STANDBY EQUITY PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.1
STANDBY EQUITY PURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS STANDBY EQUITY PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of October 30, 2024 is made by and among YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited company (the “Investor”), ATLANTIC COASTAL ACQUISITION CORP. II, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and ABPRO CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (“Abpro”). For purposes of this Agreement, references to the “Company” shall mean, after the closing of the Business Combination (as defined below), the resulting publicly-listed company pursuant to the transactions contemplated by that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated December 11, 2023 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among the Company, Abpro Merger Sub Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), and Abpro. Pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, the parties thereto will enter into a business combination transaction (the “Business Combination”), pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will merge with and into Abpro (the “Merger” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Transactions”), with Abpro continuing as the surviving corporation in the Merger and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. In the Merger, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Abpro immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Business Combination Agreement) shall no longer be outstanding and shall be cancelled and extinguished and converted into the right to receive shares of Series A Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 (the “Common Shares”). It is proposed that, upon consummation of the Transactions, the Company will change its name to “Abpro Holdings, Inc.” The Investor and the Company may be referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
WHEREAS, the Parties desire that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein, upon the closing of the Business Combination, the Company shall have the right to issue and sell to the Investor, from time to time as provided herein, and the Investor shall purchase from the Company, up to $50 million in aggregate gross purchase price of newly issued fully paid Common Shares;
WHEREAS, the Common Shares are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “ACAB,” and following the closing of the Business Combination, it is expected that the Common Shares will continue to be listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Market, but under the symbol “ABP”;
WHEREAS, the offer and sale of the Common Shares issuable hereunder will be made in reliance upon Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act”), or upon such other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act as may be available with respect to any or all of the transactions to be made hereunder; and
WHEREAS, the Parties are concurrently entering into a Registration Rights Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company shall register the resale of the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties hereto agree as follows:
Article I. Certain Definitions
Capitalized terms used in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in Annex I hereto, and hereby made a part hereof, or as otherwise set forth in this Agreement.
Article II. Pre-Paid Advances
Section 2.01 Pre-Paid Advances. Subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Annex II attached hereto, the Investor shall advance to the Company the principal amount of $5,000,000 (the “Pre-Paid Advance”), which shall be evidenced by convertible promissory notes in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Promissory Note”). The first Pre-Paid Advance shall be in a principal amount of $3,000,000 and advanced on the Effective Date (the “First Pre-Advance Closing”), and the second Pre-Paid Advance shall be in a principal amount of $2,000,000 and advanced on the later of (i) the second Trading Day after the effectiveness of the initial Registration Statement and (ii) the second Trading Day after the Company receives shareholder approval to issue Common Shares in excess of the Exchange Cap in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in accordance with the requirements and the rules of the Principal Market (the “Second Pre-Advance Closing”) (individually referred to as a “Pre-Advance Closing” and collectively referred to as the “Pre-Advance Closings”).
Section 2.02 Pre-Advance Closing. Each Pre-Advance Closing shall occur remotely by conference call and electronic delivery of documentation. The First Pre-Advance Closing shall take place at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the Effective Date, provided that applicable conditions set forth on Annex II have been satisfied (or such other date and time as is mutually agreed to by the Company and the Investor). The Second Pre-Advance Closing shall take place at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the later of (i) the second Trading Day after the effectiveness of the initial Registration Statement and (ii) the second Trading Day after the Company receives shareholder approval to issue Common Shares in excess of the Exchange Cap in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in accordance with the requirements and the rules of the Principal Market, in either case, provided that the conditions set forth on Annex II have been satisfied (or such other date and time as is mutually agreed to by the Company and the Investor). At each Pre-Advance Closing, the Investor shall advance to the Company the principal amount of the Pre-Paid Advance, less a discount in the amount equal to 8% of the principal amount of the Pre-Paid Advance netted from the purchase price due and structed as an original issue discount (the “Original Issue Discount”), in immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company in writing, and the Company shall deliver the Promissory Note with a principal amount equal to the full amount of the Pre-Paid Advance, duly executed on behalf of the Company. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Original Issue Discount (i) shall not be funded but shall be deemed to be fully earned at each Pre-Advance Closing, and (ii) shall not reduce the principal amount of each Promissory Note. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent the Investor converts outstanding amounts under the Promissory Note into Common Shares, the principal balance of such Promissory Note shall be reduced automatically by an equivalent amount.
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Article III. Advances
Section 3.01 Advances; Mechanics. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, during the Commitment Period, (i) the Company, at its sole discretion, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to issue and sell to the Investor, and the Investor shall have the obligation to purchase from the Company, Advance Shares by the delivery to the Investor of Advance Notices, provided (x) no balance is outstanding under a Promissory Note, or, (y) if there is a balance outstanding under a Promissory Note, an Amortization Event has occurred in accordance with Section 3.01(a)(iii) hereof, and (ii) for as long as there is a balance outstanding under a Promissory Note, the Investor, at its sole discretion shall have the right, but not the obligation, by the delivery to the Company of Investor Notices, to cause an Advance Notice to be deemed delivered to the Investor and the issuance and sale of Shares to the Investor pursuant to an Advance, on the following terms:
(a) | Advance Notice. At any time during the Commitment Period, the Company may require the Investor to purchase Shares by delivering an Advance Notice to the Investor, subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Investor of the conditions set forth in Annex III and subject to the other applicable limitations set forth herein, and in accordance with the following provisions: |
(i) | The Company shall, in its sole discretion, select the number of Advance Shares, not to exceed the Maximum Advance Amount (unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company and the Investor), it desires to issue and sell to the Investor in each Advance Notice, the time it desires to deliver each Advance Notice, and the Pricing Period to be used. |
(ii) | There shall be no mandatory minimum Advances and there shall be no non-usage fee for not utilizing the Commitment Amount or any part thereof. |
(iii) | For so long as any amount remains outstanding under a Promissory Note, without the prior written consent of the Investor, the Company may only (other than with respect to a deemed Advance Notice pursuant to an Investor Notice) submit an Advance Notice (A) if an Amortization Event has occurred and the obligation of the Company to make monthly prepayments under the Promissory Note has not ceased, and (B) the aggregate purchase price owed to the Company from such Advances (“Advance Proceeds”) shall be paid by the Investor by offsetting the amount of the Advance Proceeds against an equal amount outstanding under the subject Promissory Note (first towards accrued and unpaid interest, and then towards outstanding principal). |
(b) | Investor Notice. At any time during the Commitment Period, provided that there is a balance remaining outstanding under a Promissory Note, the Investor may, by delivering an Investor Notice to the Company, cause an Advance Notice to be deemed delivered to the Investor and the issuance and sale of Shares to the Investor pursuant to an Advance, in accordance with the following provisions: |
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(i) | The Investor shall, in its sole discretion, select the amount of the Advance up to the Maximum Advance Amount applicable to the Investor, and the time it desires to deliver each Investor Notice; provided that the amount of the Advance selected shall not exceed the balance owed under all Promissory Notes outstanding on the date of delivery of the Investor Notice. |
(ii) | The Purchase Price of the Shares in respect of any Advance Notice deemed delivered pursuant to an Investor Notice shall be equal to the Conversion Price (as defined in the Promissory Note) that would be applicable to the amount of the Advance selected by the Investor if such amount were to be converted as of the date of delivery of the Investor Notice in accordance with Section 3 of the Promissory Note. The Investor shall pay the Purchase Price for the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Investor Notice by offsetting the amount of the Purchase Price to be paid by the Investor against an equal amount outstanding under a Promissory Note (first towards accrued and unpaid interest, if any, then towards principal). |
(iii) | Each Investor Notice shall set forth the amount of the Advance requested, the Purchase Price (determined in accordance with Section 3.01(b)(ii)) along with a report by Bloomberg L.P. indicating the relevant VWAP used in calculating the Conversion Price, the number of Shares to be issued by the Company and purchased by the Investor, the aggregate amount of accrued and unpaid interest under the subject Promissory Note (if any) that shall be offset by the issuance of Shares, the aggregate amount of principal of the Promissory Note that shall be offset by the issuance of Shares, and the total amount of the applicable Promissory Note or Promissory Notes that shall be outstanding following the closing of the Advance, and each Investor Notice shall serve as the Settlement Document in respect of such Advance. |
(iv) | Upon the delivery of an Investor Notice, a corresponding Advance Notice shall simultaneously and automatically be deemed to have been delivered by the Company to the Investor requesting the amount of the Advance set forth in the Investor Notice, and any conditions precedent to such Advance Notice under the terms of this Agreement that have not been satisfied shall be deemed to have been waived by the Investor. |
(c) | Date of Delivery of Advance Notice. Advance Notices shall be delivered in accordance with the instructions set forth on the bottom of Exhibit C attached hereto. An Advance Notice selecting an Option 1 Pricing Period shall only be delivered on a Trading Day and shall be deemed delivered on the day such notice is received by e-mail. An Advance Notice selecting an Option 2 Pricing Period shall be deemed delivered on (i) the day it is received by the Investor if such notice is received by e-mail at or before 9:00 a.m. New York City time (or at such later time if agreed to by the Investor in its sole discretion), or (ii) the immediately succeeding day if it is received by e-mail after 9:00 a.m. New York City time. An Advance Notice deemed delivered pursuant to an Investor Notice shall be |
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deemed delivered on the same date upon which the Investor Notice is received by the Company. Upon receipt of an Advance Notice, the Investor shall promptly (and, with respect to an Advance Notice selecting an Option 1 Pricing Period, in no event more than one-half hour after receipt) provide written confirmation (which may be by e-mail) of receipt of such Advance Notice, and which confirmation, in the case of an Advance Notice selecting an Option 1 Pricing Period, shall specify the commencement time of the Option 1 Pricing Period. |
Section 3.02 Advance Limitations, Regulatory. Regardless of the Advance requested in an Advance Notice, including an Advance Notice deemed delivered pursuant to an Investor Notice, and not withstanding any provision to the contrary herein, the final number of Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to such Advance Notice shall be reduced (if at all) in accordance with each of the following limitations:
(a) | Ownership Limitation; Commitment Amount. At the request of the Company, the Investor shall inform the Company of the number of Common Shares the Investor beneficially owns. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Investor shall not be obligated to purchase or acquire, and shall not purchase or acquire, any Common Shares under this Agreement which, when aggregated with all other Common Shares beneficially owned by the Investor and its Affiliates (as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 promulgated thereunder), would result in the beneficial ownership by the Investor and its Affiliates (on an aggregated basis) of a number of Common Shares exceeding 4.99% of the then outstanding voting power or number of Common Shares (the “Ownership Limitation”). Upon the request of the Investor, the Company shall promptly (but no later than the next Business Day on which the transfer agent for the Common Shares is open for business) confirm orally or in writing to the Investor the number of Common Shares then outstanding. In connection with each Advance Notice, any portion of an Advance that would (i) cause the Investor to exceed the Ownership Limitation or (ii) cause the aggregate number of Shares issued and sold to the Investor hereunder to exceed the Commitment Amount shall automatically be withdrawn with no further action required by the Company, and such Advance Notice shall be deemed automatically modified to reduce the Advance by an amount equal to such withdrawn portion; provided that in the event of any such automatic withdrawal and automatic modification, the Investor will promptly notify the Company of such event. |
(b) | Registration Limitation. In no event shall an Advance exceed the number of Common Shares registered in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby under the Registration Statement then in effect (the “Registration Limitation”). In connection with each Advance Notice, any portion of an Advance that would exceed the Registration Limitation shall automatically be withdrawn with no further action required by the Company and such Advance Notice shall be deemed automatically modified to reduce the aggregate amount of the requested Advance by an amount equal to such withdrawn portion; provided that in the event of any such automatic withdrawal and automatic modification, the Investor will promptly notify the Company of such event. |
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(c) | Compliance with Rules of Principal Market. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company shall not effect any sales under this Agreement and the Investor shall not have the obligation to purchase Common Shares under this Agreement to the extent (but only to the extent) that after giving effect to such purchase and sale the aggregate number of Common Shares issued under this Agreement would exceed 19.99% of the aggregate number of Common Shares issued and outstanding as of the Effective Date of this Agreement (subject to adjustment for any stock splits, combinations or the like), calculated in accordance with the rules of the Principal Market, which number shall be reduced, on a share-for-share basis, by the number of Common Shares issued or issuable pursuant to any transaction or series of transactions that may be aggregated with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement under the applicable rules of the Principal Market (such maximum number of shares, the “Exchange Cap”) provided that, the Exchange Cap will not apply if (a) the Company’s stockholders have approved the issuance of Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement in excess of the Exchange Cap in accordance with the applicable rules of the Principal Market, or (b) the Average Price of all applicable sales of Common Shares hereunder (including any sales covered by an Advance Notice that has been delivered prior to the determination of whether this clause (b) applies) equals or exceeds a price per share equal to the lower of (i) the Nasdaq Official Closing Price (as reflected on Xxxxxx.xxx) immediately preceding the Effective Date; or (ii) the average Nasdaq Official Closing Price for the five Trading Days immediately preceding the Effective Date). In connection with each Advance Notice, any portion of an Advance that would exceed the Exchange Cap shall automatically be withdrawn with no further action required by the Company and such Advance Notice shall be deemed automatically modified to reduce the aggregate amount of the requested Advance by an amount equal to such withdrawn portion in respect of each Advance Notice. |
(d) | Volume Threshold. In connection with an Advance Notice where the Company selects an Option 1 Pricing Period, if the total number of Common Shares traded on the Principal Market during the applicable Pricing Period is less than the Volume Threshold, then the number of Advance Shares issued and sold pursuant to such Advance Notice shall be reduced to the greater of (a) 30% of the trading volume of the Common Shares on the Principal Market during such Pricing Period as reported by Bloomberg L.P., or (b) the number of Common Shares sold by the Investor during such Pricing Period, but in each case not to exceed the amount requested (or deemed requested due to adjustments in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, including with respect to the Exchange Cap) in the Advance Notice. |
Section 3.03 Advance Limitations, Minimum Acceptable Price.
(a) | With respect to each Advance Notice selecting an Option 2 Pricing Period, the Company may notify the Investor of the Minimum Acceptable Price with respect to such Advance by indicating a Minimum Acceptable Price on such Advance Notice. If no Minimum Acceptable Price is specified in an Advance Notice, then no Minimum Acceptable Price shall be in effect in connection with such Advance. Each Trading Day during an Option 2 Pricing Period for which (A) with respect to each Advance Notice with a Minimum |
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Acceptable Price, the VWAP of the Common Shares is below the Minimum Acceptable Price in effect with respect to such Advance Notice, or (B) there is no VWAP (each such day, an “Excluded Day”), shall result in an automatic reduction to the number of Advance Shares set forth in such Advance Notice by one third (1/3) (the resulting amount of each Advance being the “Adjusted Advance Amount”), and each Excluded Day shall be excluded from the Option 2 Pricing Period for purposes of determining the Market Price. |
(b) | The total Advance Shares in respect of each Advance with any Excluded Day(s) (after reductions have been made to arrive at the Adjusted Advance Amount) shall be automatically increased by such number of Common Shares (the “Additional Shares”) equal to the greater of (a) the number of Common Shares sold by the Investor on such Excluded Day(s), if any, or (b) such number of Common Shares elected to be subscribed for by the Investor, and the subscription price per share for each Additional Share shall be equal to the Minimum Acceptable Price in effect with respect to such Advance Notice multiplied by 97%, provided that this increase shall not cause the total Advance Shares to exceed the amount set forth in the applicable Advance Notice or any limitations set forth in Section 3.02. |
Section 3.04 Unconditional Contract. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the Company and the Investor acknowledge and agree that upon the Investor’s receipt of a valid Advance Notice from the Company the Parties shall be deemed to have entered into an unconditional contract binding on both Parties for the purchase and sale of the applicable number of Advance Shares pursuant to such Advance Notice in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and (i) subject to Applicable Laws and (ii) subject to Section 7.21, the Investor may sell Common Shares during the Pricing Period for such Advance Notice (including with respect to any Advance Shares subject to such Pricing Period).
Section 3.05 Closings. The closing of each Advance and each sale and purchase of Advance Shares (whether pursuant to an Advance Notice delivered by the Company or in connection with an Advance Notice deemed delivered by the Company in connection with an Investor Notice) (each, a “Closing”) shall take place as soon as practicable on or after each applicable Advance Date in accordance with the procedures set forth below. The Company acknowledges that, other than in connection with an Investor Notice, the Purchase Price is not known at the time an Advance Notice is delivered (at which time the Investor is irrevocably bound) but shall be determined on each Closing based on the daily prices of the Common Shares that are the inputs to the determination of the Purchase Price. In connection with each Closing, the Company and the Investor shall fulfill each of its obligations as set forth below:
(a) | On or prior to each Advance Date, the Investor shall deliver to the Company a Settlement Document along with a report by Bloomberg L.P. (or, if not reported on Bloomberg L.P., another reporting service reasonably agreed to by the parties) indicating the VWAP for each of the Trading Days during the Pricing Period or period for determining the applicable Conversion Price, in each case in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In connection with an Investor Notice, the Investor Notice shall serve as the Settlement Document. |
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(b) | Promptly after receipt of the Settlement Document with respect to each Advance (and, in any event, not later than one Trading Day after such receipt), the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer such number of Advance Shares to be purchased by the Investor (as set forth in the Settlement Document) by crediting the Investor’s account or its designee’s account at the Depository Trust Company through its Deposit Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto, and transmit notification to the Investor that such share transfer has been requested. Promptly upon receipt of such notification, the Investor shall pay to the Company the aggregate purchase price of the Shares (as set forth in the Settlement Document) either (i) in the case of an Advance Notice submitted other than after the occurrence of an Amortization Event, in cash in immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company in writing and transmit notification to the Company that such funds transfer has been requested, or (ii) in the case of an Investor Notice or an Advance Notice submitted after the occurrence of an Amortization Event, as an offset of amounts owed under the Promissory Note as described Section 3.01(b). No fractional shares shall be issued, and any fractional shares that would otherwise be issued in connection with an Advance shall be rounded to the next higher whole number of shares. To facilitate the transfer of the Common Shares by the Investor, the Common Shares will not bear any restrictive legends so long as there is an effective Registration Statement covering the resale of such Common Shares (it being understood and agreed by the Investor that notwithstanding the lack of restrictive legends, the Investor may only sell such Common Shares pursuant to the Plan of Distribution set forth in the Prospectus included in the applicable Registration Statement and otherwise in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act (including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements) or pursuant to an available exemption). |
(c) | On or prior to the Advance Date, each of the Company and the Investor shall deliver to the other all documents, instruments and writings expressly required to be delivered by either of them pursuant to this Agreement in order to implement and effect the transactions contemplated herein. |
(d) | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, other than in respect of Advance Notices deemed to be given pursuant to Investor Notices, if on any day during the Pricing Period (i) the Company notifies Investor that a Material Outside Event has occurred, or (ii) the Company notifies the Investor of a Black Out Period, the parties agree that any pending Advance shall end and the final number of Advance Shares to be purchased by the Investor at the Closing for such Advance shall be equal to the number of Common Shares sold by the Investor during the applicable Pricing Period prior to the notification from the Company of a Material Outside Event or Black Out Period. |
Section 3.06 Hardship. In the event the Investor sells Common Shares after receipt, or deemed receipt of an Advance Notice and the Company fails to perform its obligations as mandated in this Agreement, the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Article VI hereto and in addition to any other remedy to which the Investor is entitled at law or in equity, including, without limitation, specific performance, it will hold the
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Investor harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company and acknowledges that irreparable damage may occur in the event of any such default. It is accordingly agreed that the Investor shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent such breaches of this Agreement and to specifically enforce (subject to Applicable Laws and the rules of the Principal Market), without the posting of a bond or other security, the terms and provisions of this Agreement.
Article IV. Representations and Warranties of the Investor
The Investor represents, warrants, and covenants to the Company, as of the date hereof, as of each Advance Notice Date and as of each Advance Date that:
Section 4.01 Organization and Authorization. The Investor is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and to purchase or acquire the Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. The decision to invest and the execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party by the Investor, the performance by the Investor of its obligations hereunder and the consummation by the Investor of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized and require no other proceedings on the part of the Investor. The undersigned has the right, power and authority to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and all other instruments on behalf of the Investor or its shareholders. This Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is a party have been duly executed and delivered by the Investor and, assuming the execution and delivery hereof and acceptance thereof by the Company, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms.
Section 4.02 Evaluation of Risks. The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial, tax and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of, and bearing the economic risks entailed by, an investment in the Common Shares and of protecting its interests in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that its investment in the Company involves a high degree of risk, and that the Investor may lose all or a part of its investment.
Section 4.03 No Legal, Investment or Tax Advice from the Company. The Investor acknowledges that it had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents, and the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents with its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. The Investor is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of the Company’s representatives or agents for legal, tax, investment or other advice with respect to the Investor’s acquisition of Common Shares hereunder, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the laws of any jurisdiction, and the Investor acknowledges that the Investor may lose all or a part of its investment.
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Section 4.04 Investment Purpose. The Investor is acquiring the Common Shares and any Promissory Note for its own account, for investment purposes and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof, except pursuant to sales registered under or exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act; provided, however, that by making the representations herein, the Investor does not agree, or make any representation or warranty, to hold any of the Shares for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to dispose of the Shares at any time in accordance with, or pursuant to, a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement or an applicable exemption under the Securities Act. The Investor does not presently have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any Person to sell or distribute any of the Shares. The Investor acknowledges that it will be disclosed as an “underwriter” and a “selling stockholder” in each Registration Statement and in any prospectus contained therein to the extent required by applicable law and to the extent the prospectus is related to the resale of Registrable Securities. This Investor is acquiring the Shares and the Promissory Note hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
Section 4.05 Accredited Investor. The Investor is an “Accredited Investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D.
Section 4.06 Information. The Investor and its advisors (and its counsel), if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and information the Investor deemed material to making an informed investment decision. The Investor and its advisors (and its counsel), if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company and its management and have received answers to such questions. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by such Investor or its advisors (and its counsel), if any, or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect the Investor’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Company has not made to the Investor, and the Investor acknowledges and agrees it has not relied upon, any representations and warranties of the Company, its employees or any third party other than the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement. The Investor understands that its investment involves a high degree of risk. The Investor has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice, as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 4.07 Not an Affiliate. The Investor is not an officer, director or a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company or any “Affiliate” of the Company (as that term is defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act).
Section 4.08 General Solicitation. Neither the Investor, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged or will engage in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with any offer or sale of the Common Shares by the Investor.
Section 4.09 Trading Activities. The Investor has not directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with the Investor, engaged in any transactions in the securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any Short Sales (as defined below) involving the Company’s securities) during the period commencing as of the time that the Investor first contacted the Company or the Company’s agents regarding the specific investment in the Company contemplated by this Agreement and ending immediately prior to the execution of this Agreement by the Investor.
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Article V. Representations and Warranties of the Company
Except as set forth in the SEC Documents, the Company represents and warrants to the Investor that, as of the date hereof, each Advance Notice Date and each Advance Date (other than representations and warranties which address matters only as of a certain date, which shall be true and correct as written as of such certain date):
Section 5.01 Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are entities duly organized and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdiction of organization and has the requisite power and authority to own its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.02 Authorization, Enforcement, Compliance with Other Instruments. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and to issue the Shares in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. The execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Shares) have been or (with respect to consummation) will be duly authorized by the Company’s board of directors and no further consent or authorization will be required by the Company, its board of directors or its shareholders. This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party have been (or, when executed and delivered, will be) duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the execution and delivery thereof and acceptance by the Investor, constitute (or, when duly executed and delivered, will be) the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or other laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and remedies and except as rights to indemnification and to contribution may be limited by federal or state securities law.
Section 5.03 Authorization of the Shares. The Shares to be issued under this Agreement have been, or with respect to Shares to be purchased by the Investor pursuant to an Advance Notice, will be, when issued and delivered pursuant to the terms approved by the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof, or a duly authorized executive committee, against payment therefor as provided herein, duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim, including any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights, and will be registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. The Shares, when
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issued, will conform to the description thereof set forth in or incorporated into the Prospectus. As of the date of each Pre-Advance Closing, and at all times thereafter, the Company shall have reserved from its duly authorized capital stock not less than the number of Common Shares issuable upon conversion of all Promissory Notes (assuming for purposes hereof that (x) such Promissory Note is convertible at a conversion price equal to the Floor Price as of the date of determination, and (y) any such conversion shall not take into account any limitations on the conversion of the Promissory Note set forth therein).
Section 5.04 No Conflict. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Shares) will not (i) result in a violation of the articles of incorporation or other organizational documents of the Company or its Subsidiaries (with respect to consummation, as the same may be amended prior to the date on which any of the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated), (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or its Subsidiaries is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws and regulations) applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries or by which any property or asset of the Company or its Subsidiaries is bound or affected except, in the case of clause (ii) or (iii) above, to the extent such violations have not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.05 Acknowledgment. The Company understands and acknowledges that the number of Common Shares issuable upon conversion of the Promissory Notes will increase in certain circumstances. The Company further acknowledges its obligation to issue the Common Shares upon conversion of the Promissory Notes in accordance with the terms thereof or upon delivery of an Advance Notice (including upon receipt of an Investor Notice) is absolute and unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership interests of other stockholders of the Company, provided, that such issuance shall not exceed the limitations set forth in Section 3.01(b)(i) and Section 3.02 of this Agreement (to the extent any such limitation is applicable to such issuance).
Section 5.06 SEC Documents; Financial Statements. Except as disclosed on Schedule A hereto, since October 1, 2022, the Company has timely filed (giving effect to permissible extensions in accordance with Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act) all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, the Current Report, and all information contained in such filings and all documents and disclosures that have been or may in the future be incorporated by reference in each Registration Statement (all such documents hereinafter referred to as the “SEC Documents”). The Company has delivered or made available to the Investor through the SEC’s website at xxxx://xxx.xxx.xxx, true and complete copies of the SEC Documents, as applicable. Except as disclosed in amendments or subsequent filings to the SEC Documents, as of its filing date (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date hereof, on the date of such amended or
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superseded filing), each of the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Section 5.07 Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Documents, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act and Exchange Act and in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis (except for (i) such adjustments to accounting standards and practices as are noted therein, (ii) in the case of unaudited interim financial statements, to the extent such financial statements may not include footnotes required by GAAP or may be condensed or summary statements and (iii) such adjustments which are not material, either individually or in the aggregate) during the periods involved; the other financial and statistical data with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Documents are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Documents that are not included or incorporated by reference as required; the Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the SEC Documents (excluding the exhibits thereto); and all disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Documents regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the SEC) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Documents fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the SEC’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
Section 5.08 Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S-1 under the Securities Act. Each Registration Statement and the offer and sale of Shares as contemplated hereby, if and when filed, will meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said rule. Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in a Registration Statement or a Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or to be filed as exhibits to a Registration Statement have been so described or filed. Copies of each Registration Statement, any Prospectus, and any such amendments or supplements thereto and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the SEC on or prior to the date of this Agreement have been delivered, or are available through XXXXX, to the Investor and its counsel. The Company has not distributed
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and, prior to the later to occur of each Advance Notice Date and completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than a Registration Statement, the Prospectus contained therein, and any required prospectus supplement, in each case as reviewed and consented to by the Investor.
Section 5.09 No Misstatement or Omission. Each Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, and any Prospectus, on the date of such Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, conformed and will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. At each Advance Notice Date and applicable Advance Date, the Registration Statement, and the Prospectus, as of such date, will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, did not, and will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Each Prospectus did not, or will not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated by reference in a Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement did not, and any further documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the SEC, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by the Investor specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
Section 5.10 Conformity with Securities Act and Exchange Act. Each Registration Statement, each Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, and the documents incorporated by reference in each Registration Statement, Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents were or are filed with the SEC under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or became or become effective under the Securities Act, as the case may be, conformed or will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable.
Section 5.11 Equity Capitalization.
(a) Authorized and Outstanding Capital Stock. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 110,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, of which (i) 8,041,268 Series A common stock are issued and outstanding (which is inclusive of the Series A common stock underlying 4,561 initial public offering units currently outstanding) and (ii) one (1) Series B common stock is issued and outstanding. There are also 15,000,000 public warrants and 13,850,000 private warrants outstanding.
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(b) Valid Issuance; Available Shares. All of such outstanding units, shares and warrants are duly authorized and have been validly issued and are, in the case of such units and shares, fully paid and nonassessable.
(C) Existing Securities; Obligations. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents: (A) none of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s shares, interests or capital stock is subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or liens suffered or permitted by the Company or any Subsidiary; (B) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (C) there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the Securities Act (except pursuant to this Agreement); (D) there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (E) there are no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Shares; and (G) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has entered into any Variable Rate Transaction.
Section 5.12 Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights or licenses to use all material trademarks, trade names, service marks, service mark registrations, service names, patents, patent rights, copyrights, inventions, licenses, approvals, governmental authorizations, trade secrets and rights, if any, necessary to conduct their respective businesses as now conducted, except as has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not received written notice of any infringement by the Company or its Subsidiaries of trademark, trade name rights, patents, patent rights, copyrights, inventions, licenses, service names, service marks, service mark registrations, or trade secrets, except as has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no claim, action or proceeding being made or brought against, or to the Company’s knowledge, being threatened against the Company or its Subsidiaries regarding trademark, trade name, patents, patent rights, invention, copyright, license, service names, service marks, service mark registrations, trade secret or other infringement; and, except as has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing.
Section 5.13 Employee Relations. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is involved in any labor dispute nor, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has any such dispute threatened.
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Section 5.14 Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) have not received written notice alleging any failure to comply in all material respects with all Environmental Laws (as defined below), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) have not received written notice alleging any failure to comply with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except, in each of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), as has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The term “Environmental Laws” means all applicable federal, state and local laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including, without limitation, laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder.
Section 5.15 Title. Except as has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company (or its Subsidiaries) has indefeasible fee simple or leasehold title to its properties and material assets owned by it, free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest, encumbrance, claim or equitable interest other than such as are not material to the business of the Company. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries.
Section 5.16 Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.17 Regulatory Permits. Except as has not had and would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries possess all material certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to own their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permits.
Section 5.18 Internal Accounting Controls. The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only
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in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, and management is not aware of any material weaknesses that are not disclosed in the SEC Documents as and when required.
Section 5.19 Absence of Litigation. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending against or affecting the Company, the Common Shares or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would have or be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.20 Absence of Certain Changes. Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited financial statements contained in a Form 10-K, there has been no Material Adverse Effect, nor any event or occurrence specifically affecting the Company or its Subsidiaries that would be reasonably expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of the Company’s most recent audited financial statements contained in a Form 10-K, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) declared or paid any dividends, (ii) sold any material assets, individually or in the aggregate, outside of the ordinary course of business, or (iii) made any material capital expenditures, individually or in the aggregate, outside of the ordinary course of business. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any steps to seek protection pursuant to any law or statute relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation or winding up, nor does the Company or any Subsidiary have any knowledge or reason to believe that any of their respective creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy proceedings. The Company is Solvent.
Section 5.21 Subsidiaries. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any interest in any other corporation, partnership, association or other business entity.
Section 5.22 Tax Status. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) has timely filed all foreign, federal and state income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has timely paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. The Company has not received written notification of any unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company and its Subsidiaries know of no basis for any such claim where the failure to pay would have or would be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.23 Certain Transactions. Except as not required to be disclosed pursuant to Applicable Laws, none of the officers or directors of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer or director, or to the knowledge of the Company, any corporation, partnership, trust or other entity in which any officer or director has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner.
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Section 5.24 Rights of First Refusal. The Company is not obligated to offer the Common Shares or the Promissory Notes offered hereunder on a right of first refusal basis or otherwise to any third parties including, but not limited to, current or former stockholders of the Company, underwriters, brokers, agents or other third parties.
Section 5.25 Dilution. The Company is aware and acknowledges that issuance of Common Shares hereunder could cause dilution to existing stockholders and could significantly increase the outstanding number of Common Shares.
Section 5.26 Acknowledgment Regarding Investor’s Purchase of Shares. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Investor is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length investor with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereunder. The Company further acknowledges that the Investor is not acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereunder and any advice given by the Investor or any of its representatives or agents in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereunder is merely incidental to the Investor’s purchase of the Shares hereunder or the Promissory Note. The Company is aware and acknowledges that it shall not be able to request Advances under this Agreement if a Registration Statement is not effective or if any issuances of Common Shares pursuant to any Advances would violate any rules of the Principal Market. The Company acknowledges and agrees that it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 5.27 Finder’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finder’s fees, brokerage commissions or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated.
Section 5.28 Relationship of the Parties. Neither the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries, affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf is a client or customer of the Investor or any of its affiliates and neither the Investor nor any of its affiliates has provided, or will provide, any services to the Company or any of its affiliates, its subsidiaries, or any person acting on its or their behalf. The Investor’s relationship to Company is solely as investor as provided for in the Transaction Documents.
Section 5.29 Operations. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with Applicable Law and neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, or employee of the Company or any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary has, not complied with Applicable Law; and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any governmental authority involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to Applicable Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
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Section 5.30 Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement or a Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
Section 5.31 Compliance with Laws. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance with Applicable Law; the Company has not received a notice of non-compliance, nor knows of, nor has reasonable grounds to know of, any facts that any director, officer, or employee of the Company or any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, Affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary has, has not complied with Applicable Laws, or could give rise to a notice of non-compliance with Applicable Laws, and is not aware of any pending change or contemplated change to any applicable law or regulation or governmental position; in each case that would have or would be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.32 Sanctions Matters. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer or controlled Affiliate of the Company or any director or officer of any Subsidiary, is a Person that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is (i) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authorities, including, without limitation, designation on OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List or OFAC’s Foreign Sanctions Evaders List or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions that broadly prohibit dealings with that country or territory (including, without limitation, the Crimea, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic in Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan and Syria (the “Sanctioned Countries”)). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds from the sale of Advance Shares or any Pre-Paid Advance, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person (a) for the purpose of funding or facilitating any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions or is a Sanctioned Country, or (b) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions or Applicable Laws by any Person (including any Person participating in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). For the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in, and is now not engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions or was a Sanctioned Country. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any director, officer or controlled Affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has ever had funds blocked by a United States bank or financial institution, temporarily or otherwise, as a result of OFAC concerns.
Section 5.33 General Solicitation. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged or will engage in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with the offer or sale of the Common Shares.
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Article VI. Indemnification
The Investor and the Company represent to the other the following with respect to itself:
Section 6.01 Indemnification by the Company. In consideration of the Investor’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and acquiring the Shares hereunder, and in addition to all of the Company’s other obligations under this Agreement, the Company shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Investor, its investment manager, Yorkville Advisors Global, LP, and their respective Affiliates, and each of the foregoing’s respective officers, directors, managers, members, partners, employees and agents (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) and each person who controls any of the foregoing within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively, the “Investor Indemnitees”) from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and reasonable and documented expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Investor Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements (the “Indemnified Liabilities”), incurred by the Investor Indemnitees or any of them as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Shares as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any related prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Investor specifically for inclusion therein; (b) any material misrepresentation or breach of any material representation or material warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby; or (c) any material breach of any material covenant, material agreement or material obligation of the Company contained in this Agreement or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable under Applicable Law, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities, which is permissible under Applicable Law.
Section 6.02 Indemnification by the Investor. In consideration of the Company’s execution and delivery of this Agreement, and in addition to all of the Investor’s other obligations under this Agreement, the Investor shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Company and all of its officers, directors, stockholders, employees and agents (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively, the “Company Indemnitees”) from and against any and all
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Indemnified Liabilities incurred by the Company Indemnitees or any of them as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Shares as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any related prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that the Investor will only be liable for written information relating to the Investor furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Investor specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity, and will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Investor by or on behalf of the Company specifically for inclusion therein; (b) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Investor in this Agreement or any instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby executed by the Investor; or (c) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Investor contained in this Agreement or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby executed by the Investor. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Investor may be unenforceable under Applicable Laws, the Investor shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities, which is permissible under Applicable Laws.
Section 6.03 Notice of Claim. Promptly after receipt by an Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving an Indemnified Liability, such Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee, as applicable, shall, if a claim for an Indemnified Liability in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Article VI, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof; but the failure to so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it of liability under this Article VI except to the extent the indemnifying party is prejudiced by such failure. The indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually reasonably satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee, as the case may be; provided, however, that an Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the actual and reasonable third party fees and expenses of not more than one counsel for such Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee and the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee shall cooperate fully with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee which relates to such action or claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee reasonably apprised as to the status of the defense or any
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settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its prior written consent, provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Investor Indemnitee or Company Indemnitee with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The indemnification required by this Article VI shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received and payment therefor is due.
Section 6.04 Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Article VI are not exclusive and shall not limit any right or remedy which may be available to any indemnified person at law or equity. The obligations of the parties to indemnify or make contribution under this Article VI shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement.
Section 6.05 Limitation of liability. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Party shall seek, nor shall any be entitled to recover from the other Party be liable for, punitive or exemplary damages.
Article VII.
Covenants
The Company covenants with the Investor, and the Investor covenants with the Company, as follows, which covenants of one party are for the benefit of the other party, during the Commitment Period:
Section 7.01 Effective Registration Statement. During the Commitment Period, the Company shall maintain the continuous effectiveness of each Registration Statement filed with the SEC under the Securities Act pursuant to and in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; provided, however, that in the event there are no Pre-Paid Advances outstanding, the Company shall only be required to use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the continuous effectiveness of the Registration Statement and each subsequent Registration Statement filed with the SEC under the Securities Act pursuant to and in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement.
Section 7.02 Registration and Listing. The Company shall cause the Common Shares to continue to be registered as a class of securities under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and to comply with its reporting and filing obligations under the Exchange Act, and shall not take any action or file any document (whether or not permitted by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) to terminate or suspend such registration or to terminate or suspend its reporting and filing obligations under the Exchange Act or Securities Act, except as permitted herein. The Company shall continue the listing and trading of its Common Shares and the listing of the Shares purchased by the Investor hereunder on the Principal Market and to comply with the Company’s reporting, filing and other
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obligations under the rules and regulations of the Principal Market. If the Company receives any final and non-appealable notice that the listing or quotation of the Common Shares on the Principal Market shall be terminated on a date certain, the Company shall promptly (and in any case within 24 hours) notify the Investor of such fact in writing and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Common Shares to be listed or quoted on another Principal Market.
Section 7.03 Blue Sky. The Company shall take such action, if any, as is necessary by the Company in order to obtain an exemption for or to qualify the Shares for sale by the Company to the Investor pursuant to the Transaction Documents, and at the request of the Investor, the subsequent resale of Registrable Securities by the Investor, in each case, under applicable state securities or “Blue Sky” laws and shall provide evidence of any such action so taken to the Investor from time to time during the Commitment Period; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (x) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify, (y) subject itself to general taxation in any such jurisdiction, or (z) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction. The Company shall promptly notify the Investor of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the registration or qualification of any of the Common Shares for sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in the United States or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose.
Section 7.04 Suspension of Registration Statement.
(a) | Establishment of a Black Out Period. During the Commitment Period, the Company from time to time may suspend the use of a Registration Statement by written notice to the Investor in the event that the Company determines in good faith that such suspension is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus so that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (a “Black Out Period”). |
(b) | No Sales by Investor During the Black Out Period. During such Black Out Period, the Investor agrees not to sell any Common Shares of the Company pursuant to such Registration Statement, but may sell shares pursuant to an exemption from registration, if available, subject to the Investor’s compliance with Applicable Laws. |
(c) | Limitations on the Black Out Period. The Company shall not impose any Black Out Period that is longer than 20 days or in a manner that is more restrictive (including, without limitation, as to duration) than the comparable restrictions that the Company may impose on transfers of the Company’s equity securities by its directors and senior executive officers. In addition, the Company shall not deliver any Advance Notice during any Black Out Period. If the public announcement of such material, nonpublic information is made during a Black Out Period, the Black Out Period shall terminate immediately after such announcement, and the Company shall immediately notify the Investor of the termination of the Black Out Period. |
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Section 7.05 Listing of Common Shares. As of each Advance Notice Date and the applicable Advance Date, the Shares to be sold by the Company from time to time hereunder will have been registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and approved for listing on the Principal Market, subject to official notice of issuance.
Section 7.06 Opinion of Counsel. Prior to the date of the delivery by the Company of the first Advance Notice and the First Pre-Paid Advance, the Investor shall have received an opinion letter from counsel to the Company in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Investor.
Section 7.07 Exchange Act Registration. The Company will file in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of it as a reporting company under the Exchange Act and, during the Commitment Period, will not take any action or file any document (whether or not permitted by Exchange Act or the rules thereunder) to terminate or suspend its reporting and filing obligations under the Exchange Act.
Section 7.08 Transfer Agent Instructions. During the Commitment Period (or such shorter time as permitted by Section 2.04 of this Agreement) and subject to Applicable Laws, the Company shall cause (including, if necessary, by causing legal counsel for the Company to deliver an opinion) the transfer agent for the Common Shares to remove restrictive legends from Common Shares purchased by the Investor pursuant to this Agreement, provided that counsel for the Company shall have been furnished with such documents as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to render the opinions or make the statements requested by the transfer agent, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the covenants, obligations or conditions, contained herein.
Section 7.09 Corporate Existence. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve and continue the corporate existence of the Company during the Commitment Period.
Section 7.10 Notice of Certain Events Affecting Registration; Suspension of Right to Make an Advance. The Company will promptly notify the Investor, and confirm in writing, upon its becoming aware of the occurrence of any of the following events in respect of a Registration Statement or related Prospectus (in each of which cases the information provided to Investor will be kept confidential until the earlier of (i) such time as the Company publicly discloses such information to the market and (ii) 6 months following receipt of such information): (i) except for requests made in connection with SEC investigations disclosed in the SEC Documents, receipt of any request for additional information by the SEC or any other Federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any request for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or related Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the SEC or any other Federal governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Common Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or written threat of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the happening of any event that makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or documents so that,
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in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and that in the case of the related Prospectus, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or of the necessity to amend the Registration Statement or supplement a related Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other law (and the Company will promptly make available to the Investor any such supplement or amendment to the related Prospectus); (v) the Company’s reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement would be required under Applicable Law; (vi) the Common Shares shall cease to be authorized for listing on the Principal Market; or (vii) the Company fails to file in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of it as a reporting company under the Exchange Act. The Company shall not deliver to the Investor any Advance Notice, and the Company shall not sell any Shares pursuant to any pending Advance Notice (other than as required pursuant to Section 3.05(d)), during the continuation of any of the foregoing events (each of the events described in the immediately preceding clauses (i) through (vii), inclusive, a “Material Outside Event”).
Section 7.11 Consolidation. If an Advance Notice has been delivered to the Investor, then the Company shall not effect any consolidation of the Company with or into, or a transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to another entity before the transaction contemplated in such Advance Notice has been closed in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, and all Shares in connection with such Advance have been received by the Investor.
Section 7.12 Issuance of the Company’s Common Shares. The issuance and sale of the Common Shares hereunder shall be made in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities law.
Section 7.13 Reservation of Shares. As of the date of each Pre-Advance Closing, and at all times thereafter, the Company shall have reserved from its duly authorized capital stock not less than the number of Common Shares issuable upon conversion of all Promissory Notes (assuming for purposes hereof that (x) such Promissory Note is convertible at a conversion price equal to the Floor Price as of the date of determination, and (y) any such conversion shall not take into account any limitations on the conversion of the Promissory Note set forth therein). Unless shareholder approval has previously been obtained, if at any time the number of Common Shares that remain available for issuance under the Exchange Cap have an aggregate market value of less than two times the outstanding principal balance of all Promissory Notes that are then outstanding (based on a price per Common Share equal to the average VWAP over the prior five (5) Trading Day period), the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to promptly call and hold a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of seeking the approval of its stockholders as required by the applicable rules of the Principal Market, for issuances of shares in excess of the Exchange Cap, and the board of directors of the Company will recommend that the Company’s stockholders vote in favor of such resolution.
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Section 7.14 Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including but not limited to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and each amendment and supplement thereto, of each Prospectus and of each amendment and supplement thereto; (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of any Shares issued pursuant to this Agreement, (iii) all fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors (but not, for the avoidance doubt, the fees and disbursements of Investor’s counsel, accountants and other advisors), (iv) the qualification of the Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, including filing fees in connection therewith, (v) the printing and delivery of copies of any Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto requested by the Investor, (vi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing or qualification of the Shares for trading on the Principal Market, and (vii) filing fees of the SEC and the Principal Market.
Section 7.15 Current Report. The Company shall, not later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day after the date of this Agreement, file with the SEC a current report on Form 8-K describing all the material terms of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in the form required by the Exchange Act and attaching all the material Transaction Documents (including any exhibits thereto, the “Current Report”). The Company shall provide the Investor and its legal counsel a reasonable opportunity to comment on a draft of the Current Report including any exhibits to be filed related thereto, as applicable, prior to filing the Current Report with the SEC and shall reasonably consider all such comments. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly agrees that from and after the filing of the Current Report with the SEC, the Company shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information provided to the Investor (or the Investor’s representatives or agents) by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives (if any) in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company shall not, and the Company shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents not to, provide the Investor with any material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries without the express prior written consent of the Investor (which may be granted or withheld in the Investor’s sole discretion. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly agrees that it shall publicly disclose in the Current Report or otherwise make publicly available any information communicated to the Investor by or, to the knowledge of the Company, on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which, following the Effective Date would, if not so disclosed, constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries. The Company understands and confirms that the Investor will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting resales of Shares. In addition, effective upon the filing of the Current Report, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, Affiliates, employees or agents, on the one hand, and Investor or any of its respective officers, directors, Affiliates, employees or agents, on the other hand, shall terminate.
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Section 7.16 Advance Notice Limitation. The Company shall not deliver an Advance Notice if a shareholder meeting or corporate action, or the record date for any shareholder meeting or any corporate action, would fall during the period beginning two Trading Days prior to the date of delivery of such Advance Notice and ending two Trading Days following the Closing of such Advance.
Section 7.17 Use of Proceeds. The proceeds from the funding of a Pre-Paid Advance or the sale of the Shares by the Company to Investor shall be used by the Company in the manner as will be set forth in the Prospectus included in any Registration Statement (and any post-effective amendment thereto) and any Prospectus Supplement thereto filed pursuant to this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement. Other than up to $500,000 in the aggregate of the proceeds of the First Pre-Paid Advance, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the transactions contemplated herein to repay any advances or loans to any affiliates, executives, directors, or employees of the Company or any Subsidiary or to make any payments in respect of any other related party obligations, including without limitation any payables or notes payable to related parties of the Company or any Subsidiary whether or not such amounts are described on the balance sheets of the Company in any SEC Documents and any Subsidiary or described in any “Related Party Transactions” section of any SEC Documents. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds from the transactions contemplated herein, or lend, contribute, facilitate, or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person (a) for the purpose of funding or facilitating, directly or indirectly, any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions or is a Sanctioned Country, or (b) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions or Applicable Laws by any Person (including any Person participating in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). The Company shall not pay any transaction expenses related to the Business Combination, including professional fees for legal, taxation, business consulting, and audit services to be paid in connection with the closing of the Business Combination, using the proceeds of the transactions contemplated herein (including any proceeds from the funding of a Pre-Paid Advance) other than up to $2,000,000 in the aggregate of the proceeds of the First Pre-Paid Advance. The Company shall not without the prior written consent of the Investor loan, invest, transfer or “downstream” any cash proceeds, or assets or property acquired with cash proceeds from the issuance and sale of the Promissory Note to any Subsidiary, unless the Investor and the Subsidiary enter into a subsidiary guaranty in the form of the Global Guaranty Agreement.
Section 7.18 Compliance with Laws. The Company shall comply in all material respects with all Applicable Laws.
Section 7.19 Market Activities. Neither the Company, nor any Subsidiary, nor any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons will, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute or result, in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of Common Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase Common Shares in violation of Regulation M, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Shares.
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Section 7.20 Trading Information. Upon the Company’s request, the Investor agrees to provide the Company with trading reports setting forth the number and average sales prices of Common Shares sold by the Investor during the prior trading week.
Section 7.21 Selling Restrictions. Except as expressly set forth below, the Investor covenants that from and after the date hereof through and including the Trading Day next following the expiration or termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 10.01 (the “Restricted Period”), none of the Investor any of its officers, or any entity managed or controlled by the Investor (collectively, the “Restricted Persons” and each of the foregoing is referred to herein as a “Restricted Person”) shall, directly or indirectly, engage in any “short sale” (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of the Common Shares, either for its own principal account or for the principal account of any other Restricted Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is expressly understood and agreed that nothing contained herein shall (without implication that the contrary would otherwise be true) prohibit any Restricted Person during the Restricted Period from: (1) selling “long” (as defined under Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO) any Common Shares; (2) selling a number of Common Shares equal to the number of Advance Shares that such Restricted Person is unconditionally obligated to purchase under a pending Advance Notice but has not yet received from the Company or the transfer agent pursuant to this Agreement; or (3) selling a number of shares of Common Shares equal to the number of Common Shares that the Investor is entitled to receive, but has not yet received from the Company or the transfer agent, upon the completion of a pending conversion of the Promissory Note for which a valid Conversion Notice (as defined in the Promissory Note) has been submitted to the Company.
Section 7.22 Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No Party shall have any power or any right to assign or transfer, in whole or in part, this Agreement, or any of its rights or any of its obligations hereunder, including, without limitation, any right to pursue any claim for damages pursuant to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, or to pursue any claim for any breach or default of this Agreement, or any right arising from the purported assignor’s due performance of its obligations hereunder, without the prior written consent of the other Party and any such purported assignment in contravention of the provisions herein shall be null and void and of no force or effect. Without the consent of the Investor, the Company shall not have the right to assign or transfer any of its rights or provide any third party the right to bind or obligate the Company, to deliver Advance Notices or effect Advances hereunder.
Section 7.23 Non-Public Information. The Company covenants and agrees that, other than as expressly required by Section 7.10 hereof, it shall refrain from disclosing, and shall cause its officers, directors, employees and agents to refrain from disclosing, any material non-public information (as determined under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or the rules and regulations of the SEC) to the Investor without also disseminating such information to the public, unless prior to disclosure of such information the Company identifies such information as being material non-public information and the Investor agrees in writing to accept such material non-public information for review. Unless specifically agreed to in writing, in no event shall the Investor have a duty of confidentiality or be deemed to have agreed to maintain information in confidence, with respect to the delivery of any Advance Notices.
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Section 7.24 No Frustration; No Variable Rate Transactions, Etc.
(a) | No Frustration. The Company shall not enter into, announce or recommend to its stockholders any agreement, plan, arrangement or transaction in or of which the terms thereof would restrict, materially delay, conflict with or impair the ability or right of the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, including, without limitation, the obligation of the Company to deliver the Shares to the Investor in respect of an Advance Notice. |
(b) | No Variable Rate Transactions or Related Party Payments. From the date hereof until the date upon which the Promissory Notes to be issued hereunder has been repaid in full, the Company shall not (A) repay any loans to any executives or employees of the Company or to make any payments in respect of any related party debt, and (B) effect or enter into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Shares or any security which entitles the holder to acquire Common Shares (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction, other than involving a Variable Rate Transaction with the Investor. The Investor shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief against the Company and its Subsidiaries to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. |
(c) | During the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date upon which the Promissory Note(s) to be issued hereunder have been repaid in full, the Company shall not effect any reverse stock split or share consolidation. |
(d) | From the date hereof until the Promissory Notes to be issued hereunder have been repaid in full, without the prior written consent of the Investor, neither the Company, nor any Subsidiary shall, directly or indirectly (i) other than Permitted Indebtedness, enter into, create, incur, assume, guarantee or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, or (ii) other than Permitted Liens, enter into, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom. |
Section 7.25 Minimum Cash. The Company shall at all times keep on-hand unencumbered, unrestricted cash in an amount greater than or equal to $5,000,000.
Article VIII.
Non-Exclusive Agreement
Subject to Section 7.24 hereof, this Agreement and the rights awarded to the Investor hereunder are non-exclusive, and the Company may, at any time throughout the term of this Agreement and thereafter, issue and allot, or undertake to issue and allot, any shares and/or securities and/or convertible notes, bonds, debentures, options to acquire shares or other securities and/or other facilities which may be converted into or replaced by Common Shares or other securities of the Company, and to extend, renew and/or recycle any bonds and/or debentures, and/or grant any rights with respect to its existing and/or future share capital.
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Article IX.
Choice of Law/Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial
Section 9.01 This Agreement, and any and all claims, proceedings or causes of action relating to this Agreement or arising from this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, including, without limitation, tort claims, statutory claims and contract claims, shall be interpreted, construed, governed and enforced under and solely in accordance with the substantive and procedural laws of the State of New York, in each case as in effect from time to time and as the same may be amended from time to time, and as applied to agreements performed wholly within the State of New York. The Parties further agree that any action between them shall be heard in New York County, New York, and expressly consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the Supreme Court of New York, sitting in New York County, New York and the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, sitting in New York, New York, for the adjudication of any civil action asserted pursuant to this Agreement.
Section 9.02 EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN, THE PERFORMANCE THEREOF OR THE FINANCINGS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTY HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS PARAGRAPH.
Article X. Termination
Section 10.01 Termination.
(a) | Unless earlier terminated as provided hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate automatically on the earliest of (i) the first day of the month next following the 24-month anniversary of the Effective Date, provided that if any Promissory Notes are then outstanding, such termination shall be delayed until such date that all Promissory Note that were outstanding have been repaid, or (ii) the date on which the Investor shall have made payment of Advances pursuant to this Agreement for Common Shares equal to the Commitment Amount. |
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(b) | The Company may terminate this Agreement effective upon five Trading Days’ prior written notice to the Investor; provided that (i) there are no outstanding Advance Notices under which Common Shares have yet to be issued, (ii) there is not an outstanding Promissory Note, and (iii) the Company has paid all amounts owed to the Investor pursuant to this Agreement. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by the mutual written consent of the parties, effective as of the date of such mutual written consent unless otherwise provided in such written consent. |
(c) | Nothing in this Section 10.01 shall be deemed to release the Company or the Investor from any liability for any breach under this Agreement prior to the valid termination hereof, or to impair the rights of the Company and the Investor to compel specific performance by the other party of its obligations under this Agreement prior to the valid termination hereof. The indemnification provisions contained in Article VI shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
Article XI. Notices
Other than with respect to Advance Notices, which must be in writing delivered in accordance with Section 3.01 and will be deemed delivered on the day set forth in Section 2.01(b), any notices, consents, waivers, or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by e-mail if sent on a Trading Day, or, if not sent on a Trading Day, on the immediately following Trading Day; (iii) 5 days after being sent by U.S. certified mail, return receipt requested, or (iv) 1 day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses for such communications (except for Advance Notices which shall be delivered in accordance with Exhibit C hereof) shall be:
If to the Company prior to the closing of the Business Combination, to: |
Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corp. II 0 Xx. Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 0 Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 Attn: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx E-mail: ***** | |
If to the Company following the closing of the Business Combination, to: |
Abpro Holdings, Inc. 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, XX 00000 Attn: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx E-mail: ***** | |
With copies (which shall not constitute notice or delivery of process) to: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxxxxx LLP 000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx XX, Xxxxx 000 Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X. 00000 Attn: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx E-mail: ***** |
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If to the Investor: |
YA II PN, Ltd. 0000 Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 Attn: Xxxx Xxxxxx E-mail: ***** | |
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice or delivery of process) to: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Esq. 0000 Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 E-mail: ***** |
or at such other address and/or e-mail and/or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party three Business Days prior to the effectiveness of such change. Written confirmation of receipt (i) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (ii) electronically generated by the sender’s email service provider containing the time, date, and recipient email address or (iii) provided by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service shall be rebuttable evidence of delivery in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.
Article XII. Miscellaneous
Section 12.01 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in identical counterparts, both which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. Facsimile or other electronically scanned and delivered signatures (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx), including by e-mail attachment, shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid as originals and effective for all purposes of this Agreement.
Section 12.02 Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement supersedes all other prior oral or written agreements between the Investor, the Company, their respective Affiliates and persons acting on their behalf with respect to the matters discussed herein, and this Agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and, except as specifically set forth herein, neither the Company nor the Investor makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the parties to this Agreement.
Section 12.03 Reporting Entity for Common Shares. The reporting entity relied upon for the determination of the trading price or trading volume of the Common Shares on any given Trading Day for the purposes of this Agreement shall be Bloomberg L.P. or any successor thereto. The written mutual consent of the Investor and the Company shall be required to employ any other reporting entity.
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Section 12.04 Commitment and Structuring Fee. Each of the parties shall pay its own fees and expenses (including the fees of any attorneys, accountants, appraisers or others engaged by such party) in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, except that the Company has paid the Investor or its designee a structuring fee in the amount of $35,000, and the Company shall pay a commitment fee in an amount equal to 1.00% of the Commitment Amount (the “Commitment Fee”) by the issuance to the Investor on the 20th Trading Day immediately following the First Pre-Advance Closing of such number of Common Shares that is equal to the Commitment Fee divided by the average of the daily VWAPs of the Common Shares during the 3 Trading Days immediately prior to the 20th Trading Day immediately following the First Pre-Advance Closing (collectively, the “Commitment Shares”). The Commitment Shares issuable hereunder shall be included on the initial Registration Statement.
Section 12.05 Brokerage. Each of the parties hereto represents that it has had no dealings in connection with this transaction with any finder or broker who will demand payment of any fee or commission from the other party. The Company on the one hand, and the Investor, on the other hand, agree to indemnify the other against and hold the other harmless from any and all liabilities to any person claiming brokerage commissions or finder’s fees on account of services purported to have been rendered on behalf of the indemnifying party in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Standby Equity Purchase Agreement to be executed by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, as of the date first set forth above.
COMPANY: | ||||
ATLANTIC COASTAL ACQUISITION CORP. II | ||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Name: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx | ||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||||
ABPRO: | ||||
ABPRO CORPORATION | ||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxx | |||
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxx | ||||
Title: Chairman | ||||
INVESTOR: | ||||
YA II PN, LTD. | ||||
By: | Yorkville Advisors Global, LP | |||
Its: | Investment Manager | |||
By: | Yorkville Advisors Global II, LLC | |||
Its: | General Partner | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Manager |
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ANNEX I TO THE
STANDBY EQUITY PURCHASE AGREEMENT
DEFINITIONS
“Additional Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.03.
“Adjusted Advance Amount” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.03
“Advance” shall mean any issuance and sale of Advance Shares by the Company to the Investor pursuant to this Agreement.
“Advance Date” shall mean the first Trading Day after expiration of the applicable Pricing Period for each Advance, provided that, with respect to an Advance pursuant to an Investor Notice, the Advance Date shall be the first Trading Day after the date of delivery of such Investor Notice.
“Advance Notice” shall mean a written notice in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto to the Investor executed by an officer of the Company and setting forth the number of Advance Shares that the Company desires to issue and sell to the Investor.
“Advance Notice Date” shall mean each date the Company is deemed to have delivered (in accordance with Section 3.01(c) of this Agreement) an Advance Notice to the Investor, subject to the terms of this Agreement.
“Advance Shares” shall mean the Common Shares that the Company shall issue and sell to the Investor pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
“Affiliate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.07.
“Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
“Amortization Event” shall have the meaning set forth in the Promissory Note.
“Applicable Laws” shall mean all applicable laws, statutes, rules, regulations, orders, executive orders, directives, policies, guidelines and codes having the force of law, whether local, national, or international, as amended from time to time, including without limitation (i) all applicable laws that relate to money laundering, terrorist financing, financial record keeping and reporting, (ii) all applicable laws that relate to anti-bribery, anti-corruption, books and records and internal controls, including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, and (iii) any Sanctions laws.
“Black Out Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.04.
“Closing” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.05.
“Commitment Amount” shall mean $50,000,000 of Common Shares.
“Commitment Fee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.04.
“Commitment Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.04.
“Commitment Period” shall mean the period commencing on the Effective Date and expiring upon the date of termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 10.01.
“Common Share Equivalents” shall mean any securities of the Company or its Subsidiaries which entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Shares.
“Common Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
“Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
“Company Indemnitees” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.02.
“Condition Satisfaction Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Annex III.
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in the Promissory Note.
“Daily Traded Amount” shall mean the daily trading volume of the Company’s Common Shares on the Principal Market during regular trading hours as reported by Bloomberg L.P.
“Effective Date” shall mean the first date following the consummation of the Business Combination that Abpro Holdings, Inc. trades on the Nasdaq Global Market.
“Environmental Laws” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.14.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in the Promissory Note.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exchange Cap” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02(c).
“Excluded Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.03.
“Fixed Price” shall have the meaning set forth in the Promissory Note.
“Floor Price” shall have the meaning set forth in each Promissory Note.
“Global Guaranty Agreement” shall mean the global guaranty agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F.
“Hazardous Materials” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.14.
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“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication (i) all indebtedness for borrowed money, (ii) all obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services (including, without limitation, “capital leases” in accordance with GAAP) (other than trade payables entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), (iii) all reimbursement or payment obligations with respect to letters of credit, surety bonds and other similar instruments, (iv) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, including obligations so evidenced incurred in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses, (v) all indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect to any property or assets acquired with the proceeds of such indebtedness (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or bank under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (vi) all monetary obligations under any leasing or similar arrangement which, in connection with GAAP, consistently applied for the periods covered thereby, is classified as a capital lease, (vii) all indebtedness referred to in clauses (i) through (f) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien upon or in any property or assets (including accounts and contract rights) owned by any Person, even though the Person which owns such assets or property has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such indebtedness, and (viii) all Contingent Obligations in respect of indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses (i) through (vii) above.
“Indemnified Liabilities” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.01.
“Investor” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.
“Investor Notice” shall mean a written notice to the Company in the form set forth herein as Exhibit E attached hereto.
“Investor Indemnitees” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.01.
“Lien” shall mean any (i) mortgage, (ii) right of way, (iii) easement, (iv) encroachment, (v) restriction on use, (vi) servitude, (vii) pledge, (viii) lien, (ix) charge, (x) hypothecation, (xi) security interest, (xii) encumbrance, (xiii) adverse right, interest or claim, (xiv) community or other marital property interest, (xv) condition, (xvi) equitable interest, (xvii) encumbrance, (xviii) license, (xix) covenant, (xx) title defect, (xxi) option, (xxii) right of first refusal or offer or similar restriction, (xxiii) voting right, (xxiv) transfer restriction, or (xxv) receipt of income or exercise of any other attribute of ownership.
“Market Price” shall mean an Option 1 Market Price or Option 2 Market Price, as applicable.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any event, occurrence or condition that has had or would reasonably be expected to have (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under this Agreement.
“Material Outside Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.10.
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“Maximum Advance Amount” means (A) in respect of each Advance Notice delivered by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01(a) of this Agreement, an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the average of the Daily Traded Amount during the five consecutive Trading Days immediately preceding an Advance Notice, and (B) in respect of each Advance Notice deemed delivered by the Company pursuant to an Investor Notice, the amount selected by the Investor in such Investor Notice, which amount shall not exceed the limitations set forth in Section 3.01(b)(i) and Section 3.02 of this Agreement.
“Minimum Acceptable Price” shall mean the minimum price notified by the Company to the Investor in each Advance Notice, if applicable.
“OFAC” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.32.
“Option 1 Market Price” shall mean the VWAP of the Common Shares during the Option 1 Pricing Period.
“Option 2 Market Price” shall mean the lowest daily VWAP of the Common Shares during the Option 2 Pricing Period.
“Option 1 Pricing Period” shall mean the period on the applicable Advance Notice Date with respect to an Advance Notice selecting an Option 1 Pricing Period commencing (i) if submitted to Investor prior to 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on a Trading Day, the open of trading on such day or (ii) if submitted to Investor after 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on a Trading Day, upon receipt by the Company of written confirmation (which may be by e-mail) of acceptance of such Advance Notice by the Investor (or the open of regular trading hours, if later), and which confirmation shall specify such commencement time, and, in either case, ending on 4:00 p.m. New York City time on the applicable Advance Notice Date, or such other time as may be agreed by the Parties.
“Option 2 Pricing Period” shall mean the three consecutive Trading Days commencing on the Advance Notice Date.
“Original Issue Discount” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02.
“Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02(a).
“Permitted Indebtedness” shall mean: (i) indebtedness in respect of the Promissory Notes; and (ii) indebtedness (A) the repayment of which has been subordinated to the payment of the Promissory Notes on terms and conditions acceptable to the Investor, including with regard to interest payments and repayment of principal, (B) which does not mature or otherwise require or permit redemption or repayment prior to or on the 91st day after the maturity date of the Promissory Note; and (C) which is not secured by any assets.
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“Permitted Liens” shall mean (i) any security interest granted to the Investor; (ii) inchoate Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies (A) not yet due, as to which the grace period, if any, related thereto has not yet expired, or (B) being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; (iii) Liens of carriers, materialmen, warehousemen, mechanics and landlords and other similar Liens which secure amounts which are not yet overdue by more than 60 days or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; (iv) licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases granted to other persons not materially interfering with the conduct of the business of the Company or any Subsidiary; (v) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers compensation claims, unemployment insurance, pension liabilities and social security benefits and Liens securing the performance of bids, tenders, leases and contracts in the ordinary course of business, statutory obligations, surety bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature (other than appeal bonds) incurred in the ordinary course of business (exclusive of obligations in respect of the payment for borrowed money); and (vi) Liens in favor of a banking institution arising by operation of law encumbering deposits (including the right of set-off) and contractual set-off rights held by such banking institution and which are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry and only burdening deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution.
“Person” shall mean an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, a trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.
“Plan of Distribution” shall mean the section of a Registration Statement disclosing the plan of distribution of the Shares.
“Pre-Advance Closing” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
“Pre-Paid Advance” shall mean have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
“Pricing Period” shall mean the Option 1 Pricing Period or Option 2 Pricing Period, as applicable.
“Principal Market” shall mean the Nasdaq Stock Market; provided, however, that in the event the Common Shares are ever listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange or the NYSE American, the “Principal Market” shall mean such other market or exchange on which the Common Shares are then listed or traded to the extent such other market or exchange is the principal trading market or exchange for the Common Shares.
“Promissory Note” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01.
“Prospectus” shall mean any prospectus (including, without limitation, all amendments and supplements thereto) used by the Company in connection with a Registration Statement, including documents incorporated by reference therein.
“Prospectus Supplement” shall mean any prospectus supplement to a Prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, including documents incorporated by reference therein.
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“Purchase Price” shall mean the price per Advance Share obtained by multiplying the Market Price by (i) 96% in respect of an Advance Notice with an Option 1 Pricing Period, (ii) 97% in respect of an Advance Notice with an Option 2 Pricing Period, or (iii) in the case of any Advance Notice delivered pursuant to an Investor Notice the Purchase Price set forth in Section 3.01(b)(ii).
“Registration Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02(b).
“Registration Statement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Registrable Securities” shall have the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Regulation D” shall mean the provisions of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Sanctions” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.32.
“Sanctioned Countries” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.32.
“SEC” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC Documents” shall mean (1) any registration statement on Form S-4 filed by the Company with the SEC, including the financial statements, schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of the effective date of such registration statement under the Securities Act, (2) any proxy statement or prospectus filed by the Company with the SEC, including all documents incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by reference, whether or not included in a registration statement on Form S-4, in the form in which such proxy statement or prospectus has most recently been filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, (3) all reports, schedules, registrations, forms, statements, information and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the two years prior to the date hereof, including, without limitation, the Current Report, (4) each Registration Statement, as the same may be amended from time to time, the Prospectus contained therein and each Prospectus Supplement thereto and (5) all information contained in such filings and all documents and disclosures that have been and heretofore shall be incorporated by reference therein.
“Securities Act” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.
“Settlement Document” in respect of an Advance Notice delivered by the Company, shall mean a settlement document in the form set out on Exhibit D, and in respect of an Advance Notice deemed delivered pursuant to an Investor Notice, shall mean the Investor Notice containing the information set forth on Exhibit E.
“Shares” shall mean the Commitment Shares and the Common Shares to be issued from time to time hereunder pursuant to an Advance.
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“Solvent” shall mean, as to any Person as of any date of determination, that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair saleable value of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person’s ability to pay such debts and liabilities as they mature and (d) such Person is not engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or a transaction, for which such Person’s property would constitute an unreasonably small capital. The amount of any contingent liability at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in light of all of the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.
“Subsidiaries” shall mean any Person in which the Company, directly or indirectly, (x) owns a majority of the outstanding capital stock or holds a majority of the equity or similar interest of such Person or (y) controls or operates all or substantially all of the business, operations or administration of such Person, and the foregoing are collectively referred to herein as “Subsidiaries.”
“Trading Day” shall mean any day during which the Principal Market shall be open for business.
“Transaction Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, any Promissory Notes issued by the Company hereunder, and each of the other agreements and instruments entered into or delivered by any of the parties hereto in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, as may be amended from time to time.
“Variable Rate Transaction” shall mean a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional Common Shares either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price, exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the Common Shares at any time after the initial issuance of Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such equity or debt security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Shares (including, without limitation, any “full ratchet,” “share ratchet,” “price ratchet,” or “weighted average” anti-dilution provisions, but not including any standard anti-dilution protection for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction), (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including but not limited to an “equity line of credit” or other continuous offering or similar offering of Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents, (iii) issues or sells any Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents (or any combination thereof) at an implied discount (taking into account all the securities issuable in such offering) to the market price of the Common Shares at the time of the offering in excess of 30% or (iv) enters into or effects any forward purchase agreement, equity pre-paid forward transaction or other similar offering of securities where the purchaser of securities of the Company receives an upfront or periodic payment of all, or a portion of, the value of the securities so purchased, and the Company receives proceeds from such purchaser based on a price or value that varies with the trading prices of the Common Shares.
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“Volume Threshold” shall mean a number of Common Shares equal to the quotient of (a) the number of Advance Shares requested by the Company in an Advance Notice divided by (b) 0.30.
“VWAP” shall mean for any Trading Day or specified period, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such Trading Day on the Principal Market during regular trading hours, or such specified period, as reported by Bloomberg L.P through its “AQR” function. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, recapitalization or other similar transaction during such period.
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ANNEX II TO THE
STANDBY EQUITY PURCHASE AGREEMENT
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO THE INVESTOR’S OBLIGATION TO FUND A PRE-PAID ADVANCE
The obligation of the Investor to advance to the Company a particular tranche of the Pre-Paid Advance hereunder at each Pre-Advance Closing is subject to the satisfaction, as of the date of such Pre-Advance Closing, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Investor’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Investor at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Company with prior written notice thereof:
(a) | The Company shall have duly executed and delivered to the Investor each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, and the Company shall have duly executed and delivered to the Investor a Promissory Note with a principal amount corresponding to the amount of the applicable tranche of the Pre-Paid Advance (before any deductions made thereto). |
(b) | The Company shall have delivered to the Investor a compliance certificate executed by the chief executive officer of the Company certifying that Company has complied with all of the conditions precedent to the Pre-Advance Closing set forth herein and which may be relied upon by the Investor as evidence of satisfaction of such conditions without any obligation to independently verify. |
(c) | The Investor shall have received an opinion of counsel to the Company, dated on or before the Pre-Advance Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Investor. |
(d) | The Investor shall have received a closing statement in a form to be agreed by the parties, duly executed by an officer of the Company, setting forth wire transfer instructions of the Company for the payment of the amount of the applicable tranche of the Pre-Paid Advance, the amount to be paid by the Investor, which shall be the full principal amount of such tranche of the Pre-Paid Advance less the Original Issue Discount and any other deductions that may be agreed by the parties. |
(e) | The Company shall have delivered to the Investor certified copies of its and each of its Subsidiaries’ charter or certificate of formation, bylaws or operating agreement and any other material organizational documents. |
(f) | The Company shall have delivered to the Investor a certificate evidencing the incorporation and good standing of the Company as of a date within ten (10) days of the applicable Pre-Advance Closing. |
(g) | (I) The board of directors of the Company has approved the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, (II) said approval has not been amended, rescinded or modified and remains in full force and effect as of the date hereof, and (III) a true, correct and complete copy of such resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors of the Company shall have been provided to the Investor. |
(h) | Each and every representation and warranty of the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties qualified by materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects) as of the date when made and as of the date of the Pre-Advance Closing as though originally made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such specific date), and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions set forth in each Transaction Document required to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the applicable Pre-Advance Closing. |
(i) | Cure of Existing Deficiencies. The Company shall have cured all existing deficiencies as notified by the Principal Market prior to the date hereof, including those deficiencies disclosed by the Company in its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 21, 2024 (the “Existing Deficiencies”). |
(j) | No Suspension of Trading in or Delisting of Common Shares. (I) Trading in the Common Shares shall not have been suspended by the SEC, the Principal Market or FINRA, (II) other than the Existing Deficiencies, which shall have been cured pursuant to Section (i) of this Annex II, the Company shall not have received any notice that the listing or quotation of the Common Shares on the Principal Market shall be terminated, nor shall there have been imposed any suspension of, or restriction on, accepting additional deposits of the Common Shares, electronic trading or book-entry services by DTC with respect to the Common Shares that is continuing, and (III) the Company shall not have received any notice from DTC to the effect that a suspension of, or restriction on, accepting additional deposits of the Common Shares, electronic trading or book-entry services by DTC with respect to the Common Shares is being imposed or is contemplated. |
(k) | The Company shall have obtained all governmental, regulatory or third-party consents and approvals, if any, necessary for the sale of the Common Shares. |
(l) | No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental entity of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. |
(m) | Since the date of execution of this Agreement, no event or series of events shall have occurred that has resulted in or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or an Event of Default. |
(n) | (I) No material breach of this Agreement or any Transaction Document shall have occurred, (II) no Event of Default shall have occurred (assuming that the applicable Promissory Note had been outstanding as of each Pre-Advance Closing, and (III) no event has occurred and no condition exists that with the passage of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a material breach of this Agreement or any Transaction Document or an Event of Default (assuming that the applicable Promissory note had been outstanding as of each Pre-Advance Closing). |
(o) | The Company shall have notified the Principal Market of the issuance of all of the Shares hereunder, the Principal Market shall have completed its review of the related Listing of Additional Share form, and the Company shall have obtained approval of the Principal Market to list or designate for quotation (as the case may be) the maximum number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to the Promissory Note to be issued at the Pre-Advance Closing. |
(p) | The Company and its Subsidiaries shall have delivered to the Investor such other documents, instruments or certificates relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as the Investor or its counsel may reasonably request. |
(q) | The transaction costs related to the business Combination shall have been restructured on terms acceptable to the Investor. |
(r) | The Company shall have received at least $5,000,000 of additional funding in connection with the closing of the Business Combination on terms acceptable to the Investor. |
(s) | The First Pre-Advance Closing shall have occurred within 30 days of the Effective Date. |
(t) | The Second Pre-Advance Closing shall have occurred within 120 days of the Effective Date. |
(u) | Solely with respect to the Second Pre-Advance Closing, the Registration Statement shall have been filed with the SEC in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, including the filing deadline set forth therein, and the Company shall have obtained shareholder approval to issue Common Shares in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in excess of the Exchange Cap. |
XXXXX XXX TO THE
STANDBY EQUITY PURCHASE AGREEMENT
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY TO DELIVER AN ADVANCE NOTICE
The right of the Company to deliver an Advance Notice and the obligations of the Investor hereunder with respect to an Advance are subject to the satisfaction or waiver, on each Advance Notice Date (a “Condition Satisfaction Date”), of each of the following conditions:
(a) | Accuracy of the Company’s Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Advance Notice Date, except to the extent such representations and warranties are as of another date, such representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such other date. |
(b) | Issuance of Commitment Shares. The Company shall have paid the Commitment Fee or issued the Commitment Shares to an account designated by the Investor on or prior to the Effective Date, in accordance with Section 12.04, all of which Commitment Fee shall be fully earned and non-refundable on the Effective Date, regardless of whether any Advance Notices are made or settled hereunder or any subsequent termination of this Agreement. |
(c) | Registration of the Common Shares with the SEC. There is an effective Registration Statement pursuant to which the Investor is permitted to utilize the prospectus thereunder to resell all of the Common Shares issuable pursuant to such Advance Notice. The Current Report shall have been filed with the SEC. |
(d) | Authority. The Company shall have obtained all permits and qualifications required by any applicable state for the offer and sale of all the Common Shares issuable pursuant to such Advance Notice or shall have the availability of exemptions therefrom. The sale and issuance of such Common Shares shall be legally permitted by all laws and regulations to which the Company is subject. |
(e) | Board. (I) The board of directors of the Company has approved the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, (II) said approval has not been amended, rescinded or modified and remains in full force and effect as of the date hereof, and (III) a true, correct and complete copy of such resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors of the Company shall have been provided to the Investor. |
(f) | No Material Outside Event. No Material Outside Event shall have occurred and be continuing. |
(g) | Performance by the Company. The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all respects with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior the applicable Condition Satisfaction Date. |
(h) | No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction that prohibits or materially and adversely affects any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. |
(i) | No Suspension of Trading in or Delisting of Common Shares. (I) Trading in the Common Shares shall not have been suspended by the SEC, the Principal Market or FINRA, (II) the Company shall not have received any notice that the listing or quotation of the Common Shares on the Principal Market shall be terminated, nor shall there have been imposed any suspension of, or restriction on, accepting additional deposits of the Common Shares, electronic trading or book-entry services by DTC with respect to the Common Shares that is continuing, and (III) the Company shall not have received any notice from DTC to the effect that a suspension of, or restriction on, accepting additional deposits of the Common Shares, electronic trading or book-entry services by DTC with respect to the Common Shares is being imposed or is contemplated. |
(j) | Authorized. All of the Common Shares issuable pursuant to the applicable Advance Notice shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company. All Common Shares relating to all prior Advance Notices required to have been received by the Investor under this Agreement shall have been delivered to the Investor in accordance with this Agreement. |
(k) | Executed Advance Notice. The representations contained in the applicable Advance Notice shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the applicable Condition Satisfaction Date. |