Direct from SEC EDGAR
SPAC Filing Data
Real S-1 filing data from the SEC's EDGAR database. Every blank-check company that filed to go public, tracked from formation through the boom and bust.
Total S-1 Filings
1,613
Companies (2019+)
894
Peak Year
2021: 464
More than all other years combined
Delaware Inc.
46%
Of all SPACs
SPAC S-1 Filings by Year
Number of unique companies filing S-1 registration statements mentioning "blank check" — the regulatory footprint of the SPAC boom. The 2021 spike is unprecedented in SEC filing history.
Where SPACs Incorporate
Most SPACs are shell companies incorporated in Delaware or the Cayman Islands — jurisdictions chosen for their business-friendly laws and tax structures, not because anyone actually works there.
Why Filing Data Matters
SEC filings are the earliest public signal of SPAC activity. Before a SPAC can raise money from investors, it must file an S-1 registration statement with the SEC. This data captures every SPAC at its moment of birth.
The 2021 filing explosion — 464 new SPAC companies in a single year — shows the scale of the mania from the regulatory side. Many of these filings led to SPACs that would later go bankrupt, merge with overvalued targets, or liquidate entirely.
46% of SPACs are incorporated in Delaware, valued for its Court of Chancery and business-friendly statutes. Another 40% use the Cayman Islands, leveraging offshore tax structures — a detail rarely disclosed prominently to retail investors.
Data sourced directly from SEC EDGAR Full-Text Search System (EFTS). Last updated: 2026-03-21. Includes all S-1/S-1A filings mentioning "blank check" from 2003 to present.