FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT
CERTAIN IDENTIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS BOTH NOT MATERIAL AND IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL. INFORMATION THAT WAS OMITTED HAS BEEN NOTED IN THIS DOCUMENT WITH A PLACEHOLDER IDENTIFIED BY THE MARK “[***]”.
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made as of March 4, 2022, by and among Coya Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), each of the investors listed on Schedule A hereto, each of which is referred to in this Agreement as an “Investor.”
WHEREAS, the Company and the Investors entered into an Investors’ Rights Agreement dated December 22, 2020 (the “Prior Agreement”), granting certain rights as provided therein; and
WHEREAS, the Company is contemplating conducting a private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, pursuant to which it would offer and sell unsecured convertible promissory notes up to a maximum aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000 (the “Convertible Note Financing” and such promissory notes, the “Convertible Notes”);
WHEREAS, the Company and the Investors wish to provide further inducement to prospective investors to invest in the Convertible Note Financing; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with and pursuant to Section 5.6 of the Prior Agreement, (i) the Company;(ii) the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding); and (iii) the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding and held by the Major Investors, have agreed to amend, modify, restate, supersede and replace the Prior Agreement in its entirety, as hereinafter set forth, and therefore, all parties to the Prior Agreement (whether or not signing this Agreement) shall become bound by this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto further agree to amend and restate the Prior Agreement in ites entirety as follows:
1.Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:
1.1“409A Valuation” means the Company’s most recent valuation report prepared to comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A.
1.2“Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person, including without limitation any general partner, managing member, officer, director or trustee of such Person, or any venture capital fund or registered investment company now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more general partners, managing members or investment adviser of, or shares the same management company or investment adviser with, such Person.
1.3“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
1.4“Certificate of Incorporation” means the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and/or restated from time to time.
1.5“Common Stock” means shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share.
1.6“Competitor” means a Person engaged, directly or indirectly (including through any partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture or similar arrangement (whether now existing or formed hereafter)), in providing products or services the Company provides to its member or partners, but shall not include any financial investment firm or collective investment vehicle that, together with its Affiliates, holds less than five (5)% of the outstanding equity of any Competitor and does not, nor do any of its Affiliates, have a right to designate any members of the board of directors of any Competitor.
1.7“Company Valuation” shall mean the valuation of the entire Company as reflected in its most recent 409A Valuation.
1.8“Conversion Price” shall mean the lesser of (i) the price per share resulting from dividing $60,000,000 by the Fully Diluted Capitalization (the “Conversion Cap”); or (ii) 80% of the price per share resulting from dividing the Company Valuation by the Fully Diluted Capitalization (the “Discount Price”). For purposes of determining the Conversion Price, the both the Fully Diluted Capitalization and Company Valuation shall be calculated as of the date of determination.
1.9 “Convertible Note Financing” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
1.10“Convertible Note Share Equivalents” means, with respect to each Convertible Note, the number resulting from dividing (i) the outstanding Note Obligations with respect to such Convertible Note; by (ii) the Conversion Price, in each case rounded down to the nearest integer.
1.11“Convertible Notes” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
1.12“Damages” means any loss, damage, claim or liability (joint or several) to which a party hereto may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state law, insofar as such loss, damage, claim or liability (or any action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any registration statement of the Company, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto; (ii) an omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the indemnifying party (or any of its agents or Affiliates) of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any state securities law.
1.13“Derivative Securities” means any securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for (in each case, directly or indirectly), Common Stock, including options and warrants.
1.14“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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1.15“Excluded Registration” means (i) a registration relating to the sale or grant of securities to employees of the Company or a subsidiary pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase, equity incentive or similar plan; (ii) a registration relating to an SEC Rule 145 transaction; (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities; or (iv) a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered.
1.16“FOIA Party” means a Person that, in the reasonable determination of the Board of Directors, may be subject to, and thereby required to disclose non-public information furnished by or relating to the Company under, the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552 (“FOIA”), any state public records access law, any state or other jurisdiction’s laws similar in intent or effect to FOIA, or any other similar statutory or regulatory requirement.
1.17“Founders” means each of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Bertex, LLC, Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, The Methodist Hospital and Allele Capital.
1.18“Form S‑1” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any successor registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC.
1.19“Form S‑3” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC that permits forward incorporation of substantial information by reference to other documents filed by the Company with the SEC.
1.20“Fully Diluted Capitalization” means the aggregate issued and outstanding shares of the Common Stock of the Company, assuming conversion or exercise of all outstanding options, warrants and convertible securities, but, excluding (i) the Convertible Notes, any securities issuable upon conversion of the Notes, and (ii) any shares reserved for grant, but unissued, under any equity incentive plan or similar plan of the Company.
1.21“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States as in effect from time to time.
1.22“Holder” means any holder of Registrable Securities who is a party to this Agreement.
1.23“Immediate Family Member” means a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including, adoptive relationships, of a natural person referred to herein.
1.24“Initiating Holders” means, collectively, Holders who properly initiate a registration request under this Agreement.
1.25“IPO” means the Company’s first underwritten public offering of its Common Stock under the Securities Act.
1.26“Major Investor” means any Investor that, individually or together with such Investor’s Affiliates, holds at least 375,036 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any
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stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof) and/or Convertible Note Share Equivalents.
1.27“New Securities” means, collectively, equity securities of the Company, whether or not currently authorized, as well as rights, options, or warrants to purchase such equity securities, or securities of any type whatsoever that are, or may become, convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for such equity securities.
1.28“Note Obligations” means, as of the date of measurement and with respect to each Convertible Note, the Company's obligation to pay the aggregate sum of (i) the outstanding unpaid principal amount of under such Convertible Note; (ii) all accrued and unpaid interest thereon; and (iii) any other amounts payable thereunder with respect to such Convertible Note.
1.29“Original Coya Stockholders” means Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Revocable Trust, Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx.
1.30“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or other entity.
1.31“Preferred Director” means any director of the Company that the holders of record of the Preferred Stock are entitled to elect, exclusively and as a separate class, pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation.
1.32“Preferred Stock” means shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, and any class or series of preferred stock that is authorized after the date of this Agreement.
1.33“Prior Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
1.34“Registrable Securities” means, without duplication, (i) the Common Stock held by the Founders, the Original Coya Stockholders and Tribal, including that underlying warrants or other securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock; provided that such Commmon Stock shall not be deemed Registrable Securities for purposes of Section 2.1; (ii) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion, whether directly or indirectly, of the Preferred Stock or Convertible Notes; (iii) any Common Stock, or any Common Stock issued or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise of any other securities of the Company, acquired by the Holders after December 22, 2020; and (iv) any Common Stock issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, the shares referenced in clause (ii) above; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not assigned pursuant to Subsection 5.1, and excluding for purposes of Section 2 any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to Subsection 2.12 of this Agreement.
1.35“Registrable Securities then outstanding” means the number of shares determined by adding (without duplication) (i) the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock that are Registrable Securities, (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock that are Registrable Securities that are issuable (directly or indirectly) pursuant to then exercisable and/or convertible securities, and (iii) the number of shares of Common Stock that are Registrable Securities that are issued or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion of the Preferred Stock and/or Convertible Note Share Equivalents.
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1.36“Restricted Securities” means the securities of the Company required to be notated with the legend set forth in Subsection 2.11(b) hereof.
1.37“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.38“SEC Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
1.39“SEC Rule 145” means Rule 145 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
1.40 “Series A Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.
1.41“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
1.42“Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities, and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder, except for the fees and disbursements of the Selling Holder Counsel borne and paid by the Company as provided in Subsection 2.6.
1.43“Tribal” means Tribal Capital Markets, LLC.
2.Registration Rights. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:
(a)Form S-1 Demand. If at any time after the date that is the earlier of (A) one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement for a Qualified IPO (as such term is defined in the Certificate of Incorporation) and (B) three years following the date of the intiail sale of Preferred Stock, the Company receives a request from Holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-1 registration statement with respect to the outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, of more than $5,000,000 then outstanding, then the Company shall (x) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give notice thereof (the “Demand Notice”) to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (y) as soon as practicable, and in any event within sixty (60) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-1 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities that the Initiating Holders requested to be registered and any additional Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsections 2.1(c) and 2.3.
(b)Form S-3 Demand. If at any time when it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Company receives a request from Holders of at least thirty percent (30%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-3 registration statement with respect to outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, of at least $3,000,000, then the Company shall (i) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give a Demand Notice to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (ii) as soon as practicable, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-3 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities
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requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsections 2.1(c) and 2.3.
(c)Notwithstanding the foregoing obligations, if the Company furnishes to Holders requesting a registration pursuant to this Subsection 2.1 a certificate signed by the Company’s chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders for such registration statement to either become effective or remain effective for as long as such registration statement otherwise would be required to remain effective, because such action would (i) materially interfere with a significant acquisition, corporate reorganization, or other similar transaction involving the Company; (ii) require premature disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential; or (iii) render the Company unable to comply with requirements under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, then the Company shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing, and any time periods with respect to filing or effectiveness thereof shall be tolled correspondingly, for a period of not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the request of the Initiating Holders is given; provided, however that the Company may not invoke this right more than twice in any twelve (12) month period.
(d)The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a) (i) during the period that is sixty (60) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; (ii) after the Company has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a); or (iii) if the Initiating Holders propose to dispose of shares of Registrable Securities that may be immediately registered on Form S-3 pursuant to a request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b). The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) (i) during the period that is thirty (30) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; or (ii) if the Company has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b). A registration shall not be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d) until such time as the applicable registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, unless the Initiating Holders withdraw their request for such registration, elect not to pay the registration expenses therefor, and forfeit their right to one demand registration statement pursuant to Subsection 2.6, in which case such withdrawn registration statement shall be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d); provided, that if such withdrawal is during a period the Company has deferred taking action pursuant to Subsection 2.1(c), then the Initiating Holders may withdraw their request for registration and such registration will not be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d).
2.2Company Registration. If the Company proposes to register (including, for this purpose, a registration effected by the Company for stockholders other than the Holders) any of its Common Stock under the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other than in an Excluded Registration), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder notice of such registration. Upon the request of each Holder given within twenty (20) days after such notice is given by the Company, the Company shall, subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, use best efforts to cause to be registered all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be included in such registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Subsection 2.2 before the effective date of such registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in
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such registration. The expenses (other than Selling Expenses) of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Subsection 2.6.
(a)If, pursuant to Subsection 2.1, the Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Company as a part of their request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1, and the Company shall include such information in the Demand Notice. The underwriter(s) will be selected by the Company and shall be reasonably acceptable to a majority in interest of the Initiating Holders. In such event, the right of any Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Company as provided in Subsection 2.4(e)) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter(s) selected for such underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subsection 2.3, if the underwriter(s) advise(s) the Initiating Holders in writing that marketing factors require a limitation on the number of shares to be underwritten, then the Initiating Holders shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that otherwise would be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of Registrable Securities that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among such Holders of Registrable Securities, including the Initiating Holders, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable Securities owned by each Holder or in such other proportion as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities held by the Holders to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are first entirely excluded from the underwriting. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares.
(b)In connection with any offering involving an underwriting of shares of the Company’s capital stock pursuant to Subsection 2.2, the Company shall not be required to include any of the Holders’ Registrable Securities in such underwriting unless the Holders accept the terms of the underwriting as agreed upon between the Company and its underwriters, and then only in such quantity as the underwriters in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering by the Company. If the total number of securities, including Registrable Securities, requested by stockholders to be included in such offering exceeds the number of securities to be sold (other than by the Company) that the underwriters in their reasonable discretion determine is compatible with the success of the offering, then the Company shall be required to include in the offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable Securities, which the underwriters and the Company in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering. If the underwriters determine that less than all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered can be included in such offering, then the Registrable Securities that are included in such offering shall be allocated among the selling Holders in proportion (as nearly as practicable to) the number of Registrable Securities owned by each selling Holder or in such other proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall (i) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced unless all other securities (other than securities to be sold by the Company) are first entirely excluded from the offering, or (ii) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced below thirty percent (30%) of the total number of securities included in such offering, unless such offering is the Qualified IPO, in which case the selling Holders may be excluded further if the underwriters make the determination described above and no other stockholder’s securities are included in such offering. For purposes of the provision in this Subsection 2.3(b) concerning apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a partnership, limited liability
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company, or corporation, the partners, members, retired partners, retired members, stockholders, and Affiliates of such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family Members of any such partners, retired partners, members, and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single “selling Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “selling Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate number of Registrable Securities owned by all Persons included in such “selling Holder,” as defined in this sentence.
2.4Obligations of the Company. Whenever required under this Section 2 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:
(a)prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to one hundred twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the distribution contemplated in the registration statement has been completed; provided, however, that (i) such one hundred twenty (120) day period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder refrains, at the request of an underwriter of Common Stock (or other securities) of the Company, from selling any securities included in such registration, and (ii) in the case of any registration of Registrable Securities on Form S-3 that are intended to be offered on a continuous or delayed basis, subject to compliance with applicable SEC rules, such one hundred twenty (120) day period shall be extended for up to sixty (60) days, if necessary, to keep the registration statement effective until all such Registrable Securities are sold;
(b)prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to such registration statement, and the prospectus used in connection with such registration statement, as may be necessary to comply with the Securities Act in order to enable the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement;
(c)furnish to the selling Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, as required by the Securities Act, and such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate their disposition of their Registrable Securities;
(d)use its commercially reasonable efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or blue-sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the selling Holders; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions, unless the Company is already subject to service in such jurisdiction and except as may be required by the Securities Act;
(e)in the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the underwriter(s) of such offering;
(f)use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be listed on a national securities exchange or trading system and each securities exchange and trading system (if any) on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
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(g)provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement and provide a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration;
(h)promptly make available for inspection by the selling Holders, any underwriter(s) participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement, and any attorney or accountant or other agent retained by any such underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents, and properties of the Company, and cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees, and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such seller, underwriter, attorney, accountant, or agent, in each case, as necessary or advisable to verify the accuracy of the information in such registration statement and to conduct appropriate due diligence in connection therewith;
(i)notify each selling Holder, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed; and
(j)after such registration statement becomes effective, notify each selling Holder of any request by the SEC that the Company amend or supplement such registration statement or prospectus.
In addition, the Company shall ensure that, at all times after any registration statement covering a public offering of securities of the Company under the Securities Act shall have become effective, its xxxxxxx xxxxxxx policy shall provide that the Company’s directors may implement a trading program under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act.
2.5Furnish Information. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Section 2 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as is reasonably required to effect the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.
2.6Expenses of Registration. All expenses (other than Selling Expenses) incurred in connection with registrations, filings, or qualifications pursuant to Section 2, including all registration, filing, and qualification fees; printers’ and accounting fees; fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; and the reasonable fees and disbursements, not to exceed $10,000, of one counsel for the selling Holders (“Selling Holder Counsel”), shall be borne and paid by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Subsection 2.1 if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all selling Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn registration), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1(a) or 2.1(b), as the case may be; provided further that if, at the time of such withdrawal, the Holders shall have learned of a material adverse change in the condition, business, or prospects of the Company from that known to the Holders at the time of their request and have withdrawn the request with reasonable promptness after learning of such information then the Holders shall not be required to pay any of such expenses and shall not forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1(a) or 2.1(b). All Selling Expenses relating to Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Section 2 (other than fees and disbursements of counsel to any Holder, other than the Selling Holder Counsel, which shall be borne by the Holder engaging such
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counsel) shall be borne and paid by the Holders pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities registered on their behalf.
2.7Delay of Registration. No Holder shall have any right to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any registration pursuant to this Agreement as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 2.
2.8Indemnification. If any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under this Section 2:
(a)To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each selling Holder, and the partners, members, officers, directors, and stockholders of each such Holder; legal counsel and accountants for each such Holder; any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) for each such Holder; and each Person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any Damages, and the Company will pay to each such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, nor shall the Company be liable for any Damages to the extent that they arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of any such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person expressly for use in connection with such registration.
(b)To the extent permitted by law, each selling Holder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each Person (if any), who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Company, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act), any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement, and any controlling Person of any such underwriter or other Holder, against any Damages, in each case only to the extent that such Damages arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of such selling Holder expressly for use in connection with such registration; and each such selling Holder will pay to the Company and each other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; and provided further that in no event shall the aggregate amounts payable by any Holder by way of indemnity or contribution under Subsections 2.8(b) and 2.8(d) exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of fraud or willful misconduct by such Holder.
(c)Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action) for which a party may be entitled to indemnification hereunder, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Subsection 2.8, give the indemnifying party notice of the commencement thereof. The indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in such action and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, participate jointly with any other indemnifying party to which notice has been given, and to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties;
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provided, however, that an indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8, to the extent that such failure materially prejudices the indemnifying party’s ability to defend such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Subsection 2.8.
(d)To provide for just and equitable contribution to joint liability under the Securities Act in any case in which either: (i) any party otherwise entitled to indemnification hereunder makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Subsection 2.8 but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case, notwithstanding the fact that this Subsection 2.8 provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act may be required on the part of any party hereto for which indemnification is provided under this Subsection 2.8, then, and in each such case, such parties will contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses to which they may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of each of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in connection with the statements, omissions, or other actions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as to reflect any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged omission of a material fact, relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, however, that, in any such case (x) no Holder will be required to contribute any amount in excess of the public offering price of all such Registrable Securities offered and sold by such Holder pursuant to such registration statement, and (y) no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation; and provided further that in no event shall a Holder’s liability pursuant to this Subsection 2.8(d), when combined with the amounts paid or payable by such Holder pursuant to Subsection 2.8(b), exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of willful misconduct or fraud by such Holder.
(e)Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.
(f)Unless otherwise superseded by an underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering, the obligations of the Company and Holders under this Subsection 2.8 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration under this Section 2, and otherwise shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
2.9Reports Under Exchange Act. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of SEC Rule 144 and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration on Form S‑3, the Company shall:
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(a)make and keep available adequate current public information, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO;
(b)use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements); and
(c)furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (i) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of SEC Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO), the Securities Act, and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form S‑3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies); and (ii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such securities without registration (at any time after the Company has become subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act) or pursuant to Form S‑3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies to use such form).
2.10“Market Stand‑off” Agreement. Each Holder hereby agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the managing underwriter, during the period commencing on the date of the final prospectus relating to the registration by the Company for its own behalf of shares of its Common Stock or any other equity securities under the Securities Act on a registration statement on Form S-1 or Form S-3, a Qualified IPO or a Qualifying Reverse Merger (as each such term is defined in the Certificate of Incorporation) and ending on the date specified by the Company and the managing underwriter (such period not to exceed (x) one hundred eighty (180) days, or (y) such other period as may be requested by the Company or an underwriter to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (1) the publication or other distribution of research reports, and (2) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in FINRA Rule 2711(f)(4) or NYSE Rule 472(f)(4) (or any successor provisions or amendments thereto) and provided that the Company does not qualify as an “Emerging Growth Company” (as defined therein) such that the Company is subject to such restrictions), (i) lend; offer; pledge; sell; contract to sell; sell any option or contract to purchase; purchase any option or contract to sell; grant any option, right, or warrant to purchase; or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable (directly or indirectly) for Common Stock (whether such shares or any such securities are then owned by the Holder or are thereafter acquired) or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of such securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash, or otherwise. The foregoing provisions of this Subsection 2.10 shall not apply to the sale of any shares to an underwriter pursuant to an underwriting agreement and shall be applicable to the Holders only if all officers and directors are subject to the same restrictions and the Company uses commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a similar agreement from all stockholders individually owning more than one percent (1%) of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock (after giving effect to conversion into Common Stock of all outstanding Preferred Stock). The underwriters in connection with such registration are intended third‑party beneficiaries of this Subsection 2.10 and shall have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto. Each Holder further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the underwriters in connection with such registration that are consistent with this Subsection 2.10 or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. Any discretionary waiver or termination of the restrictions of any or all of such agreements by the
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Company or the underwriters shall apply pro rata to all Company stockholders that are subject to such agreements, based on the number of shares subject to such agreements; provided that, to the extent that the underwriters will not agree to include such pro rata release requirement in such agreements executed in connection with such public offering (after the Company has used commercially reasonable efforts to include such provision), then this sentence shall be of no further force and effect, but the remainder of this Subsection 2.11 shall continue in full force and effect.
(a)The Preferred Stock, Convertible Notes and the Registrable Securities shall not be sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred, and the Company shall not recognize and shall issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent with respect to any such sale, pledge, or transfer, except upon the conditions specified in this Agreement, which conditions are intended to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act. A transferring Holder will cause any proposed purchaser, pledgee, or transferee of the Preferred Stock, Converible Notes and the Registrable Securities held by such Holder to agree to take and hold such securities subject to the provisions and upon the conditions specified in this Agreement.
(b)Each certificate, instrument, or book entry representing (i) the Preferred Stock, (ii) the Convertible Notes, (iii) the Registrable Securities, and (iv) any other securities issued in respect of the securities referenced in clauses (i) through (iii), upon any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, or similar event, shall (unless otherwise permitted by the provisions of Subsection 2.12(c)) be notated with a legend substantially in the following form:
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE SOLD, PLEDGED, OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR A VALID EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION AND PROSPECTUS DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS OF SAID ACT.
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.
The Holders consent to the Company making a notation in its records and giving instructions to any transfer agent of the Restricted Securities in order to implement the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Subsection 2.11.
(c)The holder of such Restricted Securities, by acceptance of ownership thereof, agrees to comply in all respects with the provisions of this Section 2. Before any proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of any Restricted Securities, unless there is in effect a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the proposed transaction, the Holder thereof shall give notice to the Company of such Holder’s intention to effect such sale, pledge, or transfer. Each such notice shall describe the manner and circumstances of the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer in sufficient detail and, if reasonably requested by the Company, shall be accompanied at such Holder’s expense by either (i) a written opinion of legal counsel who shall, and whose legal opinion shall, be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, addressed to the Company, to the effect that the proposed transaction may be effected without registration under the Securities Act; (ii) a “no action” letter from the SEC to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of such Restricted Securities without registration will not result in a recommendation by the staff of the
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SEC that action be taken with respect thereto; or (iii) any other evidence reasonably satisfactory to counsel to the Company to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of the Restricted Securities may be effected without registration under the Securities Act, whereupon the Holder of such Restricted Securities shall be entitled to sell, pledge, or transfer such Restricted Securities in accordance with the terms of the notice given by the Holder to the Company. The Company will not require such a legal opinion or “no action” letter (x) in any transaction in compliance with SEC Rule 144; or (y) in any transaction in which such Holder distributes Restricted Securities to an Affiliate of such Holder for no consideration; provided that each transferee agrees in writing to be subject to the terms of this Subsection 2.11. Each certificate, instrument, or book entry representing the Restricted Securities transferred as above provided shall be notated with, except if such transfer is made pursuant to SEC Rule 144, the appropriate restrictive legend set forth in Subsection 2.12(b), except that such certificate instrument, or book entry shall not be notated with such restrictive legend if, in the opinion of counsel for such Holder and the Company, such legend is not required in order to establish compliance with any provisions of the Securities Act.
2.12Termination of Registration Rights. The right of any Holder to request registration or inclusion of Registrable Securities in any registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1 or 2.2 shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of:
(a)the first anniversary of the Qualified IPO or Qualifying Merger (as such terms are defined in the Certificate of Incorporation); and
(b)such time after consummation of the IPO as Rule 144 or another similar exemption under the Securities Act is available for the sale of all of such Holder’s shares without limitation during a three-month period without registration.
3.Rights to Future Stock Issuances.
3.1Right of First Offer. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Subsection 3.1 (including, without limitation, Section 3.1(d)) and applicable securities laws, if the Company proposes to offer or sell any New Securities, the Company shall first offer such New Securities to each Major Investor. A Major Investor shall be entitled to apportion the right of first offer hereby granted to it in such proportions as it deems appropriate among (i) itself, (ii) its Affiliates and (iii) its beneficial interest holders, such as limited partners, members or any other Person having “beneficial ownership,” as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, of such Major Investor (“Investor Beneficial Owners”); provided that each such party and Affiliate (x) is not a Competitor or FOIA Party, unless such person’s purchase of New Securities is otherwise consented to by the Board, and (y) agrees to enter into this Agreement and each of the Voting Agreement and Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement (as such terms are defined in the Purchase Agreement and in each case as may be amended from time to time), as an investor under each such agreement (provided that any Competitor or FOIA Party shall not be entitled to any rights as a Major Investor under this Subsection 3.1).
(a)The Company shall give notice (the “Offer Notice”) to each Major Investor, stating (i) its bona fide intention to offer such New Securities, (ii) the number of such New Securities to be offered, and (iii) the price and terms, if any, upon which it proposes to offer such New Securities.
(b)By notification to the Company within twenty (20) days after the Offer Notice is given, each Major Investor may elect to purchase or otherwise acquire, at the price and on the terms specified in the Offer Notice, up to that number of such New Securities required in order for (i) the proportion that the Common Stock then held by such Major Investor immediately prior to the issuance of
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such New Securities (including all shares of Common Stock then issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held by such Major Investor and, for purposes of this Section 3, treating each Convertible Notes Share Equivalent as a share of Common Stock on a 1:1 basis) bears to the total Common Stock of the Company then outstanding immediately prior to the issuance of such New Securities (assuming full conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of all Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then outstanding and including any shares reserved for issuance under any equity incentive plan or similar plan adopted by the Company but not including any increase to the number of such reserved shares in connection with the issuance of such New Securities) to be equal to (ii) the proportion that the Common Stock held by such Major Investor immediately following the issuance of such New Securities (including all shares of Common Stock then issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held by such Major Investor) bears to the total Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately following the issuance of such New Securities (assuming full conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of all Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then outstanding and including any shares reserved for issuance under any equity incentive plan or similar plan adopted by the Company and including any increase to the number of such reserved shares in connection with the issuance of such New Securities). At the expiration of such twenty (20) day period, the Company shall promptly notify each Major Investor that elects to purchase or acquire all the shares available to it (each, a “Fully Exercising Investor”) of any other Major Investor’s failure to do likewise. During the ten (10) day period commencing after the Company has given such notice, each Fully Exercising Investor may, by giving notice to the Company, elect to purchase or acquire, in addition to the number of shares specified above, up to that portion of the New Securities for which Major Investors were entitled to subscribe but that were not subscribed for by the Major Investors which is equal to the proportion that the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by such Fully Exercising Investor bears to the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by all Fully Exercising Investors who wish to purchase such unsubscribed shares. The closing of any sale pursuant to this Subsection 3.1(b) shall occur within the later of one hundred and twenty (120) days of the date that the Offer Notice is given and the date of initial sale of New Securities pursuant to Subsection 3.1(c).
(c)If all New Securities referred to in the Offer Notice are not elected to be purchased or acquired as provided in Subsection 3.1(b), the Company may, during the ninety (90) day period following the expiration of the periods provided in Subsection 3.1(b), offer and sell the remaining unsubscribed portion of such New Securities to any Person or Persons at a price not less than, and upon terms no more favorable to the offeree than, those specified in the Offer Notice. If the Company does not enter into an agreement for the sale of the New Securities within such period, or if such agreement is not consummated within thirty (30) days of the execution thereof, the right provided hereunder shall be deemed to be revived and such New Securities shall not be offered unless first reoffered to the Major Investors in accordance with this Subsection 3.1.
(d)The right of first offer in this Subsection 3.1 shall not be applicable to (i) Exempted Securities (as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation); and (ii) shares of Common Stock issued in the IPO.
3.2Termination. The covenants set forth in Subsection 3.1 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of a Qualified IPO or Qualifying Merger (as such terms are defined in the Certificate of Incorporation), (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon the closing of a Deemed Liquidation Event (as such term is defined in the Certificate of Incorporation), whichever event occurs first.
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4.1Insurance. The Company shall obtain, within sixty (60) days of the date hereof, from financially sound and reputable insurers, Directors and Officers liability insurance in an amount and on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Board of Directors, and will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such insurance policy to be maintained until such time as the Board of Directors determines that such insurance should be discontinued. The policy shall not be cancelable by the Company without prior approval by the Board of Directors.
4.2Employee Agreements. The Company will cause each Person now or hereafter employed by it or by any subsidiary (or engaged by the Company or any subsidiary as a consultant/independent contractor) with access to confidential information and/or trade secrets to enter into a nondisclosure and proprietary rights assignment agreement. In addition, the Company shall not amend, modify, terminate, waive, or otherwise alter, in whole or in part, any of the above-referenced agreements or any restricted stock agreement between the Company and any employee, without the consent of the Board of Directors.
4.3Board of Directors Matters. The Company will use its best efforts to deliver to each member of the Board of Directors all presentations, reports and other materials to be presented to the Board of Directors at any meeting of or other action to be taken by the Board of Directors at least one (1) day before the Board of Directors meeting or action to which they relate; provided, however, that the failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Subsection 4.3 shall not in any way invalidate, render void, or otherwise compromise in any way any decision or action by the Board of Directors taken without receipt (or timely receipt) of such presentations, reports or other materials or information.
4.4Matters Requiring Allele Director Approval. So long as Allele Capital Partners, LLC has the right to designate a director (the “Allele Director”), the Company hereby covenants and agrees that it shall not, without the approval of the Allele Director:
(a)make, or permit any subsidiary to make, any loan or advance to any Person, including, without limitation, any employee or director of the Company or any subsidiary, except advances and similar expenditures in the ordinary course of business, under the terms of any employee stock or option plan approved by the Board of Directors, or to officers or directors pursuant to indemnification agreements;
(b) make, or permit any subsidiary to make, any loan or advance to, or own any stock or other securities of, any subsidiary or other corporation, partnership, or other entity unless it is wholly owned by the Company;
(c)guarantee, directly or indirectly, or permit any subsidiary to guarantee, directly or indirectly, any indebtedness except for trade accounts of the Company or any subsidiary arising in the ordinary course of business; or
(d)incur any aggregate indebtedness in excess of $2,000,000 that is not already included in the Company’s budget as approved by the Board of Directors, other than trade credit incurred in the ordinary course of business.
4.5Successor Indemnification. If the Company or any of its successors or assignees consolidates with or merges into any other Person and is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, then to the extent necessary, proper provision
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shall be made so that the successors and assignees of the Company assume the obligations of the Company with respect to indemnification of members of the Board of Directors as in effect immediately before such transaction, whether such obligations are contained in the Company’s Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, or elsewhere, as the case may be.
4.6Indemnification Matters. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Allele (subject to certain conditions and restrictions) is entitled to nominate the Allele Director to serve on the Board of Directors and that such Allele Director may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by Allele and certain of its Affiliates (collectively, the “Allele Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (a) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to the Allele Director are primary and any obligation of the Allele Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by such Allele Director are secondary), (b) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by such Allele Director and shall be liable for the full amount of all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement by or on behalf of any such Allele Director to the extent legally permitted and as required by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company (or any agreement between the Company and such Allele Director), without regard to any rights such Allele Director may have against the Allele Indemnitors, and, (c) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Allele Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Allele Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Allele Indemnitors on behalf of any such Allele Director with respect to any claim for which such Xxxxxx Director has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Allele Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of such Allele Director against the Company. The Allele Director and the Allele Indemnitors are intended third‑party beneficiaries of this Subsection 4.6 and shall have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions of this Subsection 4.6 as though they were a party to this Agreement.
4.7Termination of Covenants. The covenants set forth in this Section 4, except for Subsection 4.6, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of the Qualified IPO or Qualifying Merger (as such terms are defined in the Certificate of Incorporation), (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon a Deemed Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Certificate of Incorporation, whichever event occurs first.
5.1Successors and Assigns. The rights under this Agreement may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a transferee of Registrable Securities that (i) is an Affiliate of a Holder; (ii) is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member or trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or one or more of such Holder’s Immediate Family Members; or (iii) after such transfer, holds at least 375,036 shares of Registrable Securities (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, and other recapitalizations); provided, however, that (x) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee and the Registrable Securities with respect to which such rights are being transferred; and (y) such transferee agrees in a written instrument delivered to the Company to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Subsection 2.10. For the purposes of determining the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by a transferee, the holdings of a transferee (1) that is an Affiliate or stockholder of a Holder; (2) who is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member; or (3) that is a trust for the benefit of
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an individual Holder or such Xxxxxx’s Immediate Family Member shall be aggregated together and with those of the transferring Holder; provided further that all transferees who would not qualify individually for assignment of rights shall, as a condition to the applicable transfer, establish a single attorney-in-fact for the purpose of exercising any rights, receiving notices, or taking any action under this Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement inure to the benefit of and are binding upon the respective successors and permitted assignees of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assignees any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided herein.
5.2Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the internal law of the State of Delaware without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the State of Delaware.
5.3Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two (2) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
5.4Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
(a)All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt or (i) personal delivery to the party to be notified; (ii) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during the recipient’s normal business hours, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next business day; (iii) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; or (iv) one (1) business day after the business day of deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next-day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective parties at their addresses as set forth on Schedule A or Schedule B (as applicable) hereto, or to the principal office of the Company and to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer, in the case of the Company, or to such email address, facsimile number, or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Subsection 5.5. If notice is given to the Company, a copy (which shall not constitute notice) shall also be sent to Xxxxx Day c/o Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, 0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000.
(b)Consent to Electronic Notice. Each Investor consents to the delivery of any stockholder notice pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), as amended or superseded from time to time, by electronic transmission pursuant to Section 232 of the DGCL (or any successor thereto) at the electronic mail address or the facsimile number set forth below such Investor’s name on the Schedules hereto, as updated from time to time by notice to the Company, or as on the books of the Company. To the extent that any notice given by means of electronic transmission is returned or undeliverable for any reason, the foregoing consent shall be deemed to have been revoked until a new or corrected electronic mail address has been provided, and such attempted Electronic Notice shall be ineffective and deemed to not have been given. Each Investor agrees to promptly notify the Company of any change in such stockholder’s electronic mail address, and that failure to do so shall not affect the foregoing.
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5.6Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended, modified or terminated and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the Company,the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding and the holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes then outstanding; provided that the Company may in its sole discretion waive compliance with Subsection 2.11(c) (and the Company’s failure to object promptly in writing after notification of a proposed assignment allegedly in violation of Subsection 2.11(c) shall be deemed to be a waiver); and provided further that any provision hereof may be waived by any waiving party on such party’s own behalf, without the consent of any other party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) this Agreement may not be amended, modified or terminated and the observance of any term hereof may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor, if such amendment, modification, termination or waiver would on its face adversely affect the rights of such Investor under this Agreement in a manner disproportionate to any adverse effect such amendment, modification, termination or waiver would have on the rights of the other Investors under this Agreement (it being agreed that a waiver of the provisions of Section 3 with respect to a particular transaction shall be deemed to apply to all Investors proportionately if such waiver does so by its terms, notwithstanding the fact that certain Investors may nonetheless, by agreement with the Company, purchase securities in such transaction) and (b) Section 3 and any other section of this Agreement applicable to the Major Investors (including this clause (b) of this Subsection 5.6 may not be amended, modified, terminated or waived without the written consent of the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding and held by the Major Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Schedule A hereto may be amended by the Company from time to time to add transferees of any Registrable Securities in compliance with the terms of this Agreement without the consent of the other parties. The Company shall give prompt notice of any amendment, modification or termination hereof or waiver hereunder to any party hereto that did not consent in writing to such amendment, modification, termination, or waiver. Any amendment, modification, termination, or waiver effected in accordance with this Subsection 5.6 shall be binding on all parties hereto, regardless of whether any such party has consented thereto. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.
5.7Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement is for any reason held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, and such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision shall be reformed and construed so that it will be valid, legal, and enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law.
5.8Aggregation of Stock. All shares of Registrable Securities held or acquired by Affiliates shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement and such Affiliated persons may apportion such rights as among themselves in any manner they deem appropriate.
5.9Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including any Schedules and Exhibits hereto) constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the parties is expressly canceled.
5.10Dispute Resolution. The parties (a) hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery and to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for the purpose of any suit, action or
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other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement, (b) agree not to commence any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement except in the Delaware Court of Chancery or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and (c) hereby waive, and agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court. The prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, and necessary disbursements in addition to any other relief to which such party may be entitled.
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL: EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ITS RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS, THE SECURITIES OR THE SUBJECT MATTER HEREOF OR THEREOF. THE SCOPE OF THIS WAIVER IS INTENDED TO BE ALL-ENCOMPASSING OF ANY AND ALL DISPUTES THAT MAY BE FILED IN ANY COURT AND THAT RELATE TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS TRANSACTION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF DUTY CLAIMS, AND ALL OTHER COMMON LAW AND STATUTORY CLAIMS. THIS SECTION HAS BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED BY EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AND THESE PROVISIONS WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY EXCEPTIONS. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY FURTHER WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT SUCH PARTY HAS REVIEWED THIS WAIVER WITH ITS LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THAT SUCH PARTY KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVES ITS JURY TRIAL RIGHTS FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL.
5.11Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise any right, power, or remedy accruing to any party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power, or remedy of such nonbreaching or nondefaulting party, nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of or acquiescence to any such breach or default, or to any similar breach or default thereafter occurring, nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. All remedies, whether under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.
5.12Additional Parties. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, (i) Bertex, LLC; (ii) each investor in the Convertible Note Financing, and (iii) each person who purchase shares of Preferred Stock from the Company after the date hereof shall become a party to this Agreement by executing and delivering an additional counterpart signature page to this Agreement and thereafter shall be deemed an “Holder” for all purposes hereunder.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
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Xxxxxx Xxxxxx |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx |
Signature Page to First Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
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By: |
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Signature Page to First Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement
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Sch. A-1