholders in connection with the Proposed Transactions. ACAB has mailed a definitive proxy statement/prospectus to its stockholders. Investors and security holders and other interested parties are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus, any amendments thereto and any other documents filed with the SEC carefully and in their entirety when they become available because they will contain important information about ACAB, Abpro

and the Proposed Transactions. When available, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by ACAB through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corp. II, 6 St Johns Lane, Floor 5 New York, NY 10013.

Participants in the Solicitation

ACAB and Abpro and their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers and other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the Proposed Transactions. Information about the directors and executive officers of ACAB is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2023 and the Registration Statement. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is included in the Registration Statement and other relevant materials filed, or to be filed, with the SEC regarding the Proposed Transactions. Stockholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the Registration Statement carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. When available, these documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K includes certain statements that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe”, “project”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend”, “strategy”, “future”, “opportunity”, “plan”, “may”, “should”, “will”, “would”, “will be”, “will continue”, “will likely result” or similar expressions. that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of revenue and other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity and expectations, ACAB’s ability to enter into definitive agreements or consummate a transaction with Abpro; ACAB’s ability to obtain the financing necessary consummate the Proposed Transactions; and the expected timing of completion of the Proposed Transactions. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of ACAB’s and Abpro’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of ACAB and Abpro. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, financial, legal, political and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; the outcome of judicial proceedings to which Abpro is, or may become a party; the inability of the parties to enter into definitive agreements or successfully or timely consummate the Proposed Transactions or to satisfy the other conditions to the closing of the Proposed Transactions, including the risk that any required regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company; the risk that the approval of the stockholders of ACAB for the Proposed Transactions is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions, including as a result of a delay in consummating the Proposed Transaction or difficulty in, or costs associated with, integrating the businesses of ACAB and Abpro; the amount of redemption requests made by ACAB’s stockholders; the occurrence of events that may give rise to a right of one or both of ACAB and Abpro to terminate the Business Combination Agreement; risks related to the rollout of Abpro’s business and the timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on Abpro’s future business; and those factors discussed in ACAB’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on January 18, 2022, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 and the Registration Statement under the heading “Risk Factors,” and other documents of ACAB filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. If the

risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither ACAB nor Abpro presently know or that ACAB and Abpro currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect ACAB’s and Abpro’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. ACAB and Abpro anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause their assessments to change. However, while ACAB and Abpro may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, ACAB and Abpro specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing ACAB’s or Abpro’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Neither ACAB nor Abpro gives any assurance that either ACAB or Abpro, or the combined company, will achieve its objectives.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: October 21, 2024