As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 10, 2023.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices) | ||
Chief Executive Officer
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(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service) | ||
Copies to: | ||
Michael J. Blankenship Winston & Strawn LLP 800 Capitol St., Suite 2400 (713) 651-2600 |
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Barry I. Grossman Sarah E. Williams Matthew Bernstein Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor New York, New York 10105 (212) 370-1300 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) check the following box: x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Large accelerated filer | o | Accelerated filer | o |
x | Smaller reporting company | ||
Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check
mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting
standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The Company may not sell the securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell the securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED OCTOBER 10, 2023
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Nxu, Inc.
Up to 42,666,667 Shares of Class A Common Stock
(or Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase up to 42,666,667 Shares of Class A Common Stock)
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We are offering on a best-efforts basis up to 42,666,667 shares (the “Shares”) of our Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class A common stock”).
We are offering each Share at an assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023. The actual public offering price per Share will be determined at the time of pricing among us, the Placement Agent (as defined below) and the investors in this offering, and may be at a discount to the current market price of our Class A common stock. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final offering price.
We are also offering to each investor of Shares that would otherwise result in the investor’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% of our outstanding Class A common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering the opportunity to invest in pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock (“Pre-Funded Warrant”) (in lieu of Shares). Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Pre-Funded Warrants if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, such limit may be increased to up to 9.99%) of the Class A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of Class A common stock. The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will be equal to the price per Share, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will equal $0.0001 per Share. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable (subject to the beneficial ownership cap) and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. For each Pre-Funded Warrant purchased (without regard to any limitation on exercise set forth therein), the number of Shares we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. We are also registering the Class A common stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants offered in lieu of Shares.
The Shares will be offered at a fixed price and are expected to be issued in a single closing. There is no minimum number of Shares to be sold or minimum aggregate offering proceeds for this offering to close. We expect this offering to be completed not later than two business days following the commencement of this offering and we will deliver all securities issued in connection with this offering delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”) upon our receipt of investor funds. Accordingly, neither we nor the Placement Agent has made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account since the Placement Agent will not receive investor funds in connection with the sale of securities offered hereunder.
Our Class A common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “NXU.” On October 3, 2023, the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock as reported on Nasdaq was $0.1875 per share.
There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants and we do not expect markets to develop. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of these securities will be limited.
We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced reporting requirements for this prospectus and may elect to do so in future filings.
Our Company has a dual class structure. Our Class A common stock, which is the stock we are offering by means of this prospectus, has one vote per share and our Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class B common stock” and together with the Class A common stock, “common stock”), has no economic rights and has 10 votes per share. See “Risk Factors – The dual class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting power with members of our management team, which will limit your ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control” and “Risk Factors – We cannot predict the impact our dual class structure may have on our stock price” for more information. For more information on our capital stock, see the section titled “Description of Securities.”
Our Class B common stock is owned solely by our Chief Executive Officer, Mark Hanchett, and our President, Annie Pratt, who own 25,903,676 and 9,721,696 shares of our Class B common stock, respectively. Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt hold approximately 58% and 22% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock, respectively, for an aggregate of approximately 79% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock. Upon the closing of this offering, assuming the sale of the maximum number of Shares offered hereby, our Chief Executive Officer and President will collectively hold approximately 73% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock.
As a result of our Chief Executive Officer’s ownership of our Class B common stock, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of Nasdaq. See “Management – Controlled Company” and “Risk Factors – We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules and, as a result, qualify for and rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. As a result, our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that cannot rely on such exemptions.
Our principal executive offices are located at 1828 N Higley Rd., Suite 116, Mesa, Arizona 85205, and our telephone number at that address is (760) 515-1133.
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You should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or amendment before you invest. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14. You also should read the information included throughout this prospectus for information on our business and our financial statements, including information related to our predecessor.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Per Share | Per Pre- Funded Warrant |
Total | ||||||||||
Public offering price(1) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Placement agent fees(2) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us(3) | $ | $ | $ |
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(1) | The combined public offering price is $ per Share and $ per Pre-Funded Warrant. |
(2) | Represents a cash fee equal to six and a half percent (6.5%) of the aggregate purchase price paid by investors in this offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for its out-of-pocket expenses in an amount up to $50,000. |
(3) | The amount of offering proceeds to us presented in this table assumes no Pre-Funded Warrants are issued in lieu of Shares. |
We have engaged Maxim Group LLC to act as our exclusive placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase our securities in this offering. The Placement Agent has no obligation to purchase any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of the securities. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing in this offering, the actual public amount, placement agent fees, and proceeds to us, if any, are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the total maximum offering amounts set forth above and throughout this prospectus. We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent the placement agent fees set forth in the table above and to provide certain other compensation to the Placement Agent. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information regarding these arrangements.
We anticipate that delivery of the securities against payment therefor will be made on or about , 2023.
Maxim Group LLC
Placement Agent
Prospectus dated , 2023.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Please read this prospectus carefully. It describes our business, our financial condition and our results of operations. We have prepared this prospectus so that you will have the information necessary to make an informed investment decision. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or to which we have referred you. We and the Placement Agent have not authorized any person to provide you with additional information or different information. We and the Placement Agent take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any information that others may give you. This prospectus may only be used where it is legal to offer and sell the securities described herein and only during the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should assume the information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of our Class A common stock. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any distribution of securities in accordance with this prospectus shall, under any circumstances, imply that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this prospectus.
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. See “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-1 that we filed with the SEC for this offering by us of Class A common stock.
Neither we nor the Placement Agent has authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information, other than that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we may have referred you, and neither we nor they take any responsibility for, or provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. Neither we nor the Placement Agent is making an offer to sell Class A common stock in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale thereof is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our Class A common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
We may also provide a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the registration statement to add information to, or update or change information contained in, this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the registration statement together with the additional information to which we refer you in the sections of this prospectus titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in this prospectus concerning our industry and the markets in which we operate, including our general expectations and market position, market opportunity and market share, is based on information from our own management estimates and research, as well as from industry and general publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Management estimates are derived from publicly available information, our knowledge of our industry and assumptions based on such information and knowledge, which we believe to be reasonable. Our management estimates have not been verified by any independent source, and we have not independently verified any third-party information. In addition, assumptions and estimates of our and our industry’s future performance are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
For investors outside the United States: Neither we nor the Placement Agent have taken any action to permit the possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction other than the United States where action for that purpose is required. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about and observe any restrictions relating to the Class A common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to the terms “Nxu,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to Nxu, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and, immediately prior to the Reorganization Merger (as defined herein), to its predecessor, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc., a Delaware corporation, either individually or together with its consolidated subsidiaries, as the context requires.
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MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA
Market and industry data and forecasts used in this prospectus have been obtained from independent industry sources as well as from research reports prepared for other purposes. We are responsible for all of the disclosure in this prospectus, and although we believe these third-party sources to be reliable, we have not independently verified the data obtained from these sources, and we cannot assure you of the accuracy or completeness of the data. Forecasts and other forward-looking information obtained from these sources are subject to the same qualifications and uncertainties as the other forward-looking statements in this prospectus.
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TRADEMARKS, TRADE NAMES AND SERVICE MARKS
This document contains references to trademarks, trade names and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks, trade names and service marks referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
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SUMMARY OF THE PROSPECTUS
This summary highlights selected information from this prospectus and does not contain all of the information that is important to you in making an investment decision. You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the information under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and the notes to those financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
Nxu is a U.S.-based technology company manufacturing innovative battery cells and battery packs for use in advanced energy storage systems, megawatt charging stations, and mobility products. We believe that widespread adoption of EVs by the commercial and industrial markets requires high performing battery and pack solutions that can effectively compete with legacy diesel-based products. Nxu designs, engineers, and plans to build proprietary lithium-ion (“Li-ion”) battery cells and packs, 1 megawatt plus charging stations, energy storage solutions and a suite of software and services designed to allow an easy transition from diesel to electric for our target segment.
Our battery technology is expected to offer considerable advantages in battery capacity, charging rate, safety, and lifespan while keeping costs low. We are confident that these advantages will be highly beneficial to Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”) in the automotive and medium to heavy duty equipment segments as it would encourage customers to transition to electrification. We are designing our Li-ion batteries to fully charge in about 15 minutes or less, thereby allowing for a more competitive EV experience to match fossil fuel vehicles, something that current EVs using conventional batteries are unable to achieve. We believe Nxu technology may be used to power medium and super-duty pick-up trucks, last mile delivery vehicles, garbage trucks, cement trucks, vans, RVs, box trucks, light to heavy-duty equipment and more. In addition, our batteries could be used for commercial and residential energy storage devices.
In 2023, we introduced our megawatt charging station and demonstrated its ability to deliver up to 1.1 megawatts of electricity to fast charge compatible batteries. Currently, there are three types of chargers prevalent in the market:
Level 1 chargers use a standard 120-volt household outlet and can provide up to 5 miles of range per hour of charging. They are typically used for overnight charging at home and are the slowest charging option.
Level 2 chargers require a 240-volt electrical supply and can provide up to 25 miles of range per hour of charging. They are commonly found in public locations like parking garages, workplaces, and retail spaces.
Level 3 chargers, also known as Direct Current (DC) fast chargers, are the fastest charging option and can provide approximately 100 to 200+ miles of range in as little as 30 minutes.
Our megawatt chargers, being designed to provide 1,500kW of electricity, represent the next generation of charging solutions needed to expedite the mass adoption of electric vehicles for individual drivers, commercial fleets, medium-to-heavy duty equipment customers and businesses. To take advantage of the expected rapid growth in the number of EVs on the road in the United States, the Company plans to deploy and test its chargers for mass rollout in the near future.
We also believe that energy storage solutions are important for both consumer and commercial markets as grid stability and resiliency becomes critical to enabling the adoption of electric vehicles. Stationary energy storage systems are technologically adjacent opportunities which can leverage the modular design of our battery packs and advanced battery management systems to create solutions that address residential, commercial and utility-scale needs. Energy storage can also provide backup power during grid outages or emergencies, helping to ensure that critical services like hospitals and emergency responders remain operational.
Nxu is an early-stage company and has not yet scaled production of its products or delivered any products to customers. Of the products we intend to bring to market, our proprietary battery technology is the furthest along in development and closest to mass production. We intend to deliver battery cells and packs to customers in 2023. Simultaneously, we plan to deploy our megawatt charging stations and energy storage solutions as soon as the next twelve months and the next twenty-four months respectively. Finally, we plan to continue to develop our vehicle products in the future, both of which we believe will provide incremental value to our target market in the long run. Scaling to reach high-volume battery production will require significant effort and capital. Based on our plans, we estimate that the cost to build and completely tool multi-gigawatt hour facility will range from $200 million to $300 million per gigawatt hour of capacity. Our ability to raise the significant capital required continues to be a challenge. Additionally, as of the date of this prospectus, we have no actionable plan of operation to commence sales of our products. As such, Nxu will need to build out detailed go-to-market plans as we get closer to customer deliveries and sales.
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Our Target Market
Customers across the commercial and industrial segments are progressively contemplating EVs for a range of reasons such as improved performance, expansion of the EV charging infrastructure, significantly reduced environmental impact, and lower costs for maintenance and operation. However, the players in these market segments face unique barriers to the adoption of EVs due to their high-demand usage patterns and operational requirements. In addition, the use of conventional Li-ion batteries in heavy-duty vehicles and equipment poses several inherent challenges that limit their adoption. Some of these challenges include:
· | Limited energy density: Conventional batteries have a relatively low energy density, which means that heavy-duty vehicles and equipment require a large number of batteries to achieve sufficient range. This can add significant weight to the vehicle and reduce payload capacity. |
· | Temperature sensitivity: Conventional Li-ion batteries are sensitive to temperature changes, particularly at extreme temperatures. This can impact the performance and lifespan of the battery, particularly in hot or cold environments. |
· | Charging time: Charging time for Li-ion batteries can be significant, particularly for larger batteries. This can impact the operational efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles and equipment, which may require frequent charging throughout the day. |
· | High upfront costs: Electric commercial vehicles can have a higher upfront cost than their conventional counterparts, which can be a significant barrier for companies that operate on tight profit margins. |
· | Limited range and charging infrastructure: Commercial vehicles often need to travel longer distances than passenger cars and require more frequent stops for refueling. The limited range of electric commercial vehicles and the lack of charging infrastructure can make it difficult for fleets to operate efficiently. |
· | Payload capacity: Electric commercial vehicles often have lower payload capacity than their conventional counterparts due to the weight of the battery, which can limit their utility for certain applications. |
· | Vehicle downtime: Commercial vehicles and equipment are often in use for long hours and may have limited downtime for charging, which can be a challenge for EVs that require longer charging times than refueling with gasoline or diesel. |
· | Uncertainty about total cost of ownership: Companies may be hesitant to invest in electric commercial vehicles due to uncertainty about the total cost of ownership, including maintenance, repair, and replacement costs. |
We believe that effective adoption to electrification by the commercial and industrial markets requires a unified solution that addresses all concerns simultaneously. A piecemeal solution where multiple companies independently develop and build pieces of the electrification puzzle while leaving the customer to figure out the rest may not adequately address all needs and may even drive greater execution risk for the customer. An effective Li-ion battery technology along with megawatt level charging solution and energy storage solutions to support grid resiliency are critical and foundational components of a unified solution. Nxu plans to develop these foundational components.
Production Development Phases
In producing its various products and services, Nxu follows a phased development approach comprised of the stages noted below.
Stage 1: Concept Verification and Test. This is the concept verification and test phase of development. Product ideas are evaluated to assess viability and whether or not there is potential to further develop and invest.
Stage 2: Engineering Verification and Test. This is the engineering verification and test phase of development. Validation of the technology within a product is completed.
Stage 3: Design Verification and Test. This is the design verification phase of development. The product has reached a final design phase and engineering and production teams are validating feasibility of the final product.
Stage 4: Production Verification and Test. This is the production validation phase of development. The product design has been finalized, and the production process is developing and undergoing verification before being sold to customers.
Principal Products and Services
Nxu plans to address the needs highlighted above by developing a unified set of products and solutions to support a seamless transition to electrification by the commercial and industrial industry. Our products start with the Nxu Qcell battery cells that are intended to go into our high-performing Qube battery packs, which in turn, can be used by OEMs to power their electrified vehicles and equipment. Simultaneously, we plan to build megawatt charging stations that will enable 15-minute charge time for our batteries. Finally, we plan to build energy storage systems, called Qube+, that will use our battery packs to augment rising energy demand across residential, commercial and infrastructure customers. Eventually, we plan to introduce a modular and scalable electric powered platform and an electric pickup truck purposely built to leverage our battery technology to deliver high performing, all-electric vehicles for our target market.
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Our Products
· | Qcell Cell – Our proprietary battery technology is the foundation of the Nxu ecosystem. The Qcell is designed to leverage an in-house developed NMC-811 chemistry, combined with a unique, proprietary mechanical construction, to significantly improve thermal management and reduce electrical resistance. In addition, our battery cell structure eliminates excess volume and space, thereby providing high energy density. The Qcell, when implemented utilizing our proprietary Qube battery pack technology and our advanced charging station currently under development - will be capable of delivering consistent power from 0% to 100% battery pack usable capacity, while charging from 0% to 100% usable capacity in 15 minutes. This is the same amount of time it normally takes to fill an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle with fuel. Battery cells are currently being produced in low volumes at our facility in Mesa, AZ and production is not dependent on any currently unknown advances in technology. We are in small-batch, pilot production of our battery cells and expect to make customer deliveries in late 2023. To ensure we are capable of scaling production output, Nxu will need to continue to make investments in capital expenses, additional facilities, and team growth for the coming years. Nxu has earmarked capital investment to ramp cell production throughout 2023. As a byproduct of increased production, Nxu will continue to make significant investments in equipment for the foreseeable future. |
· | The Nxu Qube is a 30 Kilowatt hours (“kWh”) battery pack focused on serving customers within mobility, equipment, and energy storage and infrastructure applications. The Qube will utilize our proprietary battery cell, pack design, electronics, and software systems, all of which are currently in development. Legacy manufacturers of vehicle battery packs typically utilize Li-ion battery cells in either cylindrical or pouch form factor which are inherently inefficient due to high thermal and electrical resistance. Our Qube’s competitive advantage is our direct cell integration approach which minimizes thermal resistance while maximizing electrical conductivity. Our Qcell is intended to directly integrate into our Qube. In addition, Nxu is developing the battery pack system with a completely integrated power management, thermal management, and battery management system. The Qube is in Production Verification and Test phase of development and completion of the engineering design and production line is not subject to any currently unknown advances in technology. Our efforts are focused on target customers that are seeking to deploy packs in 2024. As of February 2023, Nxu announced it had secured two gigawatt-hours’ worth of battery capacity demand in the form of non-binding Letters of Intent (LOI), Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), and Purchase Orders (PO) from multiple customers in the automotive, heavy equipment, and solar industries. Nxu plans to continue securing MOUs and LOIs for additional battery packs and will work to expand production output in order to capitalize on that demand and deliver products as quickly as our facilities and production processes allow. Our ability to deliver these battery packs to customers at a growing rate is dependent on our ability to raise capital and leverage that capital into increased production, among other factors. |
· | Megawatt charger – Our proprietary megawatt charger is intended to be capable of delivering up to 1.5 megawatts of continuous power, deployable in standalone charging station or as a drop-in direct-grid connection solution. The megawatt charger is intended to be a proprietary charging solution to provide charging capabilities to the XT, the XP, and non-Nxu branded electric vehicle that are compatible with Combined Charging System 2.0 (“CCS 2.0”). Recently, the Company successfully demonstrated our one megawatt plus charging capability, The megawatt charger is still in the research and development phase and is not yet in production. The charging system is expected to complete the Production Verification and Test phase of development as early as the end of 2023. Our ability to execute this plan is dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital and therefore, if the company is unable to secure appropriate funding, these timelines are subject to change. Engineering design of the Megawatt charger is not yet complete. We expect to encounter unforeseen engineering challenges and may be reliant on unknown advances in technology. |
Future Products for Commercial and Industrial Markets
· | Nxu Platform– The Platform is designed to be a modular vehicle system, or electric skateboard, providing all technology, software, and mobility technology required to develop a vehicle by third parties. Intended to be a universal, connected, complete vehicle hardware and mechanical architecture system, the Platform will utilize our proprietary Qcell battery, electronics hardware, mechanical, and software technologies to create a vehicle platform for sale to low-volume vehicle OEMs to develop new EV solutions for niche- and mass-market opportunities. The Platform has completed the Concept Verification and Test phase of development and Nxu has produced a functioning concept as demonstrated in 2021 on our social media channels. We expect that the production intent development of the Platform will follow our successful commercialization of the Qcell, Qube, Qube+ and megawatt charger. We intend to commercialize and scale our energy products first and expect the Platform to begin the Design Verification and Test phase of development as early as 2025. However, our ability to execute is dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital and therefore, if the Company is unable to secure appropriate funding, these timelines are subject to change. |
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· | Nxu pickup truck – The pickup truck is intended to be our flagship vehicle and a 100% electric full-sized work truck. The pickup truck is intended to be built on our platform. We intend to provide up to 500 miles of range, up to 35,000 pounds of towing capacity, and a simplified operational approach that that utilizes our software and cloud service solutions to provide seamless fleet connectivity. The pickup truck is still in the research and development phase. Given ongoing capital constraints and current market sentiment, the Company has decided to focus its resources on commercializing and scaling energy products at this time. We expect that the production intent development of the truck will follow the ramp of the Platform. The pickup truck has completed the Concept Verification and Test phase of development, we expect to begin the Engineering Verification and Test phase of development as soon as 2026. We expect to encounter unforeseen engineering challenges and may be reliant on unknown advances in technology. In addition, our ability to execute is dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital and therefore, if the Company is unable to secure appropriate funding, these timelines are subject to change. |
The execution of our vision is highly dependent on multiple factors that include our ability to raise the necessary capital required to bring all products and services to market and, more specifically, our ability to successfully deliver Qubes to customers. Our successful implementation of the Qcell and Qube would allow us to tackle a key challenge that we face in the industry: the lack of available, adequate, and accessible battery technology. Thus, we have focused our attention on developing our own battery technology in order to mitigate the external risk created from a lack of suitable and available battery technology in the market.
We intend to continue development of Q-cells upon raising additional capital specifically for the battery program as soon as 2024. To do so, Nxu will need to continue to make investments in capital expenses, additional facilities, and team growth. Nxu will continue to make significant investments in equipment for battery and charging product development programs for the foreseeable future. If we are unable to raise proceeds in this offering sufficient to invest $4.5 million into the continued development and deployment of our charging products, our planned development activities may be less than anticipated and we will need to raise such funds through other sources. See “Use of Proceeds.”
Additionally, our ability to scale high-volume mobility and energy storage solutions is highly dependent on our success with the Qcell and Qube. As there is a limited supply of these materials, Qcell and Qube production delays will likely delay high volume mobility and energy storage solutions. Any disruption from competitors or any disruption to internal material and cell availability could impact the Company’s ability to succeed in any program that relies on battery cells.
While we remain optimistic in our ability to bring Qcell and Qube to market, these two programs carry high technical challenges due to the fact that the intellectual property required for the programs to successfully scale must be developed, as it cannot be purchased nor is it readily available in the market. Nxu appreciates the importance of overcoming this challenge and the resources needed to do so, and Nxu intends to focus the majority of its efforts on bringing the Nxu charging technology to market first and refocus on Qcell and Qube products once the needed resources are secured, as soon as 2024.
We signed an Amended Collaboration Agreement on July 28, 2022 with an Australian company called Australian Manufactured Vehicles (“AUSEV”) to jointly develop a right-hand drive version of the pickup truck. Under the terms of the AUSEV agreement, we agreed to supply pickup trucks in limited volume of prototype and test vehicles in 2024, up to a total of 19,000 production intent pickup trucks beginning in 2026 through 2027, contingent upon production capacity, funding, and raw material availability. The AUSEV agreement requires the parties to enter into binding definitive supply agreements. Given our decision to focus our resources on commercializing and scaling energy products at this time, we do not expect to supply pickup trucks in 2024. AUSEV is supportive of our strategy and we are working closely together and endeavor to deliver pickup trucks to AUSEV as soon as practicable. The AUSEV agreement has an initial term of five (5) years from August 28, 2021. Upon expiration of the initial term, the AUSEV agreement will automatically renew for an additional two-year term unless either party notifies the other party in writing of its intent to terminate, at least 90 days prior to such expiration.
Our People
Beyond our products and solutions in development, we believe the largest competitive advantage Nxu has is our culture. Our company culture embodies the idea that a transition to electrification and a sustainable future should not require compromise. We are unwilling to bend in our belief that when a technology does not exist, we find creative and innovative ways of developing solutions to solve these challenges. Our team is built of a diverse group of individuals with a singular focus, to power the future of work through an ecosystem of technologies and solutions that provide incremental value to those who build, dig, grow, and maintain.
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Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”). As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. For so long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:
· | have an auditor report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2022, as amended; |
· | comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis); |
· | submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay,” “say-on-frequency” and pay ratio; and |
· | disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. |
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In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues are $1.07 billion or more, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which would occur if the market value of our Class A common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as the market value of our voting and non-voting Class A common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our voting and non-voting Class A common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
Controlled Company Exemption
Our Chief Executive Officer, Mark Hanchett, beneficially owns and controls a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq listing rules. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq. Our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements. Mark Hanchett also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Nxu.
Corporate Information
We were originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on November 9, 2016 under the name “Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc.” (the “Predecessor”). In connection with the Reorganization Merger, Nxu was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 10, 2023. Our principal executive offices are located at 1828 North Higley Road, Mesa, AZ 85205. Our website address is www.nxu.com. The information provided on or accessible through our website (or any other website referred to in the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, or the documents incorporated by reference herein) is not part of the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, and is not incorporated by reference as part of the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.
Recent Developments
Initial Public Offering
On September 27, 2022, we completed our initial public offering (the “IPO”) under Regulation A of the Securities Act and became listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. In our IPO, we sold 1,015,802 shares of our Class A common stock at a weighted-average price of $14.28 per share. We used the proceeds from the IPO to fund our production and marketing activities.
Following our IPO, trading in our Class A common stock has been volatile and subject to wide fluctuations from a high price of $243.99 on September 28, 2022 to a low price of $0.1682 on September 15, 2023. These swings in our trading prices are unrelated and disproportionate to our operating performance. As a startup company, we expect this volatility in our stock price to continue for the foreseeable future. As a result, we determine, and advise potential investors to determine, the value of our Class A common stock based on the information contained in our public disclosures and other industry information rather than by reference to its current trading price. See “Risk Factors – The market price of our Class A common stock has fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate, significantly, and you may lose all or part of your investment.”
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Convertible Notes
On November 3, 2022, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with certain investors (the “Investors”), as amended on January 5, 2023 (as amended, the “Securities Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, we issued an aggregate of $20.0 million of Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Notes (the “convertible notes”) and 1,711,306 warrants to purchase shares of our Class A common stock. As of October 3, 2023, there was an aggregate of approximately $1.3 million of convertible notes outstanding, which are convertible into up to an aggregate of 8,686,667 shares of Class A common stock (assuming conversion at a conversion price equal to the floor price of $0.15), and 1,711,306 outstanding warrants to purchase 1,711,306 shares of Class A common stock. The Company does not currently have any other indebtedness outstanding.
Nasdaq Notices
On April 11, 2023, we received a notice of non-compliance from Nasdaq stating that we are not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on Nasdaq. On August 29, 2023, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that the Company’s reported stockholders’ equity no longer meets the minimum stockholders’ equity of $2,500,000 required for continued listing of the Company’s Class A common stock on Nasdaq under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). If we fail to regain compliance within the applicable prescribed time periods, as previously disclosed, Nasdaq will notify us that our Class A common stock will be subject to delisting. We may appeal Nasdaq’s delisting determination to a hearings panel.
We determined that the notices of non-compliance constituted events of default under our outstanding convertible notes. As a result of the events of default, unless waived by the Investors, the convertible notes began accruing default interest at a rate of 10% per annum and we are obligated to pay to the Investors 100% of the sum of (x) the outstanding principal of the notes and (y) accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Investors have the option to instead convert the amount due and payable under the event of default, including at an alternative conversion price as described in the convertible notes.
Holding Company Reorganization
On May 12, 2023, the Predecessor completed its previously announced reorganization merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 16, 2023 (the “Reorganization Agreement”), by and among the Predecessor, Nxu and Atlis Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and, as of immediately prior to the consummation of such merger, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (“Merger Sub”). The Reorganization Agreement provided for the merger of the Predecessor and Merger Sub, with the Predecessor surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (the “Reorganization Merger”).
Following the Reorganization Merger, on May 12, 2023, the Predecessor (which, as a result of the Reorganization Merger, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu) converted from a Delaware corporation into a Delaware limited liability company named “Atlis Motor Vehicles LLC” (such conversion, together with the Reorganization Merger, the “Reorganization”). Following the Reorganization, substantially all of the assets of Atlis Motor Vehicles LLC were distributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered to, and related liabilities of Atlis Motor Vehicles LLC were assumed by, Nxu. On May 25, 2023, Atlis Motor Vehicles LLC changed its name to Nxu Technologies, LLC.
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The below chart depicts our capital structure following the Reorganization:
GEM Agreements
On June 25, 2021, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Share Purchase Agreement”) with GEM Global Yield LLC SCS (“GEM Global”) and GEM Yield Bahamas Limited (“GYBL”), pursuant to which the Company will issue and sell to GEM Global, and GEM Global agrees to purchase from the Company, until September 27, 2025, up to the number of shares of Class A common stock having an aggregate value of $300,000,000 (the “Aggregate Limit”), pursuant to draw down notices (each, a “Draw Down Notice” and each transaction under a Draw Down Notice, a “Draw Down”), which the Company may deliver to GEM Global in its sole discretion. The Company will also pay GEM Global a commitment fee equal to two percent (2%) of the Aggregate Limit.
On the effective date of the Share Purchase Agreement, the Company also issued a warrant to GYBL (the “Common Stock Purchase Warrant”) to purchase a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to 4.2% of the total number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding immediately after the completion of the Company’s public listing on September 27, 2022, calculated on a fully diluted basis, which amount equals 340,374 shares. The Common Stock Purchase Warrant is exercisable at an exercise price per share of $82.12 and expires on September 27, 2025.
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In connection with the Share Purchase Agreement, on June 25, 2021, we entered into the Registration Rights Agreement, pursuant to which we agreed to register all the shares that may be issuable to GEM Global and GYBL. On September 19, 2023, the Company, GEM Global and GYBL entered into a letter agreement (the "Letter Agreement"), pursuant to which the parties agreed to register an aggregate of 50,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, comprised of (i) 340,374 shares of Class A common stock issuable to GYBL upon full exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrant; (ii) 34,000,000 unrestricted shares of Class A common stock to be issued to GEM Global immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration statement filed pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement (the “GEM S-1”); and (iii) 15,659,626 additional shares of Class A common stock issuable to GEM Global pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement. The Company publicly filed the GEM S-1 on September 20, 2023 and it was declared effective by the SEC on September 29, 2023, at which time the Company issued 34,000,000 unrestricted shares of Class A common stock to GEM Global.
The Offering
Issuer | Nxu, Inc., a Delaware corporation. |
Securities Offered |
Up to 42,666,667 Shares on a best-efforts basis, at an assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023.
We are also offering to each investor of Shares that would otherwise result in the investor’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% of our outstanding Class A common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering the opportunity to invest in Pre-Funded Warrants (in lieu of Shares). Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Pre-Funded Warrants if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, such limit may be increased to up to 9.99%) of the Class A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of Class A common stock. The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will be equal to the price per Share, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will equal $0.0001 per Share. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable (subject to the beneficial ownership cap) and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. For each Pre-Funded Warrant purchased (without regard to any limitation on exercise set forth therein), the number of Shares we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. |
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Class A Common Stock Outstanding Prior to this Offering | 92,602,086 shares. |
Class A Common Stock Outstanding After this Offering | 135,268,753 shares, assuming the maximum number of Shares are sold in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023, and assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants in connection with this offering. |
Reasonable Best Efforts | We have agreed to issue and sell the securities offered hereby to the purchasers through the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent is not required to buy or sell any specific number or dollar amount of the securities offered hereby, but they will use their reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” on page 92 of this prospectus. |
Use of Proceeds | We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering primarily for general corporate purposes, which may include, but is not limited to, operating expenses, working capital, and the continued development and deployment of our charging products. The amounts that we actually spend for any specific purpose may vary significantly, and will depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the pace of progress of our product development, market conditions, and our ability to secure supply of goods and services for both equipment and raw material. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for more information and see “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that may affect our intended use of the net proceeds from this offering. |
Dividend Policy | We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our shares, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our shares in the foreseeable future. It is presently intended that we will retain our earnings for future operations and expansion. |
Risk Factors | See “Risk Factors” and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities. |
Market Symbol and Trading | Our shares of Class A common stock are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “NXU.” There is no established trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants, and we do not expect a trading market for those securities to develop. We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or other trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of those securities will be extremely limited. |
The above discussion is based on 92,602,086 shares of our Class A common stock outstanding as of October 3, 2023 and excludes, as of that date, the following: (a) 37,483,905 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding prior to this offering at a weighted average exercise price equal to approximately $7.00; (b) up to an aggregate of 8,686,667 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of our outstanding convertible notes (assuming conversion at a conversion price equal to the floor price of $0.15); and (c) up to an aggregate of 41,944,714 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price equal to approximately $0.46.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information in this prospectus includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this prospectus, regarding Nxu’, strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues, and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this prospectus, including any oral statements made in connection therewith, the words “could,” “should,” “will,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Nxu disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus. Nxu cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Nxu, incident to the development, production, gathering and sale of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids.
In addition, Nxu cautions you that the forward-looking statements regarding Nxu, which are contained in this prospectus, are subject to the following factors:
· | the length, scope and severity of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), including the effects of related public health concerns and the impact of continued actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic and its impact on commodity prices, supply and demand considerations and storage capacity; |
· | U.S. and global economic conditions and political and economic developments; |
· | economic and competitive conditions; |
· | the availability of capital resources; |
· | capital expenditures and other contractual obligations; |
· | inflation rates; |
· | the availability of goods and services; |
· | legislative, regulatory or policy changes; |
· | cyber-attacks; and |
· | the securities or capital markets and related risks such as general credit, liquidity, market and interest-rate risks. |
Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this prospectus occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the section entitled “Risk Factors” herein and in Nxu’s periodic filings with the SEC. Nxu’s SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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SUMMARY RISK FACTORS
We are providing the following summary of the risk factors contained in this prospectus to enhance the readability and accessibility of our risk factor disclosures. We encourage you to carefully review the full risk factors contained under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus in their entirety for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to vary materially from recent results or from our anticipated future results.
Risks Related to Our Business
· | We are an early-stage company with a limited operating history that has never turned a profit and there are no assurances that the Company will ever be profitable. |
· | Uncertainty exists as to whether we will be able to raise sufficient funds to continue scaling our battery manufacturing capabilities or deploying our megawatt charging stations and our energy storage solutions. |
· | Uncertainty also exists as to whether we will succeed in eventually developing the vehicle products. |
· | We need to raise additional capital to meet our future business requirements and such capital raising may be costly or difficult to obtain and could dilute current stockholders’ ownership interest. |
· | We have losses which we expect to continue into the future. There is no assurance our future operations will result in a profit. |
· | We may not achieve our projected development goals in the time frames we announce and expect due to unforeseen factors, including scarcity of natural resources and battery raw materials, increases in costs of raw materials, disruption of supply chain or shortages of materials, rising interest rates and inflation increasing the cost to do business. |
· | A significant interruption of our information technology systems or the loss of confidential or other sensitive data, including cybersecurity risks, could have a material adverse impact on our operations and financial results. |
· | We are in the development stages of many products and we may experience difficulty scaling up manufacturing of our products, including cost, technical complexity and regulatory compliance. |
· | Our products rely on software and hardware that is highly technical, and if these systems contain errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or design defects, or if we are unsuccessful in addressing or mitigating technical limitations in our systems, our business could be adversely affected. |
· | The cost and difficulty of protecting our intellectual property. |
· | We may not be able to successfully manage growth. |
· | Our growth rate may not meet our expectations. |
· | We may face state and federal regulatory challenges, including environmental and safety regulations. |
· | We may not be successful in developing an effective direct sales force. |
· | If we do not successfully establish and maintain our Company as a highly trusted and respected name for electric vehicles (“EVs”), we may not achieve future revenue goals, which could significantly affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. |
Risks Related to the Development and Commercialization of Our Products
· | If our battery cells fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market, and license our technology could be harmed. |
· | Our success depends on our ability to manufacture battery cells and packs at volume and with acceptable performance, yield and costs. |
· | Our reliance on complex machinery to scale operations and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance and costs. |
· | We may not be able to build and scale our charging stations and energy storage solutions as expected. |
· | The future growth and success of our charging stations is highly correlated with and thus dependent upon the continuing rapid adoption of EVs. |
· | We currently face competition from a number of companies and expect to face significant competition in the future as the market for EV battery, charging and energy storage solutions develops. |
· | The automotive market is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry. |
· | We are dependent on our own suppliers and suppliers to our third-party contract manufacturers who fabricate our equipment to fulfill orders placed by us. Timely delivery of orders is needed to meet the requirements of our customers, and a shortage of materials or components, such as microprocessors, can disrupt the production of our equipment. |
· | If there is inadequate access to charging stations, our business will be materially and adversely affected. |
· | Our products will make use of Li-ion battery cells, which, if not appropriately managed and controlled, have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame. |
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· | We have minimal experience servicing and repairing our vehicles. If we or our partners are unable to adequately service our vehicles, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. |
· | The automotive industry and its technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes which could adversely affect the demand for our vehicles or increase our operating costs. |
· | Product recall could hinder growth and product liability or other claims could have a material adverse effect on our business. |
Risks Related to Our Management
· | We are dependent upon our executives for their services and the loss of personnel may have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. |
· | Our management team does not have experience running a public company. |
· | Limitations of director liability and director and officer indemnification. |
· | Limitations on remedies; indemnification. |
Risks Related to this Offering, Our Capital Structure and Ownership of Class A Common Stock
· | You will incur immediate and substantial dilution. |
· | This is a best-efforts offering and there can be no assurance that it will be consummated or result in any proceeds. |
· | There is no public market for the Pre-Funded Warrants. |
· | The Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature. |
· | Holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants have no rights as stockholders until they acquire our Class A common stock. |
· | Management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering. |
· | The dual class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting power with members of our management team, which will limit your ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control. |
· | We cannot predict the impact our dual class structure may have on our stock price. |
· | We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules and, as a result, qualify for and rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. As a result, you do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that cannot rely on such exemptions and are subject to such requirements. |
· | Our Chief Executive Officer and majority stockholder may significantly influence matters to be voted on and their interest may differ from, or be adverse to, the interest of our other stockholders. |
· | The market price of our Class A common stock has fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate, significantly. |
· | We do not anticipate dividends to be paid on our Class A common stock and investors may lose the entire amount of their investment. |
· | We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies. |
· | We will incur significant additional costs as a result of being a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to compliance with our public company responsibilities and corporate governance practices. |
· | Our Bylaws include forum selection provisions, which could limit your ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us. |
· | Our Class A common stock may be delisted from Nasdaq if we do not maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. Delisting could effect the market price and liquidity of our Class A common stock and our ability to issue additional securities and raise additional capital would be adversely impacted |
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. Our business, prospects, financial condition, or operating results could be harmed by any of these risks, as well as other risks not known to us or that we consider immaterial as of the date of this prospectus. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and, as a result, you may lose all or part of your investment. Our actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in the sections of this prospectus entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
We are an early-stage company that has never turned a profit and there are no assurances that the Company will ever be profitable.
We are a relatively new company that was originally incorporated on November 9, 2016 under the name “Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc.” On May 12, 2023, we completed the Reorganization Merger, pursuant to which Nxu replaced Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc. as the publicly listed corporation. If you are investing in this company, it is because you think our products are innovative and differentiated and that our business model is a good idea, and we will be able to successfully grow our business and become profitable. We have yet to fully develop or sell any of our products. We are launching our Energy business and have yet to start mass manufacturing of battery cells and pack solutions. Currently, our efforts are focused on scaling our battery pilot production, on building and deploying our megawatt charging stations, primarily for testing our hardware and software, and on building and deploying our energy storage solutions. In the meantime, other companies could develop successful alternatives. We have never turned a profit and there is no assurance that we will ever be profitable.
We also have no history in the EV battery, charging, energy storage or in the automotive industry. Although we have taken significant steps in developing brand awareness, we are a new company and currently has no experience developing or selling battery technology. As such, it is possible that our lack of history in the industry may impact our brand, business, financial goals, operation performance, and products.
We should be considered a “Development Stage Company,” and our operations will be subject to all the risks inherent in the establishment of a new business enterprise, including, but not limited to, hurdles or barriers to the implementation of our business plans. Further, because there is no history of operations there is also no operating history from which to evaluate our executive management’s ability to manage our business and operations and achieve our goals or the likely performance of the Company. Prospective investors should also consider the fact that our management team has not previously developed or managed similar companies. No assurances can be given that we will be able to achieve or sustain profitability.
Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to evaluate our future business prospects.
We are a company with an extremely limited operating history and have not generated material revenue from sales of our products and services to date. As we continue to transition from research and development activities to production and sales, it is difficult, if not impossible, to forecast our future results, and we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. The estimated costs and timelines that we have developed to reach full scale commercial production are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties involved in the transition from a start-up company focused on research and development activities to the large-scale manufacture and sale of battery products, charging stations or energy storage solutions. There can be no assurance that our estimates related to the costs and timing necessary to complete the design and engineering of our products will prove accurate. These are complex processes that may be subject to delays, cost overruns and other unforeseen issues. In addition, we have engaged in limited marketing activities to date, so even if we are able to bring our other commercial products to market, on time and on budget, there can be no assurance that customers will embrace our products in significant numbers at the prices we establish. Market and geopolitical conditions, many of which are outside of our control and subject to change, including general economic conditions, the availability and terms of financing, the impacts and ongoing uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in the Ukraine, fuel and energy prices, regulatory requirements and incentives, competition, and the pace and extent of transition to electrification generally, will impact demand for our products, and ultimately our success.
Our ability to develop and manufacture battery and pack technologies, charging stations and energy storage solutions of sufficient quality and appeal to customers on schedule and on a large scale is unproven.
Our business depends largely on our ability to develop, manufacture, market, and sell our technology and products. Our production ramp may take longer than originally expected due to a number of reasons. The cascading impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently the conflict in Ukraine, have impacted our business and operations from facility construction to equipment installation to product component supply.
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We have not launched a production-intent product and do not anticipate making large scale deliveries in the near future. In conjunction with the launch of future products, we may need to manufacture our batteries and packs in increasingly higher volumes than our present production capabilities. We have no experience as an organization in high volume manufacturing. The continued development of and the ability to manufacture our products at scale will be subject to risks, including with respect to:
· | our ability to secure necessary funding; |
· | our ability to negotiate and execute definitive agreements, and maintain arrangements on reasonable terms, with our various suppliers for raw materials, hardware, software, or services necessary to engineer or manufacture parts or components; |
· | securing necessary components, services, or licenses on acceptable terms and in a timely manner; |
· | delays by us in delivering final component designs to our suppliers; |
· | our ability to accurately manufacture our products within specified design tolerances; |
· | quality controls, including within our manufacturing operations, that prove to be ineffective or inefficient; |
· | defects in design and/or manufacture that cause our batteries not to perform as expected or that require repair, field actions, including product recalls, and design changes; |
· | delays, disruptions, or increased costs in our supply chain, including raw material supplies; |
· | other delays, backlog in manufacturing and research and development of new models, and cost overruns; |
· | obtaining required regulatory approvals and certifications; |
· | compliance with environmental, safety, and similar regulations; and |
· | our ability to attract, recruit, hire, retain, and train skilled employees. |
Our ability to develop, manufacture, and obtain required regulatory approvals for products of sufficient quality and appeal to customers on schedule and on a large scale is unproven. Our battery products, charging stations, and energy storage solutions may not meet customer expectations and may not be commercially viable. To date, we have limited experience, as a company, designing, testing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling any of our products, including vehicles, and therefore cannot assure you that we will be able to meet customer expectations. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, as described in the notes to the financial statements. We plan to continue considering all avenues available to us in order to obtain the necessary capital to be able to continue as a going concern and to execute on our business objectives, including, but not limited to, debt financing, private placements and equity lines of credit. Our success is dependent upon achieving our strategic and financial objectives, including acquiring capital through public markets. At this time, we cannot assure investors that we will be able to obtain financing. If we fail to raise sufficient capital when needed, we will not be able to complete our business plan. As a result, we may have to liquidate the business and you may lose your investment.
Uncertainty exists as to whether our business will have sufficient funds over the next 12 months, thereby making an investment in us speculative.
We require additional financing to complete development and marketing of our NXU battery technology, megawatt charging stations, and energy storage solutions, and vehicle products until the products are in production and sufficient revenue can be generated for us to be self-sustaining. Our management projects that in order to effectively bring the products to market, it will require significant funding to cover costs required to get the battery assembly line up and running, and to develop a supply chain. In the event we are unable to generate sufficient revenues, and before all of the funds now held by us and obtained by us through this Offering are expended, an investment made in us may become worthless.
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If we cannot continue to raise further rounds of funding, we cannot succeed. We will require additional rounds of funding to complete development and begin mass shipments of our products. If we are unable to secure funding, we will be unable to succeed in our goal of developing solutions to enable transition to electrification by our target market. If we are unable to raise adequate financing, we will be unable to sustain operations for a prolonged period of time.
We expect to significantly increase our spending to advance the development of our products and services and launch and commercialize the products for commercial sale. We will require additional capital for the further development and commercialization of our products, as well as to fund our operating expenses and capital investments. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of one or more of our products and services. We may also seek collaborators for the products at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available. Any of these events could significantly harm our business, financial condition, and prospects.
The expected proceeds from this offering may never be realized. If only a small number of the shares of our Class A common stock offered hereby are sold, or if certain assumptions contained in the business plans prove to be incorrect, we may have inadequate funds to fully develop our business. Although we believe that the proceeds from this offering will help sustain our development process and business operations, there is no guarantee that the proceeds from this offering will adequately fund our business plan.
We rely on proprietary technology currently in development by us to meet product performance requirements.
We are developing proprietary technologies which are needed to meet targeted product performance requirements. The development of this technology may be impacted by unforeseen supplier, material, and technical risks which may delay product launches or change product performance expectations.
Even if we raise the maximum amount of proceeds in this offering, we need to raise additional capital to meet our future business requirements and such capital raising may be costly or difficult to obtain and could dilute current stockholders’ ownership interest.
We have relied upon cash from financing activities and in the future, we expect to rely on the proceeds from this offering, future debt and/or equity financings, and we hope to rely on revenues generated from operations to fund all or a portion of the cash requirements of our activities. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to generate any significant cash from our operating activities in the future. Future financing may not be available on a timely basis, in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any debt financing or other financing of securities senior to the Class A common stock will likely include financial and other covenants that will restrict our flexibility.
Any failure to comply with these covenants would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations because we could lose our existing sources of funding and impair our ability to secure new sources of funding. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to generate any investor interest in its securities. If we do not obtain additional financing, our goals may never be realized, in which case you would likely lose the entirety of your investment in us.
At this time, we have not secured or identified any additional financing. We do not have any firm commitments or other identified sources of additional capital from third parties or from our officer and director or from other stockholders. There can be no assurance that additional capital will be available to us, or that, if available, it will be on terms satisfactory to us. Any additional financing will involve dilution to our existing stockholders. If we do not obtain additional capital on terms satisfactory to us, or at all, it may cause us to delay, curtail, scale back or forgo some or all of our product development and/or business operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. In such a scenario, investors would be at risk of losing all or a part of any investment in our Company.
We have losses which we expect to continue into the future. There is no assurance our future operations will result in a profit. If we cannot generate sufficient revenues to operate profitably or we are unable to raise enough additional funds for operations, the stockholders will experience a decrease in value, and we may have to cease operations.
We are a development-stage technology company that began operating in and commenced research and development activities in 2016. As a recently formed “Development Stage Company”, we are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties of a new business, including the risk that we may never develop, complete development or market any of our products or services and we may never generate product or services related revenues. Accordingly, we have only a limited history upon which an evaluation of our prospects and future performance can be made. If we are unable to generate revenue, we will not become profitable, and we may be unable to continue our operations. Furthermore, our proposed operations are subject to all business risks associated with new enterprises. The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications, and delays frequently encountered in connection with the expansion of a business, operation in a competitive industry, and the continued development of advertising, promotions and a corresponding customer base. There can be no assurances that we will operate profitably.
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We expect to incur operating losses in future periods due to the high cost associated with developing electric vehicle battery technologies from the ground up. We cannot be sure that we will be successful in generating revenues in the near future and in the event we are unable to generate sufficient revenues or raise additional funds we will analyze all avenues of business opportunities. Management may consider a merger, acquisition, joint venture, strategic alliance, a roll-up, or other business combination to increase business and potentially increase the liquidity of the Company. Such a business combination may ultimately fail, decreasing the liquidity of the Company and stockholder value or cause us to cease operations, and investors would be at risk of losing all or part of their investment in us.
Risks of operations.
Our future operating results may be volatile, difficult to predict and may fluctuate significantly in the future due to a variety of factors, many of which may be outside of our control. Due to the nature of our target market, we may be unable to accurately forecast our future revenues and operating results. Furthermore, our failure to generate revenues would prevent us from achieving and maintaining profitability. There are no assurances that we can generate significant revenue or achieve profitability. We anticipate having a sizeable amount of fixed expenses, and we expect to incur losses due to the execution of our business strategy, continued development efforts and related expenses. As a result, we will need to generate significant revenues while containing costs and operating expenses if we are to achieve profitability. We cannot be certain that we will ever achieve sufficient revenue levels to achieve profitability.
Competition may crowd the market.
We face significant barriers in the development of competitive products in a crowded market space. We face significant technical, resource, and financial barriers in development of a battery technology intended to compete in a crowded battery, charging and energy storage space. Incumbents, also known as legacy manufacturers, have substantially deeper pockets, larger pools of resources, and more significant manufacturing experience. We will need to contract with development partners who may have existing relationships with incumbent manufacturers, these relationships may pose a significant risk in our ability to successfully develop this program. We believe that our products are sufficiently differentiated from all currently announced battery, charging and energy storage solutions. However, we have a lot of work to do before we reach production. There is a chance that other competitors may release similar or better products before we exit the research and development phase. If that were to happen, it will be exceedingly difficult to penetrate the market.
In order to be competitive, we must have the ability to respond promptly and efficiently to the ever-changing marketplace. There are several potential competitors who are better positioned than we are to take the market at an earlier time than us. We will compete with larger, established battery cell and pack manufacturers who currently have products on the market and/or various respective product development programs. Similarly, there are many legacy companies and new, better capitalized firms seeking to penetrate the charging infrastructure and energy storage solution space. These companies have much better financial means and marketing/sales and human resources than us. They may succeed in developing and marketing competing equivalent products earlier than us, or superior products than those developed by us. There can be no assurance that competitors will not render our technology or products obsolete or that the products developed by us will be preferred to any existing or newly developed technologies. It should further be assumed that that competition will intensify. Our success depends on our ability to continuously raise funding, keep costs under control, and properly execute delivery of our products.
We are dependent on our existing suppliers, a significant number of which are single or limited source suppliers and are also dependent on our ability to source suppliers, for our critical components, and to complete the development of our supply chain, while effectively managing the risks due to such relationships.
Our success will be dependent upon our ability to enter into supplier agreements and maintain our relationships with existing suppliers who are critical and necessary to the output and production of our products. The supply agreements we have, and may enter into with suppliers in the future, may have provisions where such agreements can be terminated in various circumstances, including potentially without cause. In the ordinary course of our business, we currently have, and may in the future have, legal disputes with our suppliers, including litigation to enforce such supply agreements, which would adversely affect our ability to source components from such suppliers. If our suppliers become unable or unwilling to provide, or experience delays in providing, components, or if the supply agreements we have in place are terminated, or if any such litigation to enforce our supply agreements is not resolved in our favor, it may be difficult to find replacement components. Additionally, our products contain thousands of parts that we purchase from hundreds of mostly single- or limited-source suppliers, for which no immediate or readily available alternative supplier exists. Due to scarce natural resources or other component availability constraints, we may not receive the full allocation of parts we have requested from a particular supplier due to supplier allocation decisions which are outside our control. While we believe that we would be able to establish alternate supply relationships and can obtain or engineer replacement components for our single source components, we may be unable to do so in the short term (or at all) at prices or quality levels that are acceptable to us. Further, any such alternative suppliers may be located a long distance from our manufacturing facilities, which may lead to increased costs or delays. In addition, as we evaluate opportunities and take steps to insource certain components and parts, supply arrangements with current or future suppliers (with respect to other components and parts offered by such suppliers) may be available on less favorable terms or not at all. Changes in business or macroeconomic conditions, governmental regulations, and other factors beyond our control or that we do not presently anticipate could affect our ability to receive components from our suppliers. The unavailability of any component or supplier has resulted, and could in the future result in production delays, idle manufacturing facilities, product design changes, and loss of access to important technology and tools for producing and supporting our products and services.
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In addition, if our suppliers experience substantial financial difficulties, cease operations, or otherwise face business disruptions, we would be required to take measures to ensure components and materials remain available. Any disruption could affect our ability to deliver products and could increase our costs and negatively affect our liquidity and financial performance.
If a supplied product component becomes the subject of a field action, including a product recall, we would be required to find an alternative component, which could increase our costs and cause production delays. Additionally, we may become subject to costly litigation surrounding the component.
If we do not enter into long-term supply agreements with guaranteed pricing for our parts or components, or if those long-term supply agreements are not honored by our suppliers, we may be exposed to fluctuations in prices of components, materials, and equipment. Agreements for the purchase of battery cells contain or are likely to contain pricing provisions that are subject to adjustments based on changes in market prices of key commodities. Substantial increases in the prices for such components, materials, and equipment would increase our operating costs and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs. Increasing the announced or expected prices of our products in response to increased costs has previously been viewed negatively by our potential customers, and any future attempts to increase prices could have similar results, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
There are complex software and technology systems that need to be developed by us and in coordination with vendors and suppliers to reach mass production for our products, and there can be no assurance such systems will be successfully developed or integrated.
Our high-tech products and operations will use a substantial amount of complex third-party and in-house software and hardware. The development and integration of such advanced technologies are inherently complex, and we will need to coordinate with our vendors and suppliers to reach mass production for our products. Defects and errors may be revealed over time and our control over the performance of third-party services and systems may be limited. Thus, our potential inability to develop and integrate the necessary software and technology systems may harm our competitive position.
We rely on third-party suppliers to develop a number of emerging technologies for use in our products. Certain of these technologies are not today, and may not ever be, commercially viable. There can be no assurances that our suppliers will be able to meet the technological requirements, production timing, and volume requirements to support our business plan. Furthermore, if we experience delays by our third-party suppliers, we could experience delays in delivering on our timelines. In addition, the technology may not comply with the cost, performance useful life, and warranty characteristics we anticipate in our business plan. As a result, our business plan could be significantly impacted and we may incur significant liabilities under warranty claims which could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We are in the development stages of many of our products, which face technical, significant cost, and regulatory challenges we may not be able to overcome.
Many of our products are in the development stages and have not yet reached commercialization status. These products may face technical, significant costs, and regulatory challenges we may be unable to overcome. Failure to meet these standards may interfere with our ability to commercialize our products and have a negative and material impact on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of our operation.
We may experience difficulty scaling up manufacturing of our products.
Electric vehicle battery and charging infrastructure technology is changing rapidly. Simultaneously, the large-scale focus on electric energy storage solutions has attracted both legacy and new firms to enter the market. There is significant development and investment into electrification technology being made today. Such rapidly changing technology conditions may adversely affect our ability to become a market leader, provide superior product performance, and an outstanding customer experience. If we are unable to control the cost of development, cost of manufacturing, and cost of operations, we may be substantially affected. If we are unable to maintain substantially lower cost of manufacturing, developing, design, distributing, and maintaining our products, we may incur significant cost increases which can be material to the operation of our business. We have made and will continue to make substantial investments into our development, such investments may have unforeseen costs that we have been unable to accurately predict, which may significantly impact our ability to execute our business as planned. The supply chain impacting the purchase of our product components and raw materials is subject to conditions outside our control and as such, these conditions may substantially affect our business, product, brand, operational, and financial goals.
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We will continuously and diligently work towards obtaining multiple sources of materials and components to mitigate risk in our supply chain. However, it is possible that specific components or solutions required to manufacture our products may be subject to intellectual property, material availability, or expertise owned solely by a single supplier. A condition such as a single source supplier may hinder our ability to secure the cost, schedule, and long-term viability of our products.
We may not achieve our projected development goals in the time frames we announce and expect due to unforeseen factors.
Our business success, timeline, and milestones are estimated. Our production projections, sales volume, and cost models are only estimates. We produced these estimates based on existing business models of successful and unsuccessful efforts of other companies within the battery technology, charging infrastructure, energy storage and automotive industries. All such projections and timeline estimations may change as we continue in the development and scaling of our products.
We are currently in the development phase of our products and have not yet started manufacturing and sales. Cost overruns, scheduling delays, and failure to meet product performance goals may be caused by, but not limited to, unidentified technical hurdles, delays in material shipments, and regulatory hurdles. We may experience delays in the design and manufacturing of our products. We may experience significant delays in bringing our products to market due to design considerations, technical challenges, material availability, manufacturing complications, and regulatory considerations. Such delays could materially damage our brand, business, financial goals, operation results, and product development and delivery.
A significant interruption of our information technology systems or the loss of confidential or other sensitive data, including cybersecurity risks, could have a material adverse impact on our operations and financial results.
Given our reliance on information technology (our own and our third-party providers’), a significant interruption in the availability of information technology, regardless of the cause, or the loss of confidential, personal, or proprietary information (whether our own, our employees’, our suppliers’, or our customers’), regardless of the cause, could negatively impact our operations. While we have invested in the protection of our data and information technology to reduce these risks and routinely test the security of our information systems network, we cannot be assured that our efforts will prevent breakdowns or breaches in our systems that could adversely affect our business. Management is not aware of a cybersecurity incident that has had a material adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations; however, we could suffer material financial or other losses in the future and we are not able to predict the severity of these attacks. The occurrence of a cyber-attack, breach, unauthorized access, misuse, computer virus or other malicious code or other cybersecurity event could jeopardize or result in the unauthorized disclosure, gathering, monitoring, misuse, corruption, loss or destruction of confidential and other information that belongs to us, our customers, our counterparties, or third-party suppliers and providers that is processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks. The occurrence of such an event could also result in damage to our software, computers or systems, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our, our customers’, our counterparties’ or third parties’ operations. This could result in loss of customers and business opportunities, reputational damage, litigation, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. As part of our regular review of potential risks, we analyze emerging cybersecurity threats to us and our third-party suppliers and providers as well as our plans and strategies to address them. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), which has oversight responsibility for cybersecurity risks, is regularly briefed by management on such analyses.
Rising interest rates may adversely impact our business.
Due to recent increases in inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve has significantly raised, and may continue to raise, its benchmark interest rates. An increase in the federal benchmark rate has resulted in an increase in market interest rates, which may increase our interest expense under any future borrowings. Consequently, rising interest rates may increase our cost of capital. We have incurred certain debt obligations in the ordinary course of our business and may incur additional indebtedness in the future. Due to interest rate increases resulting from the current global economic environment, our ability to issue new debt may be adversely impacted. As a result, we cannot be certain that additional funding will be available if needed and, to the extent required, on acceptable terms, which could have an adverse effect on us. Increased borrowing costs may also limit our customers’ ability to purchase our products in the future, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Inflation has resulted in increased costs of operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the market price of our common stock.
Inflation has accelerated in the United States and globally due in part to global supply chain issues, the Ukraine-Russia war, a rise in energy prices, and strong consumer demand as economies continue to reopen from restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The inflationary environment has increased our cost of labor, as well as our other operating costs, which may have a material adverse impact on our financial results. In addition, economic conditions could impact and reduce the number of customers who purchase our products as credit becomes more expensive or unavailable. Although interest rates have increased and are expected to increase further, inflation may continue. Further, increased interest rates could have a negative effect on the securities markets generally which may, in turn, have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
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We may face regulatory challenges.
We are substantially at risk of unfavorable governmental regulations. Li-ion batteries and derivative products are subject to substantial regulation under international, federal, state, local and foreign laws regarding safety, performance, and import regulations. The Qcell, Qube, megawatt charging station and, eventually, the vehicle products will need to comply with many governmental standards and regulations relating to safety, environmental, trade, performance and end-of life regulations. Compliance with all of these requirements may delay our production launch, thereby adversely affecting our business and financial condition.
Additionally, there is a chance that some economically advantageous governmental incentives or subsidies will be removed or repealed before our product reaches production. Such changes to the governmental regulatory structure could have an adverse effect on profitability.
We have no proven history of achieving the necessary regulatory requirements.
We have not yet received regulatory approval for our NXU Cell, NXU Battery, or vehicle products. We may face significant technical challenges in achieving regulatory approval that may impact our ability to continue operations.
Many of the required regulatory approvals may require significant cost and time. We may need to raise additional capital to achieve regulatory approvals for our products. Failure to raise the needed capital required may have an impact on our ability to continue operations.
If we cannot continue to innovate, our projected revenue growth rate and profits may be reduced.
To successfully develop and grow our business, we must develop, distribute and commercialize our products, secure strategic partnerships with various businesses, and bring our products to market on schedule and in a profitable manner, as well as spend time and resources on the development of future products, services and business strategies that are complementary to our initial products and business plan. Delays or failures in the launch of our products could hurt our ability to meet our growth objectives, which may affect our financial projections and may impact our stock price. Moreover, if we are unable to continually develop and evolve our business strategy and launch additional products and services in the future, our business will be entirely dependent on the success of the technology and solutions we are developing today and this could hinder our ability to stay relevant and to pursue growth. We cannot guarantee that any of our planned products will be able to achieve our expansion goals alone. Our ability to expand successfully will depend on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control.
The success of our business depends on attracting and retaining a large number of customers. If we are unable to do so, we will not be able to achieve profitability.
Our success depends on attracting a large number of potential customers to purchase our products and the associated services we will provide to those customers. If our customers do not perceive our products and services to be of sufficiently high value and quality, cost competitive and appealing in aesthetics or performance, we may not be able to retain our customers or attract new customers, and our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows would suffer as a result. In addition, we may incur significantly higher and more sustained advertising and promotional expenditures than we have previously incurred to attract customers. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining a large number of consumer and commercial customers. If, for any of these reasons, we are not able to attract and maintain consumer and commercial customers, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows would be materially harmed.
We may have difficulty protecting our intellectual property.
Our pending patents and other intellectual property could be unenforceable or ineffective once patent reviews are completed. We anticipate patent review completion and patents issued in calendar years 2021, 2022, and 2023 based on the typical two-year process between filing and issuing. We have continued to file patent applications during 2023 and plan to continue filing new patents over time. We have filed these patents privately and the scope of what they cover remains confidential until they are issued. For any company creating brand new products, it is imperative to protect the proprietary intellectual property to maintain a competitive advantage. There is no doubt that a significant portion of our current value depends on the strength and imperviousness of these pending patents. We intend to continue to file additional patent applications and build our intellectual property portfolio as we discover new technologies related to the development of advanced electric vehicle batteries, battery pack technologies, megawatt charging, energy storage solutions and plug-in electric vehicles.
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We believe that intellectual property will be critical to our success, and that we will rely on trademark, copyright and patent law, trade secret protection and confidentiality and/or license agreements to protect our proprietary rights. If we are not successful in protecting our intellectual property, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. While we believe that we will be issued trademarks, patents and pending patent applications help to protect our business, there can be no assurance that our operations do not, or will not, infringe valid, enforceable third-party patents of third parties or that competitors will not devise new methods of competing with us that are not covered by our anticipated patent applications. There can also be no assurance that our patent applications will be approved, that any patents issued will adequately protect our intellectual property, or that such patents will not be challenged by third parties or found to be invalid or unenforceable or that our patents will be effective in preventing third parties from utilizing a copycat business model to offer the same service in one or more categories. Moreover, it is intended that we will rely on intellectual property and technology developed or licensed by third parties, and we may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these third parties at all or on reasonable terms. Effective trademark, service mark, copyright and trade secret protection may not be available in every country in which our intended services will be provided. The laws of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. and, therefore, in certain jurisdictions, we may be unable to protect our proprietary technology adequately against unauthorized third party copying or use, which could adversely affect our competitive position. We expect to license in the future, certain proprietary rights, such as trademarks or copyrighted material, to third parties. These licensees may take actions that might diminish the value of our proprietary rights or harm our reputation, even if we have agreements prohibiting such activity. Also, to the extent third parties are obligated to indemnify us for breaches of our intellectual property rights, these third parties may be unable to meet these obligations. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other provisions during the patent process. There are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, competitors might be able to enter the market earlier than would otherwise have been the case, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Intellectual property protection is costly.
Filing, prosecuting and defending patents related to our products and software throughout the world is prohibitively expensive. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but where enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products in jurisdictions where we do not have any issued or licensed patents and our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from so competing. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to technology, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial cost and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business.
Confidentiality agreements may not adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.
We anticipate that a substantial amount of our processes and technologies will be protected by trade secret laws. To protect these technologies and processes, we intend to rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, licensees, independent contractors and other advisors. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information, including trade secrets, and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information, and in such cases, we could not assert any trade secret rights against such parties. To the extent that our employees, contractors or other third parties with which we do business use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions. Laws regarding trade secret rights in certain markets in which we operate may afford little or no protection to our trade secrets. The loss of trade secret protection could make it easier for third parties to compete with our products and related future products and services by copying functionality, among other things. In addition, any changes in, or unexpected interpretations of, the trade secret and other intellectual property laws in any country in which we operate may compromise our ability to enforce our trade secret and intellectual property rights. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our business, revenue, reputation and competitive position.
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Failure to comply with federal and state privacy laws could adversely affect our business.
A variety of federal and state laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, sharing and security of consumer data. The existing privacy-related laws and regulations are evolving and subject to potentially differing interpretations. In addition, various federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory bodies may expand current or enact new laws regarding privacy matters. Several internet companies have recently incurred penalties for failing to abide by the representations made in their privacy policies and practices. In addition, several states have adopted legislation that requires businesses to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices to protect sensitive personal information and to provide notice to consumers in the event of a security breach. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with our posted privacy policies or with any data-related consent orders, Federal Trade Commission requirements or orders or other federal, state or international privacy or consumer protection-related laws, regulations or industry self-regulatory principles could result in claims, proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others or other liabilities, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, a failure or perceived failure to comply with industry standards or with our own privacy policies and practices could adversely affect our business. Federal and state governmental authorities continue to evaluate the privacy implications inherent in the use of third-party web “cookies” for behavioral advertising. The regulation of these cookies and other current online advertising practices could adversely affect our business.
Our business could be adversely affected by a downturn in the economy and/or manufacturing.
We are dependent upon the continued demand for electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, energy storage solutions and battery technology, making our business susceptible to a downturn in the economy or in manufacturing. For example, a decrease in the number of individuals investing their money in the equity markets could result in a decrease in the number of companies deciding to become or remain public. This downturn could have a material adverse effect on our business, our ability to raise funds, our production, and ultimately our overall financial condition.
Our business would be adversely affected if we are not able to create and develop an effective sales function, processes and build an effective sales force.
Because a significant component of our growth strategy relates to increasing our revenues through sales to companies and individuals subject to the SEC disclosure and reporting requirements, our business would be adversely affected if we were unable to develop and maintain an effective sales channels, processes and technologies to market our products to consumers across all available channels. Additionally, we currently do not employ any sales staff to sell our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, especially if we are unable to grow our sales team effectively.
We may not be able to successfully manage our growth.
We could experience growth over a short period of time, which could put a significant strain on our managerial, operational and financial resources. We must implement and constantly improve our certification processes and hire, train and manage qualified personnel to manage such growth. We have limited resources and may be unable to manage our growth. Our business strategy is based on the assumption that our customer base, geographic coverage and service offerings will increase. If this occurs it will place a significant strain on our managerial, operational, and financial resources. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, our business will be adversely affected. As part of this growth, we may have to implement new operational, manufacturing, and financial systems and procedures and controls to expand, train and manage our employees, especially in the areas of manufacturing and sales. If we fail to develop and maintain our people and processes as we experience our anticipated growth, demand for our products and our revenues could decrease.
We may not be able to keep up with rapid technological changes.
To remain competitive, we must continue to enhance our products and software. The evolving nature of the electric vehicle industry, including products such as batteries, charging infrastructure, energy storage solutions and vehicles, is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent new product and service introductions and the emergence of new industry standards and practices. Rapid changes could render our existing systems, software, and services obsolete. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to develop, innovate, license or acquire leading technologies useful in our business, enhance our existing solutions, develop new solutions and technology that address the increasingly sophisticated and varied needs of our current and prospective customers, and respond to technological advances and emerging industry and regulatory standards and practices in a cost-effective and timely manner. Future advances in technology may not be beneficial to, or compatible with, our business. Furthermore, we may not successfully use new technologies effectively or adapt our proprietary technology and hardware to emerging industry standards on a timely basis. Our ability to remain technologically competitive may require substantial expenditures and lead time. If we are unable to adapt in a timely manner to changing market conditions or user requirements, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be seriously harmed.
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If we do not successfully establish and maintain our Company as a highly trusted and respected name for our products, our projected revenues would be impacted, which could significantly affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In order to attract and retain a client base and increase business, we must establish, maintain and strengthen our name and the services we provide. In order to be successful in establishing our reputation, clients must perceive us as a trusted source for quality services. If we are unable to attract and retain clients with our current marketing plans, we may not be able to successfully establish our name and reputation, which could significantly affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to risks of borrowing.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have incurred certain debt obligations in the ordinary course of our business. Should we obtain secure bank debt in the future, possible risks could arise. If we incur additional indebtedness, a portion of our future revenues will have to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on such indebtedness. Typical loan agreements also might contain restrictive covenants, which may impair our operating flexibility. Such loan agreements would also provide for default under certain circumstances, such as failure to meet certain financial covenants. A default under a loan agreement could result in the loan becoming immediately due and payable and, if unpaid, a judgment in favor of such lender which would be senior to our rights. A judgment creditor would have the right to foreclose on any of our assets resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, ability to generate revenue, operating results or financial condition.
We may encounter unanticipated obstacles.
Our business plan may change significantly. Many of our potential business endeavors are capital intensive and may be subject to statutory or regulatory requirements. Our Board believes that the chosen activities and strategies are achievable in light of current economic and legal conditions with the skills, background, and knowledge of our principals and advisors. Our Board reserve the right to make significant modifications to our stated strategies depending on future events.
We may be subject to unforeseen delays or failures that are caused by force majeure events beyond our control.
Our business is uniquely susceptible to unforeseen delays or failures that are caused by forces of nature and related circumstances. These factors are outside and beyond our control. The delay or failure to complete the development and testing of our products and the commercial release of related services may be due to any act of God, fire, war, terrorism, flood, strike, labor dispute, disaster, transportation or laboratory difficulties or any similar or dissimilar event beyond our control. We will not be held liable to any stockholder in the event of any such failure. However, a court of competent jurisdiction may determine that we are still liable to stockholders for catastrophic failures proximately caused by forces of nature outside of our control. If such a court so decides, we may have significant stockholder liability exposure.
We have and may continue to be adversely impacted by macroeconomic conditions resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Our business, results of operations, and financial condition have been, and may continue to be, adversely impacted in material respects by COVID-19 and by related government actions (including declared states of emergency and quarantine, “shelter in place” orders, or similar orders), non-governmental organization recommendations, and public perceptions, all of which have led and may continue to lead to disruption in global economic and labor markets. These effects have had a significant impact on our business, including reduced demand for our products and workforce solutions, early terminations or reductions in projects, hiring freezes, and a shift of a portion of our workforce to remote operations, all of which have contributed to a decline in revenues and other significant adverse impacts on our financial results. Other potential impacts of COVID-19 may include continued or expanded closures or reductions of operations with respect to our supplier partners’ and customer operations or facilities, the possibility our customers will not order and will not be able to pay for our products, or that they will attempt to defer payments owed to us, either of which could materially impact our liquidity, the possibility that the uncertain nature of the pandemic may not yield the increase in certain of our workforce solutions that we have historically observed during periods of economic downturn, and the possibility that various government-sponsored programs to provide economic relief may be inadequate. Further, we may continue to experience adverse financial impacts, some of which may be material, if we cannot offset revenue declines with cost savings through expense-related initiatives, human capital management initiatives, or otherwise.
Some of our suppliers and partners also experienced temporary suspensions before resuming. Reduced operations or closures at government offices, motor vehicle departments and municipal and utility company inspectors have resulted in challenges in or postponements for product manufacturing and sales. Global trade conditions and consumer trends may further adversely impact us and our industries. For example, pandemic-related issues have exacerbated port congestion and intermittent supplier shutdowns and delays, resulting in additional expenses to expedite delivery of critical parts. Sustaining our production will require the readiness and solvency of our suppliers and vendors, a stable and motivated production workforce and ongoing government cooperation.
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We cannot predict the duration or direction of current global trends, the sustained impact of which is largely unknown, is rapidly evolving and has varied across geographic regions. Ultimately, we continue to monitor macroeconomic conditions to remain flexible and to optimize and evolve our business as appropriate,
The preparation of our financial statements requires estimates, judgments and assumptions that are inherently uncertain.
Financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) typically require the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts. Often, different estimates, judgments and assumptions could reasonably be used that would have a material effect on such financial statements, and changes in these estimates, judgments and assumptions may occur from period to period over time. These estimates, judgments and assumptions are inherently uncertain and, if our estimates were to prove to be wrong, we would face the risk that charges to income or other financial statement changes or adjustments would be required. Any such charges or changes could harm our business, including our financial condition and results of operations and the price of our securities. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a discussion of the accounting estimates, judgments and assumptions that we believe are the most critical to an understanding of our consolidated financial statements and our business.
We may be unable to meet our capital requirements.
Our capital requirements depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to the rate and success of our research and development efforts, marketing efforts, market acceptance of our products, our ability to establish and maintain our agreements with suppliers, our ability to ramp up production, product demand and other factors. The capital requirements relating to development of our technology and the implementation of our business plan will be significant. We cannot accurately predict the timing and amount of such capital requirements. However, we are dependent on the proceeds of this offering as well as additional financing that will be required in order to develop our products and fully implement our proposed business plans.
However, in the event that our plans change, or our assumptions change or prove to be inaccurate, or if the proceeds of from offering prove to be insufficient to implement our business plan, we would be required to seek additional financing sooner than currently anticipated. There can be no assurance that any such financing will be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Furthermore, any additional equity financing may dilute the equity interests of our existing stockholders (including those purchasing Shares pursuant to this offering), and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants with respect to dividends, raising future capital and other financial and operational matters. If we are unable to obtain additional financing as and when needed, we may be required to reduce the scope of our operations or our anticipated business plans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, future operating results and financial condition.
If we pursue strategic investments, they may result in losses.
We may elect periodically to make strategic investments in various public and private companies with businesses or technologies that may complement our business. The market values of these strategic investments may fluctuate due to market conditions and other conditions over which we have no control. Other-than-temporary declines in the market price and valuations of the securities that we hold in other companies would require us to record losses related to our investment. This could result in future charges to our earnings. It is uncertain whether or not we will realize any long-term benefits associated with these strategic investments.
Our ability to utilize loss carry forwards may be limited.
Generally, a change of more than fifty percent (50%) in the ownership of a company’s stock, by value, over a three-year period constitutes an ownership change for U.S. federal income tax purposes. An ownership change may limit our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards attributable to the period prior to the change. As a result, if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change net operating loss carryforwards to offset U.S. federal taxable income may become subject to limitations.
Events of default have occurred under our convertible notes and the outstanding principal balance of the convertible notes and accrued and unpaid interest thereon may become immediately due and payable.
On April 11, 2023, we received a notice of non-compliance from Nasdaq stating that we are not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on Nasdaq. On August 29, 2023, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that the Company’s reported stockholders’ equity no longer meets the minimum stockholders’ equity of $2,500,000 required for continued listing of the Company’s Class A common stock on Nasdaq under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). We determined that the notices of non-compliance constituted events of default under our outstanding convertible notes. As a result of the events of default, unless waived by the Investors, the convertible notes began accruing default interest at a rate of 10% per annum and we are obligated to pay to the Investors 100% of the sum of (x) the outstanding principal of the notes as of April 11, 2023 and (y) accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Investors have the option to instead convert the amount due and payable under the event of default, including at an alternative conversion price as described in the convertible notes. If we are required to pay the outstanding principal amount of the convertible notes and accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the holders, we will be able to do so using available cash on hand, but our financial condition will be adversely impacted and we may not have sufficient funds to operate our business and develop our products as planned.
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RISKS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF OUR PRODUCTS
If our battery cells fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market, and license our technology could be harmed.
The performance of our battery cells are integral to the success of our business. Our battery cell architecture is inherently complex and incorporates technology and components that have not been used in commercial battery cell production. We anticipate that our research and development efforts will be an iterative process. The continuous need to refine and optimize our products will require us to continue to perform extensive and costly research and development efforts even after the initial delivery of our cells. For instance, we may learn that our cells contain defects or errors that cause the cells not to perform as expected or otherwise does not meet the quality or performance requirements of our customers. Fixing any such problems may require design changes or other research and development efforts, take significant time and can be costly. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any defects. If our battery cell design fails to perform as expected, we could lose contracts and customers. In addition, because we have a limited frame of reference from which to evaluate the long-term performance of our battery cell designs, it is possible that issues or problems will arise once our technology has been deployed for a longer period. If our customers determine our technology does not perform as expected, they may delay deliveries, terminate further orders, or initiate product recalls, each of which could adversely affect our business, prospects, and results of operations, and our ability to develop, market and license our technology could be harmed.
Our success depends on our ability to manufacture battery cells and packs at volume and with acceptable performance, yield and costs.
In order to be commercially viable, our battery cells and packs will need to be capable of being produced at a high yield without compromising performance, and in a way that is scalable and at an acceptable cost. We will also need to do in a manner that yields acceptable performance and at anticipated costs. We may encounter challenges that slow down our ability to manufacture our battery cells and packs on our anticipated timeline. Any such challenges in our ability to equip and construct manufacturing facilities and develop and increase production capacity timely, within budget, and in a cost-effective manner may prohibit our ability to grow the business. If we are not able to overcome these manufacturing hurdles, we may not succeed as needed to continue our business and it may result in damage to our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and brand.
Our reliance on complex machinery to scale operations and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance and costs.
We rely heavily on complex machinery for our operations, and our production will involve a significant degree of uncertainty and risk in terms of operational performance and costs. Our manufacturing facility consists of large-scale machinery combining many components. The manufacturing facility components are likely to suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time and will depend on repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be available when needed. Unexpected malfunctions of the manufacturing plant components may significantly affect the intended operational efficiency. Operational performance and costs can be difficult to predict and are often influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, environmental hazards and remediation, costs associated with decommissioning of machines, difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental permits, damages or defects in electronic systems, industrial accidents, fire, and seismic activity and natural disasters. Should operational risks materialize, it may result in the personal injury to or death of workers, the loss of production equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production, environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs and potential legal liabilities, all which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
We may not be able to build and scale our charging stations and energy storage solutions as expected.
Our success depends on our ability to build and scale our charging stations and energy storage solutions, as well as introduce a variety of new product offerings to address the changing needs of the EV charging market. We cannot guarantee that our charging stations and energy storage solutions will be released in a timely manner, or at all, or achieve market acceptance. As EV technologies change or governmental regulations impose new requirements on EV charging technology, we may need to upgrade or adapt our charging station technology and energy storage solutions and introduce new products and services in order to serve vehicles that have the latest technology, which could involve substantial costs. We may also incur additional costs and expenses related to new product transitions such as adverse impacts due to supply chain failures to procure sufficient new product components, purchase price variances, or inventory obsolescence costs related to new product transitions, including as the result of any failure on our part to meet our own estimates and projections. In addition, new or changing state or federal regulations may result in delays related to the development of new products or modifications to existing products in order to come into compliance and any such delays may result in customer’s selecting alternative providers or result in delays related to our ability to install, sell or distribute our charging station technology and energy storage solutions.
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If we are unable to devote adequate resources to building and scaling our charging stations and energy storage solutions as expected to meet customer and regulatory requirements on a timely basis or that remain competitive with technological alternatives, our business and prospects may be adversely affected.
The future growth and success of our charging stations is highly correlated with and thus dependent upon the continuing rapid adoption of EVs.
Our future growth is highly dependent upon the adoption of EVs by businesses and consumers. The market for EVs is still rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, competitive pricing and competitive factors, evolving government regulation and industry standards and changing consumer demands and behaviors, changing levels of concern related to environmental issues and governmental initiatives related to energy independence, climate change and the environment generally. Although demand for EVs has grown in recent years, there is no guarantee of continuing future demand. If the market for EVs develops more slowly than expected, or if demand for EVs decreases, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results would be harmed. The market for EVs could be affected by numerous factors, including perceptions about EV features, quality, safety, performance and cost; perceptions about the limited range over which EVs may be driven on a single battery charge; competition, including from other types of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and high fuel-economy internal combustion engine vehicles; volatility in the cost of oil and gasoline, including as a result of trade restrictions; concerns regarding the reliability and stability of the electrical grid; the change in an EV battery’s ability to hold a charge over time; the availability and reliability of a national electric vehicle charging network or infrastructure; availability of maintenance and repair services for EVs; consumers’ perception about the convenience and cost of charging EVs; increases in fuel efficiency of non-electric vehicles; government regulations and economic incentives, including adverse changes in, or expiration of, favorable tax incentives related to EVs, EV charging stations or decarbonization generally; relaxation of government mandates or quotas regarding the sale of EVs; and concerns about the future viability of EV manufacturers.
In addition, sales of vehicles in the automotive industry can be cyclical, which may affect growth in acceptance of EVs. It is uncertain how macroeconomic factors will impact demand for EVs, particularly since EVs can be more expensive than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, when the automotive industry globally has been experiencing a recent decline in sales. Furthermore, because fleet operators often make large purchases of EVs, this cyclicality and volatility in the automotive industry may be more pronounced with commercial purchasers, and any significant decline in demand from these customers could reduce demand for EV charging and our products in particular.
Demand for EVs may also be affected by factors directly impacting automobile prices or the cost of purchasing and operating automobiles, such as sales and financing incentives, prices of raw materials and parts and components, cost of fuel and governmental regulations, including tariffs, import regulation and other taxes. Volatility in demand or delays in EV production due to global supply chain constraints may lead to lower vehicle unit sales, which may result in reduced demand for EV charging solutions and therefore adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
We currently face competition from a number of companies and expect to face significant competition in the future as the market for EV battery, charging and energy storage solutions develops.
The EV market and battery segment are highly competitive and rapidly evolving, with new technologies and potential new entrants emerging frequently. Several major manufacturers currently supply batteries for the EV industry, including Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, LG Energy Solutions, and BYD Co. Limited. These companies primarily supply conventional Li-ion batteries and are also working on developing new solid-state battery technologies, including potentially lithium-metal batteries. In addition to these established players, many new entrants and automotive OEMs are also investing in battery development and production, with some researching and developing solid-state battery technologies. For example, Quantumscape and Solid Power are developing solid-state batteries while Tesla, Inc. is building multiple battery gigafactories and has the potential to supply batteries to other automotive OEMs. Overall, the competitive landscape of the EV battery market is likely to continue evolving, with new technologies and players emerging over time. We will need to be nimble and responsive to these changes to remain competitive and successful.
Similarly, the competitive landscape for energy storage products is rapidly evolving, with new technologies and players entering the market. Currently, major companies supplying batteries for energy storage systems include Panasonic Corporation, LG Energy Solutions, Samsung SDI, and Tesla, Inc. In addition to established players, there are many startups and smaller companies that are developing new energy storage technologies, such as flow batteries, solid-state batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. Large energy companies, such as Total, Shell, and Enel, are also entering the market and investing in energy storage projects. The competitive landscape for energy storage products is expected to remain highly dynamic, with new technologies and players emerging over time, driven by factors such as declining costs, increasing demand for renewable energy, and government incentives.
This competition may also materialize in the form of costly intellectual property disputes or litigation involving our Company. If we fail to adapt to changing market conditions or compete successfully with competitors, our growth will be limited, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations.
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The automotive market is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry.
Both the automobile industry generally, and the electric vehicle segment in particular, are highly competitive, and we will be competing for sales with both electric vehicle manufacturers and traditional automotive companies, including those who have announced consumer and commercial vehicles that may be directly competitive to ours. Many of our current and potential competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical, manufacturing, marketing, or other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the design, development, manufacturing, distribution, promotion, sale, and support of their products than we may devote to our products. We expect competition for electric vehicles to intensify due to increased demand and a regulatory push for alternative fuel vehicles, continuing globalization, and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry, as well as the recent significant increase in oil and gasoline prices. In addition, as fleet operators begin transitioning to electric vehicles on a mass scale, we expect that more competitors will enter the commercial fleet electric vehicle market. Further, as a result of new entrants in the commercial fleet electric vehicle market, we may experience increased competition for components and other parts of our vehicles, which may have limited or single-source supply.
Factors affecting competition include product performance and quality, technological innovation, customer experience, brand differentiation, product design, pricing and total cost of ownership, and manufacturing scale and efficiency. Increased competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Other vehicle manufacturers may beat us to market.
As of May 2023, several competing electric pickup trucks have entered production, or will enter production by the end of 2024. This includes but is not limited to the Ford F-150 Lightening, Chevrolet electric Silverado, GMC Sierra EV, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, Hummer EV pickup, Lordstown Endurance, and Ram Revolution. Although we believe we are developing a superior product in terms of both design and performance, many other auto makers have much more bargaining power and deeper pockets that enable them to quickly create economies of scale. There is a chance that consumers adopt competitor electric trucks before we can bring its vehicle products to market. While other manufactures focus on mid-size and class 1 pickup trucks, we will focus on Class 2 and 3 markets, while offering a vehicle option for Class 1 customers.
We rely on complex machinery for our operations, and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance, safety, security, and costs.
We rely heavily on complex machinery for our operations and our production involves a significant degree of uncertainty and risk in terms of operational performance, safety, security, and costs. Our manufacturing plant consists of large-scale machinery combining many components, including complex software to operate such machinery and to coordinate operating activities across the manufacturing plant. The manufacturing plant components are likely to suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time, especially as we ramp up production on new products, and will depend on repairs, spare parts, and IT solutions to resume operations, which may not be available when needed. Unexpected malfunctions of the manufacturing plant components may significantly affect operational efficiency.
Operational performance and costs can be difficult to predict and are often influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, scarcity of natural resources, environmental hazards and remediation, costs associated with decommissioning of machines, labor disputes and strikes, difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental permits, damages or defects in electronic systems including the software used to control or operate them, industrial accidents, pandemics, fire, seismic activity, and natural disasters.
Should operational risks materialize, it may result in the personal injury to or death of workers, the loss of production equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, products, supplies, tools and materials, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production, environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs, and potential legal liabilities, all which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Although we generally carry insurance to cover such operational risks, we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover potential costs and liabilities arising therefrom. A loss that is uninsured or exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We are subject to substantial regulations and unfavorable changes to, or failure by us to comply with, these regulations could substantially harm our business and operating results.
Our batteries, and the sale of electric vehicles and motor vehicles in general, are subject to regulation under international, federal, state, and local laws, including export and import control laws. We expect to incur significant costs in complying with these regulations. Regulations related to the battery and electric vehicle industry are currently evolving and we face risks associated with these changing regulations.
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To the extent that a law changes, our products may not comply with applicable international, federal, state, and local laws, which would have an adverse effect on our business. Compliance with changing regulations could be time consuming, burdensome, and expensive. To the extent compliance with new and existing regulations is cost prohibitive, our business prospects, financial condition, and operating results would be adversely affected.
Internationally, there may be laws and jurisdictions we have not yet entered or laws we are unaware of in jurisdictions we have entered that may restrict our sales or other business practices. These laws may be complex, difficult to interpret and may change over time. Continued regulatory limitations and obstacles that may interfere with our ability to commercialize our products could have a negative and material impact on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of our operation.
We are subject to requirements relating to environmental and safety regulations and environmental remediation matters which could adversely affect our business, results of operation and reputation.
We are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, solid and hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal, and remediation of releases of hazardous materials. There are significant capital, operating and other costs associated with compliance with these environmental laws and regulations. Environmental laws and regulations may become more stringent in the future, which could increase costs of compliance or require us to manufacture with alternative technologies and materials.
Federal, state and local authorities also regulate a variety of matters, including, but not limited to, health, safety and permitting in addition to the environmental matters discussed above. New legislation and regulations may require us to make material changes to our operations, resulting in significant increases in the cost of production.
Our manufacturing process will have hazards such as but not limited to hazardous materials, machines with moving parts, and high voltage and/or high current electrical systems typical of large manufacturing equipment and related safety incidents. There may be safety incidents that damage machinery or products, slow or stop production, or harm employees. Consequences may include litigation, regulation, fines, increased insurance premiums, mandates to temporarily halt production, workers’ compensation claims, or other actions that impact our company brand, finances, or ability to operate.
Our vehicles rely on software and hardware that is highly technical, and if these systems contain errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or design defects, or if we are unsuccessful in addressing or mitigating technical limitations in our systems, our business could be adversely affected.
Our vehicles rely on software and hardware that is highly technical and complex and will require modification and updates over the life of the vehicles. In addition, our vehicles depend on the ability of such software and hardware to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. Our software and hardware may contain errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or design defects, and our systems are subject to certain technical limitations that may compromise our ability to meet our objectives. Some errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or design defects inherently may be difficult to detect and may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. Although we will attempt to remedy any issues we observe in our vehicles effectively and rapidly, such efforts may not be timely, may hamper production or may not be to the satisfaction of our customers.
Additionally, if we deploy updates to the software (whether to address issues, deliver new features or make desired modifications) and our over-the-air update procedures fail to properly update the software or otherwise have unintended consequences to the software, the software within our customers’ vehicles will be subject to vulnerabilities or unintended consequences resulting from such failure of the over-the-air update until properly addressed.
If we are unable to prevent or effectively remedy errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects in our software and hardware, or fail to deploy updates to our software properly, we would suffer damage to our reputation, loss of customers, loss of revenue or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We are dependent on our own suppliers and suppliers to our third-party contract manufacturers who fabricate our equipment to fulfill orders placed by us. Timely delivery of orders is needed to meet the requirements of our customers, and a shortage of materials or components, such as microprocessors, can disrupt the production of our equipment.
As a vehicle manufacturer, we will be subject to the same vagaries as the rest of the automotive industry. With a significant number of microprocessors in each of our systems, we and our other parties who need microprocessors are experiencing various levels of disruption to production. The microprocessor supply chain is complex, and a constrained capacity of certain components is occurring deep in the chain. There have been significant disruptions to capacity and reallocations of supply capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, microprocessor manufacturers were already seeing increasing demand and that demand has further increased based on labor shortages and the need for greater automation. A shortage of microprocessors or other materials or components can cause a significant disruption to our production schedule and have a substantial adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Given our weaker relative bargaining power, there is a real risk that we will experience significant difficulties in obtaining supplies of microchips. If this occurs, we may experience significant production delays and will not meet our production goals. Lack of production will have a direct impact on sales and would likely cause us to miss our quarterly and annual earnings estimates.
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Natural resource scarcity may cause delays in the development and manufacturing of our products.
The development of our products in the timeframe we anticipate is based on an ability to secure requisite levels of natural resources to produce the number of battery cells and battery packs necessary to meet our production goals. Two of the main natural resources in battery chemistry are lithium and cobalt. Given that these are scarce resources, there is a chance that we are unable to secure enough to meet our battery production goals. If this happens, we will not meet our overall production or profitability estimates. To mitigate this risk, we will explore opportunities to purchase futures to hedge against natural resource cost inflation and/or scarcity.
Additionally, global political and economic tensions could contribute to natural resource scarcity. For example, Russia is a major exporter of natural resources. With the imposition of economic sanctions and import restrictions, there will be a loss of supply in global markets. Restricted supply is likely to result in upward price pressures. The automotive industry is subject to similar natural resource unpredictability in other countries. As such, our pricing and profitability models may need to be adjusted in reaction to these outside pressures.
Company growth depends on avoiding battery production bottlenecks.
Our Company’s success is highly dependent upon our ability to produce battery cells and packs at high levels of volume and low cost. If the Company is unable to produce enough battery cells and packs, for any reason, it would result in the Company missing its overall production and profitability estimates. To avoid the risk of catastrophic battery bottlenecks, the Company intends to explore options for outsourcing some of the battery production to diversify its battery sourcing.
If there is inadequate access to charging stations, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
Demand for our vehicles will depend in part upon the availability of a charging infrastructure. We market our ability to provide our customers with comprehensive charging solutions, including our networks of charging stations, as well as the installation of home chargers for users where practicable, and provide other solutions including charging through publicly accessible charging infrastructure. We have very limited experience in the actual provision of our charging solutions to customers and providing these services is subject to challenges. While the prevalence of charging stations generally has been increasing, charging station locations are significantly less widespread than gas stations. Some potential customers may choose not to purchase our vehicles because of the lack of a more widespread charging infrastructure. Further, to provide our customers with access to sufficient charging infrastructure, we will rely on the availability of, and successful integration of our vehicles with, third-party charging networks. Any failure of third-party charging networks to meet customer expectations or needs, including quality of experience, could impact the demand for electric vehicles, including ours. For example, where charging bays exist, the number of vehicles could oversaturate the available charging bays, leading to increased wait times and dissatisfaction for customers. In addition, given our limited experience in providing charging solutions, there could be unanticipated challenges, which may hinder our ability to provide our solutions or make the provision of our solutions costlier than anticipated. To the extent we are unable to meet user expectations or experience difficulties in providing our charging solutions, our reputation and business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
Our products will make use of Li-ion battery cells, which, if not appropriately managed and controlled, have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame.
The battery packs within our vehicles will make use of Li-ion cells. If not properly managed or subject to environmental stresses, Li-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other Li-ion cells. While the battery pack is designed to contain any single cell’s release of energy without spreading to neighboring cells, a field or testing failure of battery packs in our vehicles could occur, which could result in bodily injury or death and could subject us to lawsuits, field actions (including product recalls), or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and expensive and could harm our brand image. We have already experienced minor thermal events in connection with battery cell testing failures. As the scale and intensity of testing increases, the likelihood of additional thermal events will also increase. Also, negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of Li-ion cells for automotive applications, the social and environmental impacts of mineral mining or procurement associated with the constituents of Li-ion cells, or any future incident involving Li-ion cells, such as a vehicle or other fire, could materially and adversely affect our reputation and business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
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We have minimal experience servicing and repairing our vehicles. If we or our partners are unable to adequately service our vehicles, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
We have minimal experience servicing and repairing our vehicles. Servicing electric vehicles is different than servicing vehicles with internal combustion engines and requires specialized skills, including high voltage training and servicing techniques. Although we are planning to internalize most aspects of vehicle service over time, initially we plan to partner with third parties to enable nationwide coverage for roadside and off-road assistance and collision repair needs. There can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into an acceptable arrangement with any such third-party providers. Although such servicing partners may have experience in servicing other vehicles, they will initially have limited experience in servicing our vehicles. There can be no assurance that our service arrangements will adequately address the service requirements of our customers to their satisfaction, or that we and our servicing partners will have sufficient resources, experience, or inventory to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of electric vehicles we deliver increases.
In addition, a number of states currently impose limitations on the ability of manufacturers to directly service vehicles. The application of these state laws to our operations would hinder or impede our ability to provide services for our vehicles from a location in every state. As a result, if we are unable to roll out and establish a widespread service network that complies with applicable laws, customer satisfaction could be adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our reputation and thus our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
As we continue to grow, additional pressure may be placed on our customer support team or partners, and we may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in customer demand for technical support. Customer behavior and usage may result in higher-than-expected maintenance and repair costs, which may negatively affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. We also could be unable to modify the future scope and delivery of our technical support to compete with changes in the technical support provided by our competitors. Increased customer demand for support, without corresponding revenue, could increase costs and negatively affect our results of operations. If we are unable to successfully address the service requirements of our customers or establish a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality support, we may be subject to claims from our customers, including loss of revenue or damages, and our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
The automotive industry and its technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes which could adversely affect the demand for our vehicles or increase our operating costs.
We may be unable to keep up with changes in electric vehicle technology or alternatives to electricity as a fuel source and, as a result, our competitiveness may suffer. Developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, hydrogen, ethanol, fuel cells, or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the ICE or the cost of gasoline, may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. Existing and other battery cell technologies, fuels or sources of energy may emerge as customers’ preferred alternative to our vehicles. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay our development and introduction of new and enhanced alternative fuel and electric vehicles, which could result in the loss of competitiveness of our vehicles, decreased revenue, and a loss of market share to competitors. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in alternative fuel and electric vehicle technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles with the latest technology. However, we are a relatively late entrant to the electric vehicle space. Our vehicles may not compete effectively with alternative systems if we are not able to source and integrate the latest technology into our vehicles. Additionally, the introduction and integration of new technologies into our vehicles may increase our costs and capital expenditures required for the production and manufacture of our vehicles and, if we are unable to cost efficiently implement such technologies or adjust our manufacturing operations, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows would be materially and adversely affected.
Increases in costs, disruption of supply, or shortage of materials, particularly Li-ion cells, could harm our business.
We may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of materials necessary for the production of our products. Any such increase in cost, including due to inflation, supply interruption, materials shortage, or increase in freight and logistics costs, could adversely impact our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results. Our suppliers use various materials, including aluminum, carbon fiber, lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, etc. that are sourced globally. The prices and supply of these materials may fluctuate, depending on market conditions, geopolitical risks, such as the war in Ukraine, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, and global supply and demand for these materials. If we are not able to raise sufficient capital or our prices to our end customers, inflationary pressures and other material cost increases could, in turn, negatively impact our operating results.
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A product recall could hinder our growth.
If our products are unable to meet performance and quality criteria, we may be required to perform product recalls to address said concerns. A product recall can have a substantial cost related to performing such corrective actions. Although we will perform significant internal testing and qualifications, as well as external qualifications through approved third-party vendors against industry standards and regulatory requirements, there will be unperceived conditions which may negatively impact the customer or Company expected performance and safety of our vehicles. As such, we may perform a corrective action such as a recall of products, mandatory repairs of defective components, or litigation settlements which can materially affect our financial goals, operation results, brand, business, and products. If we are unable to provide significant charging stations, our business success may be substantially affected.
A significant portion of our success is our ability to deploy the appropriate number of charging stations, in strategic locations relative to our customers and customer behaviors. If we are unable to deploy charging stations to specified locations, this may negatively affect our brand, business, financial goals, operational results, and product success in the market. As such, to meet said availability requirements, we will require significant capital investments to rapidly deploy said Advanced Charging Stations, as well as development of relationships with third party members who can assist in deployment of said charging stations. If we are unable to address service requirements, we may negatively affect our customer experience. As such, we will require service capabilities to be established in locations within close proximity to our vehicle product owners. Our ability to engage with third party operating service stations, as well as our ability to establish company operated locations, will be critical to the success of developing a positive customer experience.
Product liability or other claims could have a material adverse effect on our business.
While we will work diligently to meet all company and regulatory safety requirements, there is a chance that a component catastrophically fails. It is possible that through unknown circumstances or conditions out of our control, some person is injured by our product. The risk of product liability claims, product recalls and associated adverse publicity is inherent in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of all vehicles, including electric vehicles. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. Moreover, a product recall could generate substantial negative publicity about our products and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of other future product candidates. We cannot provide assurance that such claims and/or recalls will not be made in the future.
Risks Related to Our Management
We are dependent upon our executives for their services and any interruption in their ability to provide their services could cause us to cease operations.
The loss of the services of our CEO, CFO, or President, Mr. Mark Hanchett, Mr. Apoorv Dwivedi, or Mrs. Annie Pratt, respectively, could have a material adverse effect on us. We do not maintain any key man life insurance on our executives. The loss of any of our executives’ services could cause investors to lose all or a part of their investment. Our future success will also depend on our ability to attract, retain and motivate other highly skilled employees. Competition for personnel in our industry is intense. We may not be able to retain our key employees or attract, assimilate or retain other highly qualified employees in the future. If we do not succeed in attracting new personnel or retaining and motivating our current personnel, our business will be adversely affected.
Our management team does not have any experience in operating a publicly traded company.
While our management team has a wide breadth of business experience, none of our executive officers have previously held an executive position at a publicly traded company. Given the onerous compliance requirements to which public companies are subject, there is a chance our executive officers will fail to perform at a level expected of public company officers. In such an event, the Company’s share price could be adversely effected. The management team’s limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities which will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of the company. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal control over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States We are in the process of upgrading our systems to an enterprise resource management system, and a delay could impact our ability or prevent us from timely reporting our operating results, timely filing required reports with the SEC and complying with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for us to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company in the United States may require costs greater than expected. We plan to expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company which will increase our operating costs in future periods.
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We are significantly influenced by our officers and directors.
The Company’s Chief Executive Officer and majority stockholder, Mark Hanchett, controls approximately 63% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock prior to this offering. Additionally, the Company’s President, Annie Pratt, controls approximately 24% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock prior to this offering. These stockholders, if acting together, are able to significantly influence all matters requiring approval by stockholders, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combinations transactions. Please see “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” below for more information.
Our future performance is dependent on the ability to retain key personnel. The Company’s performance is substantially dependent on the performance of senior management. The loss of the services of any of its executive officers or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on human resources, the loss of services of any of such personnel may have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
We rely on our management team, our advisors, third-party consultants, third-party developers, service providers, technology partners, outside attorneys, advisors, accountants, auditors, and other administrators. The loss of services of any of such personnel may have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
We may be unable to attract and retain the required talent.
The nature of our product development efforts requires us to hire talent to complete highly technical and specialized work. Recruiting for these specialized roles may be challenging, and we may be competing with top companies to attract and retain employees for these roles. If we cannot secure the right talent, our product development and production schedules may be affected.
Limitations of director liability and director and officer indemnification.
Our Charter limits the liability of directors to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware law. Delaware law provides that directors of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors, except for liability for any:
· breach of their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
· act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
· unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law; or
· Transactions for which the directors derived an improper personal benefit.
These limitations of liability do not apply to liabilities arising under the federal or state securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission. Our Bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by law. Our Bylaws also provide that we are obligated to advance expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of any action or proceeding. We believe that these Bylaw provisions are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers. The limitation of liability in our Bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might provide a benefit to us and our stockholders. Our results of operations and financial condition may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
Limitations on remedies; indemnification.
Our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended from time to time, provide that officers, directors, employees and other agents and their affiliates shall only be liable to the Company and its stockholders for losses, judgments, liabilities and expenses that result from the fraud or other breach of fiduciary obligations. Additionally, we assumed certain corporate indemnification agreements that the Predecessor entered into with each of our officers and directors consistent with industry practice. Thus, certain alleged errors or omissions might not be actionable by the Company. Our governing instruments will also provide that, under the broadest circumstances allowed under law, we must indemnify its officers, directors, employees and other agents and their affiliates for losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by them in connection with the Company, including liabilities under applicable securities laws.
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RISKS RELATED TO THIS OFFERING, OUR CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND OWNERSHIP OF OUR CLASS A COMMON STOCK
Our Class A common stock may be delisted from Nasdaq if we do not maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. If our Class A common stock is delisted, it could negatively impact the Company.
Continued listing of a security on Nasdaq is conditioned upon compliance with various continued listing standards. On April 11, 2023, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that the Company is not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on Nasdaq. On August 29, 2023, we received a notice from Nasdaq stating that the Company’s reported stockholders’ equity no longer meets the minimum stockholders’ equity of $2,500,000 required for continued listing of the Company’s Class A common stock on Nasdaq under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).
Additionally, if the closing bid price of our Class A common stock is $0.10 or less for ten consecutive trading days, Nasdaq will provide notice that our Common Stock will be subject to delisting from the Nasdaq Capital Market. On October 4, 2023, the closing price of our Common Stock was $0.18. In the event that we receive a delisting notice, we may appeal such delisting determination to a hearings panel. In the event that we were to appeal such a delisting determination, no assurances can be provided that Nasdaq will overturn such determination, even if we regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement within the appeal period.
If the Company’s Class A common stock ultimately were to be delisted for any reason, it could negatively impact the Company by (i) reducing the liquidity and market price of the Company’s Class A common stock; (ii) reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire the Company’s Class A common stock, which could negatively impact the Company’s ability to raise equity financing; (iii) limiting the Company’s ability to use a registration statement to offer and sell freely tradable securities, thereby preventing the Company from accessing the public capital markets; and (iv) impairing the Company’s ability to provide equity incentives to its employees.
You will incur substantial and immediate dilution of the price you pay for your Shares and may experience additional dilution of your investment in the future.
The effective price of our Shares is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of the outstanding Class A common stock issued after this offering. Assuming the sale of the maximum number of Shares offered hereby at an assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution. The conversion of outstanding convertible notes and the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants, including any Pre-Funded Warrants issued in connection with this offering, may result in further dilution of your investment. See the section titled “Dilution” below for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase Shares in this offering. Further, because we may need to raise additional capital to fund our anticipated level of operations, we may in the future sell substantial amounts of Class A common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Class A common stock. These future issuances of equity or equity-linked securities, together with the conversion of outstanding convertible notes and the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants, will likely result in further dilution to investors.
Our outstanding convertible notes and our outstanding warrants are convertible and exercisable into shares of our Class A common stock and when converted or exercised, the issuance of additional shares of Class A common stock may result in downward pressure on the trading price of our Class A common stock.
As of October 3, 2023, there was an aggregate of approximately $1.3 million of convertible notes outstanding, which are convertible into up to an aggregate of 8,686,667 shares of Class A common stock (assuming conversion at a conversion price equal to the floor price of $0.15). We believe that as holders convert their convertible notes into Class A common stock, they will immediately sell their shares of Class A common stock. The sale of such shares of Class A common stock may result in downward pressure on the trading price of our Class A common stock resulting in a lower stock price. Additionally, as of October 3, 2023, we have 41,944,7140 outstanding warrants to purchase 41,944,714 shares of Class A common stock.
The best efforts structure of this offering may have an adverse effect on our business plan.
The Placement Agent is offering the shares in this offering on a best efforts basis. The Placement Agent is not required to purchase any securities, but will use their best efforts to sell the securities offered. As a “best efforts” offering, there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated or will result in any proceeds being made available to us. The success of this offering will impact our ability to use the proceeds to execute our business plan. We may have insufficient capital to implement our business plan, potentially resulting in greater operating losses unless we are able to raise the required capital from alternative sources. There is no assurance that alternative capital, if needed, would be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
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There is no public market for the Pre-Funded Warrants.
There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including Nasdaq. Without an active market, the liquidity of those securities will be limited.
The Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature.
The Pre-Funded Warrants offered in this offering do not confer any rights of common stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of our Class A common stock at a fixed price for a limited period of time. Specifically, holders may exercise their right to acquire the Class A common stock and pay an exercise price of $0.0001 per share. The Pre-Funded Warrants do not expire.
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Holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants will not have rights of holders of our shares of Class A common stock until such Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised.
The Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering do not confer any rights of share ownership on their holders, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of our Class A common stock at a fixed price. Until holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants acquire shares of our Class A common stock upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, such holders will have no rights with respect to our shares of Class A common stock underlying such Pre-Funded Warrants.
Management has ultimate discretion over the actual use of proceeds derived from this offering.
The net proceeds from this offering will be used for the purposes described under “Use of Proceeds.” However, we reserve the right to use the funds obtained from this offering for other similar purposes not presently contemplated which we deem to be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders in order to address changed circumstances or opportunities. As a result of the foregoing, our success will be substantially dependent upon the discretion and judgment of the Board with respect to application and allocation of the net proceeds of this offering. Investors who purchase Shares will be entrusting their funds to our Board, upon whose judgment and discretion the investors must depend. The failure of our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may also invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
The dual class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting power with members of our management team, which will limit your ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control.
Our Class B common stock has 10 votes per share, and our Class A common stock, which is the stock we are offering by means of this prospectus, has one vote per share. Members of our management team together hold all of the issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock. Accordingly, upon the closing of this offering, assuming the sale of the maximum number of Shares offered hereby, Mark Hanchett, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board will hold approximately 53% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock; and Annie Pratt, our President and a member of our Board, will hold approximately 20% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock. Therefore, our management team, individually or together, will be able to significantly influence matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets or other major corporate transactions. These members of our management team, individually or together, may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests. This concentrated control may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control of our Company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their capital stock as part of a sale of our Company and might ultimately affect the market price of our Class A common stock. In addition, future issuances of our Class B common stock to Mark Hanchett, Annie Pratt or other members of our management team may be dilutive to holders of our Class A common stock.
We cannot predict the impact our dual class structure may have on our stock price.
We cannot predict whether our dual class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A common stock or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, because of our dual class structure, we will likely be excluded from certain indexes, and we cannot assure you that other stock indexes will not take similar actions. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indexes, exclusion from stock indexes would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and could make our Class A common stock less attractive to other investors. As a result, the market price of our Class A common stock could be adversely affected.
We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules and, as a result, qualify for and rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. As a result, you do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that cannot rely on such exemptions and are subject to such requirements.
The Company’s Chief Executive Officer beneficially owns and controls a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq listing rules. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq, including, but not limited to, the requirement that:
· | a majority of the board of directors consist of directors who qualify as “independent” as defined under the Nasdaq listing rules; |
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· | its board of directors have a nominating and corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities, and |
· | its board of directors have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and |
· | its board of directors conduct an annual performance evaluation of its compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee. |
We intend to rely on some or all of these exemptions so long as we remain a “controlled company.” As a result, we do not have (i) a majority of independent directors, (ii) a nominating and governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, and (iii) a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, you do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.
Our Chief Executive Officer and majority stockholder may significantly influence matters to be voted on and their interest may differ from, or be adverse to, the interest of our other stockholders.
The Company’s Chief Executive Officer and majority stockholder, Mark Hanchett, controls approximately 63% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock prior to this offering. Additionally, the Company’s President, Annie Pratt, controls approximately 24% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock prior to this offering.
Accordingly, Mr. Hanchett possesses significant influence over the Company on matters submitted to the stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, mergers, consolidations, the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, and also the power to prevent or cause a change in control. This amount of control gives him substantial ability to determine the future of our Company, and as such, he may elect to close the business, change the business plan or make any number of other major business decisions without the approval of the remaining stockholders. The interest of Mr. Hanchett may differ from the interests of our other stockholders and could therefore result in corporate decisions that are adverse to other stockholders.
We do not anticipate dividends to be paid on our Class A common stock and you may lose the entire amount of your investment.
A dividend has never been declared or paid in cash on our Class A common stock and we do not anticipate such a declaration or payment for the foreseeable future. We expect to use future earnings, if any, to fund business growth. Therefore, stockholders will not receive any funds absent a sale of their Class A common stock. We cannot assure stockholders of a positive return on their investment when they sell their Class A common stock, nor can we assure that stockholders will not lose the entire amount of their investment. Any payment of dividends on our capital stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such a time as the Board may consider it relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our Class A common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if the common stock price appreciates.
Our lack of business diversification could cause you to lose all or some of your investment if we are unable to generate revenues from our primary products.
Our business consists of developing and manufacturing battery cells, battery packs, charging infrastructure, energy storage solutions and ultimately, electric vehicles. We are dependent on the growth of the electric vehicle markets and do not have any other lines of business or other sources of revenue if we are unable to compete effectively in the marketplace. This lack of business diversification could cause you to lose all or some of your investment if we are unable to generate revenues since we do not expect to have any other lines of business or alternative revenue sources.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
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Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards used.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of the prior June 30th, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make the comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
We will incur significant additional costs as a result of being a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to compliance with our public company responsibilities and corporate governance practices.
We expect to incur increased costs associated with corporate governance requirements that are now applicable to us as a public company, including rules and regulations of the SEC, under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Customer Protection Act of 2010, and the Exchange Act, as well as the rules of Nasdaq. These rules and regulations are expected to significantly increase our accounting, legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time consuming, including due to increased training of our current employees, additional hiring of new employees, and increased assistance from consultants. We expect such expenses to further increase after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We also expect these rules and regulations to make it more expensive for us to maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. Furthermore, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we will incur as a public company or the timing of such costs. In addition, our management team will need to devote substantial attention to transitioning to interacting with public company analysts and investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies, which may divert attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, including operational, research and development and sales and marketing activities. Increases in costs incurred or diversion of management’s attention as a result of becoming a publicly traded company may adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Small public companies are inherently risky and we may be exposed to market factors beyond our control. If such events were to occur it may impact out operating results.
Managing a small public company involves a high degree of risk. Few small public companies ever reach market stability and we will be subject to oversight from governing bodies and regulations that will be costly to meet. Our present officer has limited experience in managing a fully reporting public company, so we may be forced to obtain outside consultants to assist us with meeting these requirements. These outside consultants are expensive and can have a direct impact on our ability to be profitable. This will make an investment in our Company a highly speculative and risky investment.
Failure to maintain internal controls over financial reporting would have an adverse impact on us.
We are required to establish and maintain appropriate internal controls over financial reporting. The standards required for a public company under Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are significantly more stringent than the standards that were required of us when we were a privately held company. Management may not be able to effectively and timely implement controls and procedures that adequately respond to the increased regulatory compliance and reporting requirements. If we are not able to implement the additional requirements of Section 404(a) in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our internal controls over financial reporting may not be effective, which may subject us to adverse regulatory consequences and could harm investor confidence. Failure to establish those controls, or any failure of those controls once established, could also adversely impact our public disclosures regarding our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, management’s assessment of internal controls over financial reporting may identify weaknesses and conditions that need to be addressed in our internal controls over financial reporting or other matters that may raise concerns for investors. Any actual or perceived weaknesses and conditions that need to be addressed in our internal control over financial reporting, or disclosure of management’s assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting may have an adverse impact on the price of our Class A common stock.
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We may use equity incentives for employees, advisors, directors, key consultants and select affiliates. Any issuance of stock upon the conversion of options and/or incentive rights will result in the dilution of the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.
We may use equity incentives for employees, advisors, directors, key consultants and select affiliates. Any issuance of stock upon the conversion of options and/or incentive rights will result in the dilution of the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.
We are subject to general securities investment risks.
All investments in securities involve the risk of loss of capital. No guarantee or representation is made that an investor will receive a return of its capital. The value of our Class A common stock can be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including development problems, regulatory issues, technical issues, commercial challenges, competition, legislation, government intervention, industry developments and trends, and general business and economic conditions.
The market price of our Class A common stock has fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate, significantly and you may lose all or part of your investment.
The market prices for securities of startup companies have historically been highly volatile, and the market has from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The market price of our Class A common stock has fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate, significantly in response to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as:
· | actual or anticipated adverse results or delays in our research and development efforts; |
· | our failure to fully develop, scale manufacturing and commercialize our battery and charging technologies; |
· | our failure to commercialize our XP Platform and XT pickup truck; |
· | unanticipated serious safety concerns related to the use of our products; |
· | adverse regulatory decisions; |
· | legal disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection for our intellectual property, government investigations and the results of any proceedings or lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation; |
· | changes in laws or regulations applicable to the Li-ion battery or to the electric vehicle industry; |
· | our dependence on third party suppliers; |
· | announcements of the introduction of new products by our competitors; |
· | market conditions in the Li-ion battery, charging infrastructure, energy storage solutions or to the electric vehicle industry; |
· | announcements concerning product development results or intellectual property rights of others; |
· | future issuances of our common stock or other securities; |
· | the addition or departure of key personnel; |
· | actual or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results; |
· | announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by us or our competitors; |
· | our failure to meet or exceed the estimates and projections of the investment community; |
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· | issuances of debt or equity securities; |
· | trading volume of our common stock; |
· | sales of our Class A common stock by us or our stockholders in the future; |
· | overall performance of the equity markets and other factors that may be unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors, including changes in market valuations of similar companies; |
· | failure to meet or exceed any financial guidance or expectations regarding development milestones that we may provide to the public; |
· | ineffectiveness of our internal controls; |
· | general political and economic conditions; |
· | effects of natural or man-made catastrophic events; |
· | scarcity of raw materials necessary for battery production; and |
· | other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control. |
Further, price and volume fluctuations may result in volatility in the price of our Class A common stock, which could cause a decline in the value of our common stock. Price volatility of our Class A common stock might worsen if the trading volume of our shares is low. The realization of any of the above risks or any of a broad range of other risks, including those described in these “Risk Factors,” could have a dramatic and material adverse impact on the market price of our Class A common stock.
A sale, or the perception of future sales, of a substantial number of shares of Class A common stock may cause the share prices to decline.
If you sell, or the market perceives that you intend to sell for various reasons, substantial amounts of our Class A common stock in the public market, including shares issued in connection with the exercise of outstanding options, the market price of our shares could fall. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate. We may become involved in securities class action litigation that could divert management’s attention and harm our business. The stock markets have from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market prices for the common stock of automotive companies. These broad market fluctuations may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of a company’s securities. We may become involved in this type of litigation in the future. Litigation often is expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources, which could adversely affect our business.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate.
We expect our operating results to be subject to quarterly fluctuations. Our net loss and other operating results will be affected by numerous factors, including:
· | variations in the level of expenses related to our development programs; |
· | any intellectual property infringement lawsuit in which we may become involved; |
· | regulatory developments affecting our products and related services; and |
· | our execution of any collaborative, licensing or similar arrangements, and the timing of payments we may make or receive under these arrangements. |
If our quarterly operating results fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the price of our Class A common stock could decline substantially. Furthermore, any quarterly fluctuations in our operating results may, in turn, cause the price of our Class A common stock to fluctuate substantially.
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Unfavorable securities industry reports could have a negative effect on our share price.
Any trading market for our Class A common stock will be influenced in part by any research reports that securities industry analysts publish about us. Should one or more of such analysts downgrade our securities, or otherwise reports on us unfavorably, or discontinues coverage, the market price and market trading volume of our Class A common stock could be negatively affected.
Our Certificate of Incorporation includes forum selection provisions, which could limit your ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.
Our Certificate of Incorporation requires that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if that court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, another federal or state court situated in the State of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our business, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a duty owed by any director, officer, employee, agent or stockholder of ours to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In addition, our Bylaws require that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. These forum selection provisions will not apply to claims arising under the Exchange Act or other federal securities laws for which there is exclusive federal jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions.
These forum selection provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation may limit your ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us, which may discourage such lawsuits against us. We cannot be certain as to whether a court would enforce these provisions, and if a court were to find the forum selection provisions contained in our Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Furthermore, investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $7.15 million (assuming the sale of all Shares offered hereby at the assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing sale price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023, and assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants), after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. However, this is a best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, and we may not sell all or any of these securities offered pursuant to this prospectus; as a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds.
We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering primarily for general corporate purposes, which may include, but is not limited to, operating expenses, working capital, and the continued development and deployment of our charging products. The amounts that we actually spend for any specific purpose may vary significantly, and will depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the pace of progress of our product development, market conditions, and our ability to secure supply of goods and services for both equipment and raw material.
In addition, pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, each Investor can require us to prepay its outstanding convertible notes in an amount up to 20% of the gross proceeds from this offering, for an aggregate of up to 40% of the gross proceeds from this offering. Such amount to be prepaid, if any, is solely at the option of each Investor. As of October 3, 2023, there were approximately $1.3 million of convertible notes outstanding.
The table below depicts how we plan to utilize the proceeds in the event that 100%, 50% and 25% of the Shares in this offering are sold, before deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us:
100% of Shares Sold | % of Total | 50% of Shares Sold | % of Total | 25% of Shares Sold | % of Total | |||||||||||||||||||
Gross Proceeds from Offering | $ | 8,000,0000 | $ | 4,000,000 | $ | 2,000,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
Use of Proceeds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating expenses | $ | 3,476,750 | 43 | % | $ | 1,128,250 | 28 | % | $ | 1,000,000 | 50- | % | ||||||||||||
Working capital | $ | 3,303,000 | 42 | % | $ | 1,651,500 | 41 | % | $ | 1,000,000 | 50 | % | ||||||||||||
Charging Products | $ | 1,220,250 | 15 | % | $ | 1,220,250 | 31 | % | $ | - | - | % | ||||||||||||
Total Use of Proceeds | $ | 8,000,000 | 100.0 | % | $ | 4,000,000 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,000,000 | 100.0 | % |
We cannot specify with certainty the amount or particular uses of the net proceeds that we will receive from this offering. However, our business is particularly capital intensive, both with respect to our core business activities and potential acquisition opportunities. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and accordingly, we will have broad discretion in using these proceeds, and investors will be relying on our judgment regarding the application of the net proceeds from this offering. See “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that may affect our intended use of the net proceeds from this offering. Pending the use of proceeds from this offering as described above, we may invest the net proceeds that we receive in this offering in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing instruments.
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash and capitalization as of June 30, 2023 on:
· | an actual basis; |
· | as adjusted to give effect to the issuance of (i) 34,000,000 shares of Class A common stock to Global Yield LLC SCS on September 29, 2023 pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, as amended by the Letter Agreement, and the Registration Rights Agreement and (ii) 15,266,667 shares of Class A common stock on August 11, 2023 upon the closing of a public offering of units, with each unit comprised of one share of Class A common stock (or a pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof) and one common warrant, with each warrant exercisable for two shares of Class A common stock, for net proceeds of approximately $4.1 million; and |
· | as further adjusted to give effect to this offering (assuming the sale of all Shares offered hereby at the assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing sale price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023, and assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants) for net proceeds of approximately $7.15 million, after deducting estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
June 30, 2023 | ||||||||||||
($ in thousands) | Actual | As Adjusted | As Further Adjusted | |||||||||
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: | $ | 1,208 | $ | 5,308 | $ | 12,458 | ||||||
STOCKHOLDERS (DEFICIT) EQUITY: | ||||||||||||
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001; 4,000,000,000 shares authorized, 38,174,853 shares issued and outstanding (actual), 87,441,520 shares issued and outstanding (as adjusted) and 130,108,187 shares issued and outstanding (as further adjusted) | 4 | 9 | 13 | |||||||||
Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized and 33,825,370 shares issued and outstanding (actual, as adjusted and as further adjusted) | 3 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
Additional Paid-in Capital | $ | 246,173 | $ | 250,273 | $ | 257,423 | ||||||
Accumulated Deficit | $ | (245,637 | ) | $ | (245,637) | $ | (245,637 | ) | ||||
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS (DEFICIT) EQUITY | $ | 543 | $ | 4,648 | $ | 11,802 | ||||||
TOTAL CAPITALIZATION | $ | 543 | $ | 4,648 | $ | 11,802 |
The above table is based on 38,174,853 shares of our Class A common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2023 and excludes, as of that date, the following: (a) 34,199,379 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding prior to this offering at a weighted average exercise price equal to approximately $7.00; (b) up to an aggregate of 3,692,105 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of our outstanding convertible notes (assuming conversion at a conversion price equal to the floor price of $0.38); and (c) up to an aggregate of 7,961,806 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants.
Each $0.10 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share (assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants) would increase or decrease, as applicable, each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholder’s (deficit) equity and total capitalization by approximately $4.0 million, assuming no change to the number of Shares offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The as further adjusted information is illustrative only, and we will adjust this information based on the actual public offering price, the number of Shares offered and the other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid any cash dividend and do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance operations and expand our business. Our Board has sole discretion whether to pay dividends. If our Board decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our directors may deem relevant.
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SECURITIES MARKET INFORMATION
Market Information
Nxu’s Class A common stock is listed for trading on Nasdaq under the symbol “NXU.” As of October 3, 2023, the closing price of our Class A common stock as reported on Nasdaq was $0.1875. We do not intend to apply for the listing of the Pre-Funded Warrants that are part of this offering on any national securities exchange.
Holders
As of October 3, 2023, there were 17,023 holders of record of our Class A common stock.
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DILUTION
If you invest in this offering, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per Share and the net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock after the offering. Dilution results from the fact that the per Share offering price is substantially in excess of the book value per share attributable to the existing shareholders for our presently outstanding shares of Class A common stock.
Our historical net tangible book value attributable to shareholders on June 30, 2023 was $0.53 million or approximately $0.01 per share of Class A common stock. Net tangible book value per outstanding share represents the total assets less intangible assets and total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding.
The following table sets forth the difference between the offering price of the Shares being offered by us, the net tangible book value per share before this offering (and after giving effect to the issuance of (i) 34,000,000 shares of Class A common stock to Global Yield LLC SCS on September 29, 2023 pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, as amended by the Letter Agreement, and the Registration Rights Agreement and (ii) 15,266,667 shares of Class A common stock on August 11, 2023 upon the closing of a public offering of units, with each unit comprised of one share of Class A common stock (or a pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof) and one common warrant, with each warrant exercisable for two shares of Class A common stock), and the net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering, assuming that 100%, 50% and 25% of the offered Shares are sold at the assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share (which represents the closing sale price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023, and assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants), after deducting estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
100% of Shares are sold |
50% of Shares are sold |
25% of Shares are sold |
||||||||||
Assumed offering price per Share | $ | 0.1875 | $ | 0.1875 | $ | 0.1875 | ||||||
Historical net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock as of June 30, 2023 | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.01 | ||||||
As adjusted net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock before this offering |
$ | 0.01 | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.01 | ||||||
As further adjusted net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock after this offering |
$ | 0.06 | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.02 | ||||||
Increase per share of Class A common stock attributable to payment by investors in this offering | $ | 0.05 | $ | 0.03 | $ | 0.02 | ||||||
Dilution per share of Class A common stock to investors in this offering |
$ | 0.1275 | $ | 0.1475 | $ | 0.1675 |
A $0.10 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share (assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants) would increase or decrease our as further adjusted net tangible book value after giving effect to this offering by $6.0 million, the as further adjusted net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock by $0.04 per share and the dilution in as further adjusted net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock to new investors in this offering by $0.06 per share, assuming no change to the number of shares offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The as further adjusted information is illustrative only, and we will adjust this information based on the actual public offering price, the number of Shares offered and the other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
The above discussion is based on 38,174,853 shares of our Class A common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2023 and excludes, as of that date, the following: (a) 34,199,379 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding prior to this offering at a weighted average exercise price equal to approximately $7.00; (b) up to an aggregate of 3,692,105 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of our outstanding convertible notes (assuming conversion at a conversion price equal to the floor price of $0.38); and (c) up to an aggregate of 7,961,806 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants.
To the extent that our outstanding options, convertible notes or warrants are exercised or converted, as applicable, you could experience further dilution. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of additional equity, the issuance of any of our shares of Class A common stock could result in further dilution to you.
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BUSINESS
The following discussion of our business should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. Unless the context otherwise requires, with respect to descriptions of the financials and operations of the Company’s assets, references herein to the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” relate to our business as Nxu, Inc.
Overview
Nxu is a US-based technology company manufacturing innovative battery cells and battery packs for use in advanced energy storage systems, megawatt charging stations, and mobility products. We believe that widespread adoption of EVs by the commercial and industrial markets requires high performing battery and pack solutions that can effectively compete with legacy diesel-based products. Nxu designs, engineers, and plans to build proprietary lithium-ion (“Li-ion”) battery cells and packs, 1 megawatt plus charging stations, energy storage solutions and a suite of software and services designed to allow an easy transition from diesel to electric for our target segment.
Our battery technology is expected to offer considerable advantages in battery capacity, charging rate, safety, and lifespan while keeping costs low. We are confident that these advantages will be highly beneficial to Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”) in the automotive and medium to heavy duty equipment segments as it would encourage customers to transition to electrification. We are designing our Li-ion batteries to fully charge in about 15 minutes or less, thereby allowing for a more competitive EV experience to match fossil fuel vehicles, something that current EVs using conventional batteries are unable to achieve. We believe Nxu technology may be used to power medium and super-duty pick-up trucks, last mile delivery vehicles, garbage trucks, cement trucks, vans, RVs, box trucks, light to heavy-duty equipment and more. In addition, our batteries could be used for commercial and residential energy storage devices.
In 2023, we introduced our megawatt charging station and demonstrated its ability to deliver up to 1.1 megawatts of electricity to fast charge compatible batteries. Currently, there are three types of chargers prevalent in the market:
Level 1 chargers use a standard 120-volt household outlet and can provide up to 5 miles of range per hour of charging. They are typically used for overnight charging at home and are the slowest charging option.
Level 2 chargers require a 240-volt electrical supply and can provide up to 25 miles of range per hour of charging. They are commonly found in public locations like parking garages, workplaces, and retail spaces.
Level 3 chargers, also known as Direct Current (DC) fast chargers, are the fastest charging option and can provide approximately 100 to 200+ miles of range in as little as 30 minutes.
Our megawatt chargers, being designed to provide 1,500kW of electricity, represent the next generation of charging solutions needed to expedite the mass adoption of electric vehicles for individual drivers, commercial fleets, medium-to-heavy duty equipment customers and businesses. To take advantage of the expected rapid growth in the number of EVs on the road in the United States, the Company plans to deploy and test its chargers for mass rollout in the near future.
We also believe that energy storage solutions are important for both consumer and commercial markets as grid stability and resiliency becomes critical to enabling the adoption of electric vehicles. Stationary energy storage systems are technologically adjacent opportunities which can leverage the modular design of our battery packs and advanced battery management systems to create solutions that address residential, commercial and utility-scale needs. Energy storage can also provide backup power during grid outages or emergencies, helping to ensure that critical services like hospitals and emergency responders remain operational.
Nxu is an early-stage company and has not yet scaled production of its products or delivered any products to customers. Of the products we intend to bring to market, our proprietary battery technology is the furthest along in development and closest to mass production. We intend to deliver battery cells and packs to customers in 2023. Simultaneously, we plan to deploy our megawatt charging stations and energy storage solutions as soon as the next twelve months and the next twenty-four months respectively. Finally, we plan to continue to develop our vehicle products in the future, both of which we believe will provide incremental value to our target market in the long run. Scaling to reach high-volume battery production will require significant effort and capital. Based on our plans, we estimate that the cost to build and completely tool multi-gigawatt hour facility will range from $200 million to $300 million per gigawatt hour of capacity. Our ability to raise the significant capital required continues to be a challenge. Additionally, as of the date of this prospectus, we have no actionable plan of operation to commence sales of our products. As such, Nxu will need to build out detailed go-to-market plans as we get closer to customer deliveries and sales.
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Our Target Market
Customers across the commercial and industrial segments are progressively contemplating EVs for a range of reasons such as improved performance, expansion of the EV charging infrastructure, significantly reduced environmental impact, and lower costs for maintenance and operation. However, the players in these market segments face unique barriers to the adoption of EVs due to their high-demand usage patterns and operational requirements. In addition, the use of conventional Li-ion batteries in heavy-duty vehicles and equipment poses several inherent challenges that limit their adoption. Some of these challenges include:
· | Limited energy density: Conventional batteries have a relatively low energy density, which means that heavy-duty vehicles and equipment require a large number of batteries to achieve sufficient range. This can add significant weight to the vehicle and reduce payload capacity. |
· | Temperature sensitivity: Conventional Li-ion batteries are sensitive to temperature changes, particularly at extreme temperatures. This can impact the performance and lifespan of the battery, particularly in hot or cold environments. |
· | Charging time: Charging time for Li-ion batteries can be significant, particularly for larger batteries. This can impact the operational efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles and equipment, which may require frequent charging throughout the day. |
· | High upfront costs: Electric commercial vehicles can have a higher upfront cost than their conventional counterparts, which can be a significant barrier for companies that operate on tight profit margins. |
· | Limited range and charging infrastructure: Commercial vehicles often need to travel longer distances than passenger cars and require more frequent stops for refueling. The limited range of electric commercial vehicles and the lack of charging infrastructure can make it difficult for fleets to operate efficiently. |
· | Payload capacity: Electric commercial vehicles often have lower payload capacity than their conventional counterparts due to the weight of the battery, which can limit their utility for certain applications. |
· | Vehicle downtime: Commercial vehicles and equipment are often in use for long hours and may have limited downtime for charging, which can be a challenge for EVs that require longer charging times than refueling with gasoline or diesel. |
· | Uncertainty about total cost of ownership: Companies may be hesitant to invest in electric commercial vehicles due to uncertainty about the total cost of ownership, including maintenance, repair, and replacement costs. |
We believe that effective adoption to electrification by the commercial and industrial markets requires a unified solution that addresses all concerns simultaneously. A piecemeal solution where multiple companies independently develop and build pieces of the electrification puzzle while leaving the customer to figure out the rest may not adequately address all needs and may even drive greater execution risk for the customer. An effective Li-ion battery technology along with megawatt level charging solution and energy storage solutions to support grid resiliency are critical and foundational components of a unified solution. Nxu plans to develop these foundational components.
Production Development Phases
In producing its various products and services, Nxu follows a phased development approach comprised of the stages noted below.
Stage 1: Concept Verification and Test. This is the concept verification and test phase of development. Product ideas are evaluated to assess viability and whether or not there is potential to further develop and invest.
Stage 2: Engineering Verification and Test. This is the engineering verification and test phase of development. Validation of the technology within a product is completed.
Stage 3: Design Verification and Test. This is the design verification phase of development. The product has reached a final design phase and engineering and production teams are validating feasibility of the final product.
Stage 4: Production Verification and Test. This is the production validation phase of development. The product design has been finalized, and the production process is developing and undergoing verification before being sold to customers.
Principal Products and Services
Nxu plans to address the needs highlighted above by developing a unified set of products and solutions to support a seamless transition to electrification by the commercial and industrial industry. Our products start with the Nxu Qcell battery cells that are intended to go into our high-performing Qube battery packs, which in turn, can be used by OEMs to power their electrified vehicles and equipment. Simultaneously, we plan to build megawatt charging stations that will enable 15-minute charge time for our batteries. Finally, we plan to build energy storage systems, called Qube+, that will use our battery packs to augment rising energy demand across residential, commercial and infrastructure customers. Eventually, we plan to introduce a modular and scalable electric powered platform and an electric pickup truck purposely built to leverage our battery technology to deliver high performing, all-electric vehicles for our target market.
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Our Products
· | Qcell Cell – Our proprietary battery technology is the foundation of the Nxu ecosystem. The Qcell is designed to leverage an in-house developed NMC-811 chemistry, combined with a unique, proprietary mechanical construction, to significantly improve thermal management and reduce electrical resistance. In addition, our battery cell structure eliminates excess volume and space, thereby providing high energy density. The Qcell, when implemented utilizing our proprietary Qube battery pack technology and our advanced charging station currently under development - will be capable of delivering consistent power from 0% to 100% battery pack usable capacity, while charging from 0% to 100% usable capacity in 15 minutes. This is the same amount of time it normally takes to fill an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle with fuel. Battery cells are currently being produced in low volumes at our facility in Mesa, AZ and production is not dependent on any currently unknown advances in technology. We are in small-batch, pilot production of our battery cells and expect to make customer deliveries in late 2023. To ensure we are capable of scaling production output, Nxu will need to continue to make investments in capital expenses, additional facilities, and team growth for the coming years. Nxu has earmarked capital investment to ramp cell production throughout 2023. As a byproduct of increased production, Nxu will continue to make significant investments in equipment for the foreseeable future. |
· | The Nxu Qube is a 30 Kilowatt hours (“kWh”) battery pack focused on serving customers within mobility, equipment, and energy storage and infrastructure applications. The Qube will utilize our proprietary battery cell, pack design, electronics, and software systems, all of which are currently in development. Legacy manufacturers of vehicle battery packs typically utilize Li-ion battery cells in either cylindrical or pouch form factor which are inherently inefficient due to high thermal and electrical resistance. Our Qube’s competitive advantage is our direct cell integration approach which minimizes thermal resistance while maximizing electrical conductivity. Our Qcell is intended to directly integrate into our Qube. In addition, Nxu is developing the battery pack system with a completely integrated power management, thermal management, and battery management system. The Qube is in Production Verification and Test phase of development and completion of the engineering design and production line is not subject to any currently unknown advances in technology. Our efforts are focused on target customers that are seeking to deploy packs in 2023. As of February 2023, Nxu announced it had secured two gigawatt-hours’ worth of battery capacity demand in the form of non-binding Letters of Intent (LOI), Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), and Purchase Orders (PO) from multiple customers in the automotive, heavy equipment, and solar industries. Nxu plans to continue securing MOUs and LOIs for additional battery packs and will work to expand production output in order to capitalize on that demand and deliver products as quickly as our facilities and production processes allow. Our ability to deliver these battery packs to customers at a growing rate is dependent on our ability to raise capital and leverage that capital into increased production, among other factors. |
· | Megawatt charger – Our proprietary megawatt charger is intended to be capable of delivering up to 1.5 megawatts of continuous power, deployable in standalone charging station or as a drop-in direct-grid connection solution. The megawatt charger is intended to be a proprietary charging solution to provide charging capabilities to the XT, the XP, and non-Nxu branded electric vehicle that are compatible with Combined Charging System 2.0 (“CCS 2.0”). Recently, the Company successfully demonstrated our one megawatt plus charging capability, The megawatt charger is still in the research and development phase and is not yet in production. The charging system is expected to complete the Production Verification and Test phase of development as early as the end of 2023. Our ability to execute this plan is dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital and therefore, if the company is unable to secure appropriate funding, these timelines are subject to change. Engineering design of the Megawatt charger is not yet complete. We expect to encounter unforeseen engineering challenges and may be reliant on unknown advances in technology. |
Future Products for Commercial and Industrial Markets
· | Nxu Platform– The Platform is designed to be a modular vehicle system, or electric skateboard, providing all technology, software, and mobility technology required to develop a vehicle by third parties. Intended to be a universal, connected, complete vehicle hardware and mechanical architecture system, the Platform will utilize our proprietary Qcell battery, electronics hardware, mechanical, and software technologies to create a vehicle platform for sale to low-volume vehicle OEMs to develop new EV solutions for niche- and mass-market opportunities. The Platform has completed the Concept Verification and Test phase of development and Nxu has produced a functioning concept as demonstrated in 2021 on our social media channels. We expect that the production intent development of the Platform will follow our successful commercialization of the Qcell, Qube, Qube+ and megawatt charger. We intend to commercialize and scale our energy products first and expect the Platform to begin the Design Verification and Test phase of development as early as 2025. However, our ability to execute is dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital and therefore, if the Company is unable to secure appropriate funding, these timelines are subject to change. |
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· | Nxu pickup truck – The pickup truck is intended to be our flagship vehicle and a 100% electric full-sized work truck. The pickup truck is intended to be built on our platform. We intend to provide up to 500 miles of range, up to 35,000 pounds of towing capacity, and a simplified operational approach that that utilizes our software and cloud service solutions to provide seamless fleet connectivity. The pickup truck is still in the research and development phase. Given ongoing capital constraints and current market sentiment, the Company has decided to focus its resources on commercializing and scaling energy products at this time. We expect that the production intent development of the truck will follow the ramp of the Platform. The pickup truck has completed the Concept Verification and Test phase of development, we expect to begin the Engineering Verification and Test phase of development as soon as 2026. We expect to encounter unforeseen engineering challenges and may be reliant on unknown advances in technology. In addition, our ability to execute is dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital and therefore, if the Company is unable to secure appropriate funding, these timelines are subject to change. |
The execution of our vision is highly dependent on multiple factors that include our ability to raise the necessary capital required to bring all products and services to market and, more specifically, our ability to successfully deliver Qubes to customers. Our successful implementation of the Qcell and Qube would allow us to tackle a key challenge that we face in the industry: the lack of available, adequate, and accessible battery technology. Thus, we have focused our attention on developing our own battery technology in order to mitigate the external risk created from a lack of suitable and available battery technology in the market.
We intend to continue development of Q-cells upon raising additional capital specifically for the battery program as soon as 2024. To do so, Nxu will need to continue to make investments in capital expenses, additional facilities, and team growth. Nxu will continue to make significant investments in equipment for battery and charging product development programs for the foreseeable future. If we are unable to raise proceeds in this offering sufficient to invest $4.5 million into the continued development and deployment of our charging products, our planned development activities may be less than anticipated and we will need to raise such funds through other sources. See “Use of Proceeds.”
Additionally, our ability to scale high-volume mobility and energy storage solutions is highly dependent on our success with the Qcell and Qube. As there is a limited supply of these materials, Qcell and Qube production delays will likely delay high volume mobility and energy storage solutions. Any disruption from competitors or any disruption to internal material and cell availability could impact the Company’s ability to succeed in any program that relies on battery cells.
While we remain optimistic in our ability to bring Qcell and Qube to market, these two programs carry high technical challenges due to the fact that the intellectual property required for the programs to successfully scale must be developed, as it cannot be purchased nor is it readily available in the market. Nxu appreciates the importance of overcoming this challenge and the resources needed to do so, and Nxu intends to focus the majority of its efforts on bringing the Nxu charging technology to market first and refocus on Qcell and Qube products once the needed resources are secured, as soon as 202.
We signed an Amended Collaboration Agreement on July 28, 2022 with an Australian company called Australian Manufactured Vehicles (“AUSEV”) to jointly develop a right-hand drive version of the pickup truck. Under the terms of the AUSEV agreement, we agreed to supply pickup trucks in limited volume of prototype and test vehicles in 2024, up to a total of 19,000 production intent pickup trucks beginning in 2026 through 2027, contingent upon production capacity, funding, and raw material availability. The AUSEV agreement requires the parties to enter into binding definitive supply agreements. Given our decision to focus our resources on commercializing and scaling energy products at this time, we do not expect to supply pickup trucks in 2024. AUSEV is supportive of our strategy and we are working closely together and endeavor to deliver pickup trucks to AUSEV as soon as practicable. The AUSEV agreement has an initial term of five (5) years from August 28, 2021. Upon expiration of the initial term, the AUSEV agreement will automatically renew for an additional two-year term unless either party notifies the other party in writing of its intent to terminate, at least 90 days prior to such expiration.
Our People
Beyond our products and solutions in development, we believe the largest competitive advantage Nxu has is our culture. Our company culture embodies the idea that a transition to electrification and a sustainable future should not require compromise. We are unwilling to bend in our belief that when a technology does not exist, we find creative and innovative ways of developing solutions to solve these challenges. Our team is built of a diverse group of individuals with a singular focus, to power the future of work through an ecosystem of technologies and solutions that provide incremental value to those who build, dig, grow, and maintain.
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Competition
The EV market and battery segment are highly competitive and rapidly evolving, with new technologies and potential new entrants emerging frequently. Several major manufacturers currently supply batteries for the EV industry, including Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, LG Energy Solutions, and BYD Co. Limited. These companies primarily supply conventional Li-ion batteries and are also working on developing new solid-state battery technologies, including potentially lithium-metal batteries. In addition to these established players, many new entrants and automotive OEMs are also investing in battery development and production, with some researching and developing solid-state battery technologies. For example, Quantumscape and Solid Power are developing solid-state batteries while Tesla, Inc. is building multiple battery gigafactories and has the potential to supply batteries to other automotive OEMs. Overall, the competitive landscape of the EV battery market is likely to continue evolving, with new technologies and players emerging over time. Companies operating in this market will need to be nimble and responsive to these changes to remain competitive and successful.
Similarly, the competitive landscape for energy storage products is rapidly evolving, with new technologies and players entering the market. Currently, major companies supplying batteries for energy storage systems include Panasonic Corporation, LG Energy Solutions, Samsung SDI, and Tesla, Inc. In addition to established players, there are many startups and smaller companies that are developing new energy storage technologies, such as flow batteries, solid-state batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. Large energy companies, such as Total, Shell, and Enel, are also entering the market and investing in energy storage projects. The competitive landscape for energy storage products is expected to remain highly dynamic, with new technologies and players emerging over time, driven by factors such as declining costs, increasing demand for renewable energy, and government incentives.
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Competitive Strengths
We believe that Nxu is well positioned to compete successfully in both electric battery and megawatt charging technologies
Our competitive strengths include:
· | Fast-Charging Nxu Battery Tech with Superior Cycle Life. Nxu has developed a battery technology that is industry competitive in terms of energy density through chemistry development of proprietary coating mixtures. In addition, the terminal size of the battery cells is designed with increased surface area to enable a much higher electric current intake at a cell level than the capabilities of conventional Li-ion cells. We believe that this, coupled with a differentiated form factor, allows our batteries to charge fast and to last a long time. Nxu battery technology is being designed to charge in 15 minutes or less and sustain duty-cycle performance for up to one million miles of vehicle life. |
· | Robust Intellectual Property Portfolio. As of June 30, 2023, Nxu has two issued and 36 pending U.S. patents. Our issued patent is effective until April 9, 2039. For all other patents, the rights and duration are pending grant of the patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. |
· | Vertical Integration. By taking a vertically integrated approach to development, Nxu is engineering solutions from the ground up. Starting with the foundational battery, our Qcell technology, we plan to build our Qube packs and Qube+ energy storage solutions in-house. Further, to build high quality cells, we will bring the entire manufacturing process in-house. This includes, but is not limited to, raw materials processing, electrode and electrolyte preparation, cell assembly, cell formation, grading, testing and many other quality-control steps. Owning the battery cell manufacturing process allows us to produce high-quality products. Simultaneously developing from cell to vehicle, Nxu’s product offering, development costs, pricing, and success is not dependent on Tier 1 suppliers. |
· | A Team with Deep Experience in Disruption. Nxu’s leadership team is made up of individuals with experience in developing products or working in companies that have disrupted traditional industries. Instead of building a team with traditional automotive experience, Nxu has prioritized innovation as a requirement when recruiting talent. |
· | Company Core Values & Culture. Nxu has four Core Values: “Candid Ownership”, “Team First”, “Intentional Simplicity”, and “Make it Happen”. These beliefs make Nxu a unique company. Nxu has been dedicated to Candid Ownership from its inception, as can be seen in the transparency of the YouTube videos and social media updates that the company publishes on a regular basis. This level of transparency and authenticity sets Nxu apart from other companies in the electric vehicle and battery industries. “Team First” is a commitment to always do what is best for the team over any one individual, holding Nxu to a high standard of performance management internally. “Intentional Simplicity” captures the deliberate decisions Nxu takes to keep things simple in its product and process designs and in its functionality, or both. Intentional Simplicity is the opposite of complexity, and it involves making conscious choices to minimize unnecessary elements or features, and to prioritize simplicity and ease of use. Finally, “Make It Happen” instills in the team a relentlessness and perseverance that has resulted in Nxu delivering results using far less resources than our competitors. |
· | Magnetic Brand with an Engaged Community. Nxu has built a social media following of over 175,000 combined followers across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. This community is highly engaged in Nxu’s progress and updates, and many of them have even participated in one of our previous equity crowdfunding offerings. This community base is a resource for Nxu to test new ideas, validate product-market fit, and solicit feedback from a community that we believe is representative of our future customer base. |
· | Made in the USA. Nxu plans to build its products in-house in its facility in Arizona. As Nxu scales production output, we may need to expand into additional or alternative facilities. Nxu intends to continue manufacturing in the United States, which we believe will likely make the Company one of the few American companies building electric vehicle batteries on United States soil. |
Company History
Since its incorporation in 2016 under the name “Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc.,” Nxu has been primarily focused on research and development. The business strategy, intellectual property, and initial truck design were created by the founding team. From 2018 and until the Company’s public listing, the company raised approximately $36 million through multiple successful crowdfunding campaigns. On September 27, 2022, Atlis became a publicly listed company under the ticker symbol “AMV” on Nasdaq. On May 12, 2023, we completed the Reorganization Merger, pursuant to which Nxu became the publicly traded corporation, and Nxu began trading under the ticker symbol “NXU” on May 15, 2023. Nxu is an execution focused company and plans to continue to raise capital needed to execute on its immediate and long-term goals. We are currently focused on developing and scaling our Qcell batteries, Qube battery packs, Qube+ energy storage solutions and our megawatt charging stations.
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How We Plan to Generate Revenue
In the near term, we intend to pursue opportunities as an EV battery technology manufacturer, an energy storage systems company, a megawatt charging technology company, and a supplier for other automotive OEMs. We also intend to leverage our battery technology solutions to support other emerging electric applications such as heavy machinery, agriculture, aircraft, including electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (“eVTOL”), and marine transportation. Long-term, we also intend to bring our XP platform technology and out XT truck to market.
To date, Nxu has not yet generated any revenue. The Company plans to generate revenue through the sale of our products which include our Qcell batteries, Qube battery packs, Qube+ energy storage solutions and megawatt charging services. Upon executing on our goals to develop, build, deploy and scale these products and services, Nxu plans to bring our vehicle technology to market.
We plan to take a risk mitigated approach in going to market. We realize that building up a technology firm like ours from the ground up is a time intensive, resource intensive and capital-intensive process. A crawl, walk, run and leap approach to implementing our eco-system of products and solutions, enables the Nxu team to mitigate execution risk and it mitigates investment risk for our investors and supporters.
We plan to deploy our Crawl phase in 2023 by launching the Qcell and Qube battery packs into the market, followed closely by the pilot deployment of 1.5 megawatt charging stations. The development and launch of the battery cell and its integration into a battery pack, both slated for manufacturing ramp in 2023, are the foundational pieces.
In the Walk Phase, we plan to ramp up the production of our Qcell and Qube packs. We intend to invest in equipment, facilities, working capital and labor to support the ramp up manufacturing of Qcell and production of Qube battery packs. We also intend to build, test and deploy our Qube+ energy storage solutions as part of the strategy to capture adjacent market. Finally, we intend to deploy additional megawatt chargers across strategic locations.
The Run Phase is a multi-year endeavor to scale battery cell and pack production, deploy energy infrastructure solutions which includes a network of megawatt charging stations and energy storage solutions across multiple markets and geographies. In addition, Nxu plans to build a set of software and hardware services that make up the ecosystem of products and services that the Company would offer its customers.
In the Leap Phase, we plan to introduce the Nxu Platform and Pickup truck as well as a suite of vehicle specific products and services focused on solving the electrification needs of commercial, industrial and fleet users. The leap phase is designed to complete the ecosystem and provide a unified set of products and services geared towards driving accelerated transition to electrification for our intended market segment.
Ultimately, we believe that this path allows us to focus on driving execution and building incremental value as we grow.
Industry
Electric Vehicle Battery, Energy Storage and Charging Infrastructure
The electric vehicle battery industry is rapidly growing as OEMs target transition to completely electric product offerings, some as soon as 2025. Electric vehicle batteries are in high demand, and smaller companies are not able to secure battery supply for their production targets from the larger battery manufacturers. According to Wood Mackenzie, by 2030, the 2.3 terawatt hour global need for electric vehicle batteries is 77% higher than the forecasted supply of 1.3 gigawatt hour. Furthermore, as EV’s become increasingly popular, there has been a growth in charging infrastructure around the world. According to Acumen Research and Consulting, the electric vehicle charging market is projected to hit $182 billion by 2030. However, there are still challenges to widespread adoption of EV’s. These primarily include long charge times and limited charging infrastructure. Nxu intends to supply battery cells, packs, and charging infrastructure to help fill these gaps in supply.
Energy Storage
Energy storage systems have a wide range of emerging use cases that are becoming increasingly important as the adoption of renewable energy sources and electrification continues to grow. Some of the emerging use cases for energy storage systems include:
· | Grid Stabilization - Energy storage systems can help stabilize the electrical grid by storing excess energy during periods of low demand and releasing it during periods of high demand. This can help prevent blackouts and improve the reliability of the electrical grid. |
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· | Renewable Integration - Energy storage systems can help integrate renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, into the grid by storing excess energy and releasing it when demand is high. This can help balance the variability of renewable energy sources and increase the penetration of renewable energy into the grid. |
· | Electric Vehicle Charging - Energy storage systems can be used to store energy for electric vehicle charging. This can help reduce the strain on the electrical grid during peak charging periods and enable more efficient use of renewable energy sources. |
· | Microgrids - Energy storage systems can be used in microgrids, which are small-scale power grids that can operate independently of the main electrical grid. Microgrids can be used to provide power to remote or off-grid locations, improve the reliability of the electrical grid, and enable more efficient use of renewable energy sources. |
· | Emergency Backup Power - Energy storage systems can be used as backup power sources during power outages or other emergencies. This can help ensure critical facilities, such as hospitals, data centers, and emergency response centers, have continuous power. |
Overall, the emerging use cases for energy storage systems are diverse and are becoming increasingly important as the world shifts toward a more sustainable energy system. Nxu intends to leverage its battery technology to support the growth of the energy storage solutions market given that energy storage solutions requirements are technologically adjacent to electric vehicle batteries.
Pickup Trucks
Pickup trucks have been the top three best-selling vehicles in the United States for the past five years. Altogether, including the new and used truck market, vehicle up-fitter market, and charging opportunity, the total market opportunity for manufacturers in the pickup truck space is north of $241 billion. Nxu intends to capture the largest market share of the electric work truck market. Our proprietary battery technology is being designed to allow us to deliver unprecedented range and charge times.
Our Company
Geographic Sales Territory
Ultimately, Nxu is developing a technology platform that is intended to add value across the globe, and our long-term vision includes s global footprint. Although our initial focus is to manufacture and sell our products in the United States, we believe a strong interest from international markets allows us quick expansion paths in the future. The Company has signed an agreement with an Australian company Australian Manufactured Vehicles for XT pickup trucks. We have registered interest in battery packs for vehicles and energy storage solutions in the United Kingdom, France and New Zealand as well as interest in our XP platform and XT pickup trucks from South American distributors.
Distribution Channels
Our hardware and services will be facilitated online via our Company's website and through our internally developed business to business sales process. Our intent is to allow fleet and consumer customers to purchase Nxu products both online and directly through the Company’s sales process.
Supply Chain
As we begin our production ramp, we have been keeping close contact with our supply chain partners to ensure we can satisfy our production goals. We have shared our 3-year production forecast with our raw material suppliers to confirm their capability to support our build plan, and have purchasing agreements with such suppliers for raw materials through 2023. Our ability to meet this demand is heavily dependent on our ability to raise the necessary capital. Our suppliers include large global companies geared toward supporting Li-Ion battery manufacturing with multi-site and international presence. While we believe demand for raw materials will increase over the next several years, we also believe that our suppliers have the ability to support our requested demand.
At the same time, we are paying close attention to the global geopolitical situation. Similar to other manufacturing companies a large portion of our supply chain is based in China. Currently, approximately 75% of our raw material is supplied directly or indirectly from China. We intend to explore risk mitigation opportunities in parallel for alternative suppliers in Europe and North America to strengthen our supplier diversity.
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Growth Strategy
We plan to take a strategic approach to scale. First, we plan to bring our battery cell and pack technology, charging stations and energy storage systems to market to drive early revenue. This will be followed by a period of growth in manufacturing scale and deployment scale. Simultaneously, we intend to bring hardware and software services to augment our offerings and revenue opportunity. Geographically, we plan to penetrate the U.S. market and seek overseas growth over time. However, given various incentive programs available in foreign markets along with opportunities, we may accelerate our international footprint.
Our strategy is to focus on execution. We believe that a deliberate, milestone driven approach to product development and introduction along with a milestone driven approach to market penetration will provide an optimized path to revenue generation for Nxu and value generation for our shareholders.
We plan to leverage our active social media presence, influencer marketing and customer word of mouth to generate additional interest in our products. Additionally, we plan to develop a dedicated sales team to pursue large customers.
Regulatory Approval of Principal Products or Services
We will be subject to extensive regulatory requirements that we plan to comply with to begin distribution of our products. Our batteries, and the sale of electric vehicles and motor vehicles in general, are subject to regulation under international, federal, state, and local laws, including export and import control laws. Compliance with changing regulations could be time consuming, burdensome, and expensive. To the extent compliance with new and existing regulations is cost prohibitive, our business prospects, financial condition, and operating results may be adversely affected. We are also subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, solid and hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal, and remediation of releases of hazardous materials. There are significant capital, operating and other costs associated with compliance with these environmental laws and regulations. Environmental laws and regulations may become more stringent in the future, which could increase costs of compliance or require us to manufacture with alternative technologies and materials. Obtaining necessary regulatory approvals is critical to Nxu successfully launching its Qcell, Qube battery pack, Qube+ energy storage systems, megawatt charging and finally the XP and XT. See “Risk Factors We may face regulatory challenges” for more information.
EPA Emissions and Certificate of Conformity
The U.S. Clean Air Act requires that we obtain a Certificate of Conformity issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) certifying that certain of our vehicles comply with all applicable emissions and related certification requirements. A Certificate of Conformity will be required for vehicles to be sold in states covered by the Clean Air Act’s standards. A California Executive Order issued by the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) is also required for vehicles to be sold in California and states that have adopted California’s stricter standards for emissions controls related to new vehicles and engines sold in such states. States that have adopted the California standards, as approved by the EPA, also recognize the CARB Executive Order for sales of vehicles. In addition to California, there are several other states that have either adopted or are in the process of adopting the stricter California standards, including New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Colorado.
Battery Products and Charging Station Safety and Testing
Our battery products and charging station deployments will need to meet rigorous regulatory requirements and safety standards. Although not comprehensive, below are some considerations:
· | Compliance with safety standards - Li-ion batteries must meet safety standards, including UL 2580 for electric vehicles, to ensure that they are safe for use in these applications. |
· | Hazardous materials regulations - Li-ion batteries are classified as hazardous materials and must be transported and stored in compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, which include labeling, packaging, and shipping requirements. |
· | Environmental regulations - Battery manufacturers must comply with environmental regulations, including disposal and recycling requirements, such as those set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. |
· | Quality management systems - Battery manufacturers must implement quality management systems to ensure that their products meet strict quality and safety standards. |
· | Certification - Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles must be certified by independent testing laboratories to ensure that they meet safety and performance standards. |
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· | Thermal management - Li-ion batteries generate heat and can pose a fire risk if not properly managed. We must have systems in place to monitor and control battery temperature to prevent overheating and fires. |
· | Manufacturing and assembly - Battery cells must be manufactured and assembled in accordance with strict quality and safety standards to ensure that they are reliable and safe for use in electric vehicles and equipment use. |
· | Design and testing - Battery cells must be designed and tested to meet the unique requirements of electric vehicle applications, including power output, energy density, and cycle life. |
· | International regulations - If we plan to export Nxu battery products, we must comply with international regulations, such as the UN Model Regulations for the Transport of Dangerous Goods. |
· | Grid interconnection - Charging stations must comply with grid interconnection requirements to ensure that they are properly connected to the power grid and do not cause disruptions. |
· | Energy management - Charging stations must be designed with energy management systems to ensure that they do not overload the grid or exceed their capacity. |
· | Cybersecurity - Charging stations must be designed with cybersecurity measures to protect against cyber threats and prevent unauthorized access. |
Seasonality
We expect that our operating results will fluctuate in the future due to various factors including changing economic conditions. Seasonal trends may also be impacted by externalities such as pandemics, supply chain disruptions and materials and machinery shortages.
Impact of Inflation
At the end of the period, inflation was the highest in the United States in over 30 years. Our ability to obtain revenue generation and ultimately cash flow can be adversely impacted by sudden increases in specific costs, such as increases in material and labor. In addition, measures used to combat inflation, such as increases in interest rates, could also have an impact on our ability to obtain adequate terms for equipment and material financing. There can be no assurance that inflation will not affect our future results or our speed to market.
Employees
As of June 30, 2023, the Company had a total of 137 full time employees. We believe that an engaged, productive workforce is critically important to creating shareholder value. To that end, we are committed to providing a safe workplace and opportunities for professional growth and advancement based on performance, qualification, demonstrated skill and achievement at a fair wage. Additionally, given the success of our businesses hinges on the proficiency and abilities of our workforce, and we are committed to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining personnel who are well-suited to the demands of our operating environment, the Company leverages its equity as a tool to attract and retain high-skilled talent and to incentivize our management team to achieve its execution goals.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”). As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. For so long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:
· | have an auditor report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended; |
· | comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis); |
· | submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay,” “say-on-frequency” and pay ratio; and |
· | disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. |
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In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues are $1.07 billion or more, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our Class A common stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures as long as the market value of our voting and non-voting Class A common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our voting and non-voting Class A common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
Controlled Company Exemption
Our Chief Executive Officer, Mark Hanchett, beneficially owns and controls a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq listing rules. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq. Our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements. Mark Hanchett also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Nxu.
Liquidity & Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2023, Nxu had a balance of approximately $3.1 million in cash available. As of June 30, 2023, Nxu has $260,000 in revolving credit with Divvy.
Property
Nxu occupies two facilities for all its operations - a 42,828 square foot facility located at 1828 Higley Road, Mesa, Arizona and a 41,441 square foot facility located at 63 S. Rockford Drive, Tempe, Arizona. Nxu uses the Mesa facility solely for manufacturing activities and the Tempe facility solely for office space.
Intellectual Property
As of June 30, 2023, we have two issued patents and 36 pending U.S. patent applications. Our issued patent is effective until April 9, 2039. For all other patents, the rights and duration are pending grant of the patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
As of June 30, 2023, we have one registered, two allowed but awaiting the sale of goods in commerce and six pending U.S. trademarks. Our registered trademark is effective until 2037 with renewals. Our pending trademarks are subject to use in commerce and registration, with the first extension filed.
Legal Proceedings
No active legal proceedings are currently pending to which the Company or any of its property are subject.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our operations together with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations, whose actual outcomes involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those stated in or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors,” “Cautionary Statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Please see the notes to our Financial Statements for information about our Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements.
Company Overview
On May 12, 2023, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc. (the “Predecessor”) completed its previously announced reorganization merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 16, 2023 (the “Reorganization Agreement”), by and among the Predecessor, Nxu, and Atlis Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and, as of immediately prior to the consummation of such merger, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (“Merger Sub”). The Reorganization Agreement provided for the merger of Predecessor and Merger Sub, with Atlis surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (the “Reorganization Merger”). The Reorganization Agreement was approved and adopted by Atlis’s stockholders at Atlis’s Special Meeting of Stockholders, which was held on May 9, 2023.
Nxu, Inc. is a US-based technology company building energy and infrastructure solutions for consumers and businesses to enable faster transition to electrification across all market segments. We design, engineer, and build innovative battery cells and battery packs for use in advanced energy storage systems and mobility products as well as megawatt charging stations. We believe that widespread adoption of EVs across all market segments, especially by the commercial and industrial markets requires high performing battery and pack solutions that can effectively compete with legacy diesel-based products in terms of capability, performance and charge time.
Nxu is a pre-revenue development stage company with a goal to design, develop and produce a range of EV solutions and services to accelerate the adoption of EVs across all industries. We have incurred losses from operations and have had negative cash flows from operating activities since our inception.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company achieved important milestones and we believe we have built the foundation on which we plan to grow our company.
● | We raised approximately $23 million to fund the company’s growth. |
● | We ramped up production of our proprietary battery cells. |
● | We completed our reorganization and rebranded from Atlis Motor Vehicles, Inc. to Nxu, Inc., a strategic move reflecting the company’s priorities to focus on energy and infrastructure. |
● | We demonstrated our Megawatt charger designed to output more than 1,000 kilowatts (kW) of charging power. |
● | We demonstrated that our chargers are standards agnostic i.e. they can be used in both CCS and NACS standards. |
● | We grew our team in addition to installing a majority independent and diverse board. |
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Company and Industry Outlook
We are focused on building products to capture the commercial and industrial markets which represent a portion of the electric vehicle opportunity that we believe is not fully serviced by existing EV solutions. Individuals and companies that make up these segments require vehicles and equipment that are comparable in performance to their existing diesel-powered vehicles and equipment. However, limited battery capacity, range anxiety, and long charge times continue to be primary challenges to electrification. The Company is developing products aimed at addressing these challenges. Our planned products include our proprietary battery cells and the Qube pack technology, charging infrastructure, energy storage solutions, and, in the long-term, a modular and scalable electric powered platform as well as an electric pickup truck.
Our strategy is to focus on execution, both in the near-term and in the long-term. We are currently producing battery cells in our Mesa, AZ facility in a pilot production capacity in addition to Qube battery packs for testing and validation. We plan to ramp up our battery cell and pack manufacturing while investing in facilities and equipment to automate processes and increase quality of manufacturing output. Simultaneously, we are continuing the development of the megawatt charging station, of which, we plan to deploy a unit for field testing.
Our operations have been financed primarily through net proceeds from the sale of securities. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, we raised approximately $23 million through a mix of convertible notes and S-1 Follow-on offering. The Company intends to continue obtaining additional capital through the public markets and other means. There can be no assurance that we will obtain a sufficient level of capital through these channels in the time frames needed to sustain or grow the business or on terms agreeable to us.
Factors Affecting Our Performance
We are an early-stage company and have not generated revenue through the sale of our products. The success of our business depends on many factors. While these factors present significant opportunities for our business, they also pose risks and challenges, including those discussed in “Risk Factors” found elsewhere in this Form 10-Q, that we must successfully address to achieve growth, improve our results of operations, and generate profits.
· | Ability to Develop and Launch Our Products – In order to commercialize our products, we must test and validate them to ensure they meet the appropriate performance and safety requirements. In addition, our ability to grow and succeed in the long run will depend on our ability to successfully develop and launch our products. |
· | Ability to Attract Customers – Our initial market entry and subsequent growth will depend on our ability to attract consumer and commercial customers. We are in the very early stages of customer development and an inability to build brand awareness or to attract customers would substantially impact our ability to establish revenue or improve our financial results. |
· | Access to Capital – As a pre-revenue company, we rely on the capital markets to fund our development and expected initial growth. We use this capital to fund our product development efforts, our go-to-market strategy and our business operations. Any change in our ability to successfully raise capital in the future will impact the company’s financial well-being and our ability to meet execution milestones. |
Basis of Presentation and Critical Accounting Policies
See Note 2, Basis of Presentation, of the Notes to condensed unaudited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere of this registration statement.
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We prepare our financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Accordingly, actual results could differ materially from our estimates. To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and our actual results, our financial condition or results of operations may be affected.
Critical Accounting Policies
Stock Based Compensation
As disclosed in Note 11 of the notes to condensed consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 14, 2023, the Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost is generally measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period.
Stock Options
We have generally granted stock-based awards consisting primarily of incentive and non-qualified stock options to employees, members of our board of directors and non-employees. Stock options generally vest over three years at a rate of 33.33% each year beginning one year after the grant date, with the exception of stock options granted to our Chief Executive Officer and our President which vest on the first of each month through December 1, 2024. Stock options generally expire 10 years from the grant date and are exercisable when the options vest. Stock-based compensation expense for stock options is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period based on the estimated fair value of the awards on the grant date. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur in accordance with ASC 718-10-35-3. We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Calculating the fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the input of certain subjective assumptions, including the fair value of the underlying common stock, expected common stock price volatility, expected dividend yield of our common stock, risk-free interest rates, and the expected option term. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model is estimated as described below. Other reasonable assumptions could have a material impact on our stock-based compensation expense and therefore, our operational results.
Fair value of common stock – Historically, the fair value of our common stock was estimated using a 409a valuation performed by a third party because our common stock had not yet been publicly traded. The 409a valuation included certain inputs and assumptions related to the Company’s projections of future earnings and growth.
Expected Volatility – The volatility rate was determined by using an average of historical volatilities of selected peers deemed to be comparable to our business corresponding to the expected option term as we did not have sufficient history of trading on our common stock prior to our public offering.
Dividend Yield – The expected dividend yield was zero as we have never declared or paid cash dividends and have no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
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Risk Free Interest Rate – The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at that time of grant for zero-coupon U.S. Treasury notes with maturities corresponding to the expected option term.
Expected Option Term – The expected option term represented the period that the Company’s options were expected to be outstanding and is based on historical experience of similar awards, giving consideration to the contractual terms, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee behavior.
We continue to use judgment in evaluating the expected volatility over the expected option term and the expected option term utilized in our stock-based compensation expense calculation on a prospective basis. As we continue to accumulate additional data related to our common stock, we may refine our estimates of the expected volatility over the expected option term, which could materially impact our future stock-based compensation expense.
Restricted Stock Units
In May 2023, and in accordance with the Nxu, Inc. 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which was approved and adopted by the Board of Directors on April 16, 2023 and approved and adopted by the Company’s stockholders on May 9, 2023, the Company granted Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) to employees, directors and non-employees. Under the Plan, Nxu is authorized to issue up to 350 million shares, which includes (i) 250 million shares of common stock available for new issuances under the Plan and (ii) 100 million shares of common stock relating to a portion of outstanding stock options and restricted stock units assumed by Nxu in connection with Atlis’s reorganization merger. The Plan allows the Company to grant (i) Options, (ii) Stock Appreciation Rights, (iii) Restricted Shares, (iv) RSUs, (v) Performance-Based Awards (including performance-based Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Units), (vi) Other Share-Based Awards, (vii) Other Cash-Based Awards or (viii) any combination of the foregoing.
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation related to the granting of RSUs in accordance with ASC 718. Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost for RSUs classified as equity awards are measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. The Company has generally accounted for time-based RSUs as liability classified awards; these awards are granted at a fixed dollar amount settled in a variable number of shares, as such, the fair value approximates the fixed dollar amount at inception. As such, RSUs classified as liability awards will be measured at fair value at the grant date and remeasured at the end of each reporting period until fully vested.
Equity classified and liability classified RSUs vest over various periods, ranging from vesting immediately to vesting in increments over a period of three years. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur in accordance with ASC 718-10-35-3.
Equity Classified Restricted Stock Units - Equity classified awards are granted to employees, directors and non-employees in a fixed number of shares of common stock, vesting over a period of time. The fair value of RSUs classified as equity awards is based on the closing price of the company’s common stock on the grant date. On average, these time-based RSUs vest in increments over a period of three years.
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Liability Classified Restricted Stock Units - Liability classified awards are granted to employees, directors and non-employees in a fixed dollar amount and are settled in a variable number of shares of common stock as awards vest over a period of time; and as such, the fair value approximates the fixed dollar amount at inception.
Convertible Debt and Warrants
As disclosed in Note 12 of the notes to condensed unaudited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this registration statement, the Company elected the fair value options for its Convertible Notes and warrant liability in accordance with ASC 815 and 820. As a result, the Company’s Convertible Notes and warrant liabilities require the use of the Monte Carlo valuation model to determine fair value. Calculating the fair value of Convertible Notes and warrants utilizing this model requires the input of certain subjective assumptions, including the expected share price at conversion/exercise, equity volatility, dividend yield, expected life and risk free rate. Other reasonable assumptions related to the inputs used in the calculation could have a material impact on the fair market value of our Convertible Notes and warrants and therefore, our operational results.
Expected Volatility – The volatility rate was determined by using an average of historical volatilities of selected peers deemed to be comparable to our business corresponding to the expected option term as we did not have sufficient history of trading on our common stock at the time of valuation.
Dividend Yield – The expected dividend yield was zero as we have never declared or paid cash dividends and have no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
Expected Life – The expected life represented the period that the Company’s debt or warrants were expected to be outstanding and is based on historical experience of similar instruments, giving consideration to the contractual terms and expectations of future conversions or exercises.
Risk Free Interest Rate – The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S. Treasury Bond for the expected life.
Roll Forward Discount Rate – Calculated by incorporating the market adjustment factor to the implied discount rate calculated as at the transaction date and based on 92.5% of the average of the three lowest closing prices for the 10 trading days prior to the date of value. Simulated closing prices were used as a proxy for the projected Volume Weighted Average Price.
We continue to use judgment in evaluating the expected volatility and the expected term utilized in our calculation on a prospective basis. As we continue to accumulate additional data related to our common stock, we may refine our estimates of the expected volatility over the expected term, which could materially impact the fair market value of these instruments in the future.
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Results of Operations
Three Months ended June 30, 2023 Compared to the three Months Ended June 30, 2022
The following table sets forth certain statement of operations data for the three-month periods ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022 (certain amounts may not calculate due to rounding):
2023 | % of Total operating expenses | 2022 | % of Total operating expenses | Change | ||||||||||||||||
Net revenue | $ | — | — | % | $ | — | — | % | $ | — | ||||||||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 5,654 | 39 | 10,252 | 58 | (4,598 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Research and development | 4,732 | 33 | 2,761 | 17 | 1,971 | |||||||||||||||
General and administrative | 4,089 | 28 | 2,857 | 16 | 1,232 | |||||||||||||||
Advertising | 146 | — | 1,782 | 10 | (1,636 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 14,621 | 100 | 17,653 | 100 | (3,032 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Operating loss | (14,621 | ) | — | (17,653 | ) | — | 3,032 | |||||||||||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other income (expense) | (91 | ) | — | 360 | — | (452 | ) | |||||||||||||
Total Other income (expense) | (91 | ) | — | 360 | — | (452 | ) | |||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (14,712 | ) | — | % | $ | (17,293 | ) | — | % | $ | 2,580 |
Stock based compensation. Stock based compensation decreased $4.6 million from $10.3 million during the second quarter of 2022 to $5.7 million in the second quarter of 2023 as a result of 1) a $5.6 million decrease in the amount of options vested for the Company’s (a) Chief Executive Officer and (b) President as of June 30, 2023 compared to 2022, 2) the overall decrease in the amount of options vested for employee and non-employees as of June 30, 2023 compared to 2022 of approximately $0.5 million due to fewer options being granted, and 3) the recognition of compensation expense related to restricted stock units granted under the 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) in the amount $1.5 million as of June 20, 2023. See Note 11 to the notes to condensed unaudited consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus. Non-cash stock compensation expenses are expected to remain elevated in the future since it is a crucial element of our comprehensive employee compensation and management incentive plan.
Research and development. Research and development increased $2.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 compared to 2022 as the Company continued to ramp up development and production of its battery and charging technologies. During the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company rigorously tested the quality of battery cells produced in our warehouse in Mesa, Arizona and we continue to hone and refine our battery design and production processes as we learn. We expect to continue to invest heavily in research and development as we work toward bringing our products to market.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses increased $1.2 million to $4.1 million in the three months ended June 30, 2023 from $2.9 million in 2022. The increase in general and administrative expense reflects costs associated with our reorganization, team growth and increased third party professional services fees we incur as a public company. During the three months ended June 30, 2022, the Company incurred significant costs for compensation and professional services in connection with preparation for the public offering on September 27, 2022. The Company incurred similar costs during the three months ended June 30, 2023 in connection with the Reorganization Merger (see Note 1 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus) and in preparation of the public S-1 follow-on offering in August 2023 (See Note 14 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus).
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Advertising. Advertising decreased by $1.6 million from $1.8 million in the three month period ended June 30, 2022 to $0.15 million in the same period in 2023, primarily due to a substantial decrease in our marketing activities. The prior year period included expenses related to several marketing campaigns associated with the Company’s crowdfunding activities.
Other income/(expense). Other income (expense) decreased by $0.5 million from the second quarter in 2022 to the second quarter in 2023 as a result of a loss on the fair value of long term debt and warrant liability. See Note 12 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus.
Six Months ended June 30, 2023 Compared to the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022
The following table sets forth certain statement of operations data for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022 (certain amounts may not calculate due to rounding):
2023 | % of Total operating expenses | 2022 | % of Total operating expenses | Change | ||||||||||||||||
Net revenue | $ | — | — | % | $ | — | — | % | $ | — | ||||||||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 11,617 | 41 | 24,207 | 72 | (12,590 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Research and development | 8,449 | 30 | 4,230 | 13 | 4,218 | |||||||||||||||
General and administrative | 7,998 | 27 | 5,250 | 16 | 2,747 | |||||||||||||||
Advertising | 180 | — | 3,638 | 11 | (3,457 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 28,064 | 100 | 33,688 | 100 | (5,624 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Operating loss | (28,064 | ) | (33,688 | ) | 5,624 | |||||||||||||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other income (expense) | 1,223 | 347 | 876 | |||||||||||||||||
Total Other income (expense) | 1,223 | 347 | 876 | |||||||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (26,841 | ) | % | $ | (33,341 | ) | % | $ | 6,500 |
Stock based compensation. Stock based compensation decreased $12.6 million from $24.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2022 to $11.6 million in the six months ended June 30, 2023 as a result of the vesting of stock options for employees and executives including $9.3 million of expense in the six months ended June 30, 2023 and $22.3 million in the six months of the prior year period related to stock options for the Company’s (a) Chief Executive Officer and (b) President. See Note 11 to the notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus. Non-cash stock compensation expenses are expected to remain elevated in the future since it is a crucial element of our comprehensive employee compensation and management incentive plan.
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Research and development. Research and development increased $4.2 million from 2022 compared to the current six month period as the Company continued to ramp up battery and charging development during the six months ended June 30, 2023. We expect to continue to invest heavily in research and development as we work toward bringing our products to market. We expect significant future investment in facilities, production capacity and quality, and continued refinement of our product design and development processes. As such, costs will fluctuate due to movement from R&D to finished product production and capital expenditures.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses increased $2.7 million to $8.0 million in the six month period ended June 30. 2023 from $5.3 million in the six months ended June 30, 2022. The increase was due to increase in employee and labor costs primarily from increased headcount, including professional services as the Company continues to utilize outside legal counsel, accounting and other professional services to facilitate activities such as the Company’s convertible debt and equity offerings during the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Reorganization Merger during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 and in preparation of the public S-1 follow-on offering in August 2023.
Advertising. Advertising expense decreased by $3.5 million from $3.6 million in the first six months of 2022 to $0.2 million during the same period in 2023, primarily due to the Company’s elimination of marketing activities to support its 2022 crowdfunding campaigns through its various social media outlets.
Other income/(expense). Other income (expense) increased by $0.9 million from the six months ended June 30, 2022 to the six months ended June 30, 2023 as a result of $0.9 million warrant expense related to the true up warrants issued on January 5, 2023 and changes in the fair value of the Company’s convertible debt and warrant liabilities during the current six month period. See Note 12 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus.
Year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021
The following table sets forth certain statement of operations data for the year ended December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021 (certain amounts may not calculate due to rounding):
2022 |
% of Total Expenses |
2021 |
% of Total Expenses |
Change | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollar amounts in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | - | - | % | $ | - | % | $ | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 41,502 | 60 | 123,245 | 92 | (81,743 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Research and Development | 9,648 | 14 | 4,429 | 3 | 5,219 | |||||||||||||||
General and administrative | 12,353 | 18 | 3,329 | 3 | 9,024 | |||||||||||||||
Advertising | 5,297 | 8 | 2,678 | 2 | 2,619 | |||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 68,800 | 100 | 133,681 | 100 | (64,881 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Operating loss | (68,800 | ) | (133,681 | ) | (64,881 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Other income: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other income/(expense) | (1,881 | ) | (55 | ) | (1,826 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Total other income/(expense) | (1,881 | ) | (55 | ) | (1,826 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (70,681 | ) | % | $ | (133,736 | ) | - | % | $ | (63,055 | ) |
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Stock based compensation. Stock based compensation decreased $81.8 million from $123.2 million during the year of 2021 to $41.5 million in the year of 2022 as a result of the vesting of stock options for employees and executives including $12.8 million of expense in the period ended December 31, 2022 and $121 million in the twelve months of the prior year period related to stock options for the Company’s President and its Chief Executive Officer. The prior year period included approximately $115 million of one time incremental compensation expense related to the conversion of stock grants to stock options offered to employees in August of 2021. See Note 11 to the Notes to the audited consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this prospectus. Our non-cash stock compensation expenses are expected to remain elevated in the future since it is a crucial element of our comprehensive employee compensation and management incentive plan.
Research and development. Research and development related to employee compensation increased $3.3 million from 2021 compared to the current year as the Company continued to ramp up development on its core products. Additionally, research and development related to materials and equipment increased $1.9 million from 2021 to 2022 as a result of increased purchases of materials and equipment to support battery and platform development during 2022. We expect to continue to invest heavily in our R&D as we work toward bringing our products to market.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses related to employee compensation increased from $1.2 million in 2021 to $3.8 million in 2022, of which $2.6 million was from increased salaries and benefits from increased headcount. Additionally, other General and administrative expenses increased from $2.1 million in 2021 to $8.6 million in 2022, of which the company incurred $5.2 million in expenses related to legal and professional services in preparation for the Company’s public offering.
Advertising. Advertising increased by $2.6 million from $2.7 million in the 2021 to $5.3 million in the 2022 as the Company worked to increase awareness of its products with consumers and to support the Company’s crowd funding campaigns through its various social media outlets. We expect our advertising costs to decline as a percent of total operational expenses as the company no longer engages in Regulation A marketing.
Other income/(expense). Other income (expense) decreased by $1.8 Million from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2022 as a result of changes in the fair value of the Company’s convertible long term debt and warrant liability. These obligations were entered into during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The table below sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):
Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (18,964 | ) | $ | (11,331 | ) | ||
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 99 | (59 | ) | |||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 19,219 | 8,882 |
As disclosed in Note 1 of the Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.
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During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of approximately $27.0 million and had net cash used in operating activities of $19.0 million. On June 30, 2023, the Company had $3.1 million in cash and an accumulated deficit of approximately $245.6 million.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company raised capital through convertible debt and a public offering. The Company raised $23 million in gross proceeds through these avenues. The Company cannot provide any assurance that unforeseen circumstances that could occur at any time within the next twelve months or thereafter will not increase the need for the Company to raise additional capital on an immediate basis.
These matters, among others, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date these financial statements are issued. Company management is addressing this risk by pursuing all available options for funding including accessing the public markets. The Company plans to continue considering all avenues available to it in order to obtain the necessary capital to be able to continue as a going concern and to execute on our business objectives including but not limited to debt financing, private placements, public offerings and equity lines of credit. The Company’s success is dependent upon achieving its strategic and financial objectives, including continuing to acquire capital through public markets.
Net cash used in operating activities. Net cash used in operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2023, was $19.0 million. The use of cash resulted primarily from a net loss of $27.0 million, including the $2.1 million change in the fair value of convertible debt and warrant liability, offset by employee and non-employee stock based compensation expense of $11.6 million and net changes in working capital.
Net cash used in operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2022 of $11.3 million resulted primarily from a net loss of $37.0 million, offset by non-cash employee and non-employee stock based compensation expense of $24.2 million and changes in working capital.
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities. Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, was $0.1 million and $0.06 million, respectively. Cash provided by investing activities was related to the sale of production equipment. Cash used in investing activities was related to purchases of property and equipment during each period.
Net cash provided by financing activities. Net cash provided by financing activities of $19.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily consisted of proceeds from stock and convertible debt issuance offset by payments on convertible debt.
Net cash provided by financing activities of $8.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2022 primarily consisted of proceeds from stock issuance from the Company’s Regulation A+ offering.
Because our working capital requirements depend upon numerous factors there can be no assurance that our current cash resources will be sufficient to fund our operations. Thus, we will require immediate additional financing to fund future operations. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to obtain funds on acceptable terms, if at all.
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We have contractual lease obligations for our facility with an initial five-year lease term. The agreement includes one or more options to renew with renewal terms that can extend the lease term by five years or more. In addition, we also have obligations under our convertible debt facility to repay the remaining balance not converted into equity at the maturity date two years from issuance. See Note 12 to the notes to condensed consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this registration statement.
For the Year Ended December 31, 2022, Compared to December 31, 2021
The table below sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021 (in thousands):
December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (23,450 | ) | $ | (11,188 | ) | ||
Net cash used in investing activities | (1,557 | ) | (1,031 | ) | ||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 24,562 | 15,322 |
As disclosed in Note 1 of the Notes to the audited condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, the accompanying audited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred a net loss of approximately $70.7 million and had net cash used in operating activities of $23.5 million. On December 31, 2022, the Company had $2.7 million in cash and an accumulated deficit of approximately $218.6 million.
During the year, the Company raised capital through stock sales and crowdfunded investment campaigns as well as through convertible debt. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company raised $15.3 million from the sale of common stock through its Regulation A+ offering and the exercise of stock options and an additional $9 million from the first tranche related to its convertible debt agreement. The Company cannot provide any assurance that unforeseen circumstances that could occur at any time within the next twelve months or thereafter will not increase the need for the Company to raise additional capital on an immediate basis.
These matters, among others, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date these financial statements are issued. We believe that the Company currently has sufficient cash resources to fund its plan of operations for up to the next quarter. Company management is addressing this risk by pursuing all available options for funding including accessing the public markets through public listing. On September 27, 2022, the Company registered its Regulation A Class A shares with the SEC and listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “AMV.” Additionally, as disclosed in Note 14 of the Notes to the audited condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, in January 2023, the company received the second tranche of funding related to its convertible debt agreement entered into on November 3, 2022. Net proceeds were $9 million. Further, in February 2023, the company consummated a public offering of approximately 8.3 million units of Company stock at an effective public offering price of $1.56 per unit for gross proceeds of approximately $13 million. Each unit consists of (i) one share of Class A common stock, (ii) 0.65 Series A warrants to purchase 0.65 shares of Class A common stock and (iii) 0.75 Series B warrants to purchase 0.75 shares of Class A common stock, each such warrant being exercisable from time to time for one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $1.56. Additionally, in August 2023, the company consummated a public offering of approximately 16.7 million units of Company stock at an effective public offering price of $0.30 per unit for gross proceeds of approximately $5 million. Each unit consists of (i) one share of Class A common stock, and (ii) one warrant to purchase two shares of Class A common stock, each such warrant being exercisable from time to time for one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $0.30. The Company plans to continue considering all avenues available to it in order to obtain the necessary capital to be able to continue as a going concern and to execute on our business objectives including but not limited to debt financing, private placements, and equity lines of credit. The Company’s success is dependent upon achieving its strategic and financial objectives, including continuing to acquire capital through public markets.
Net cash used in operating activities. Net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2022, was $23.5 million. The use of cash resulted primarily from a net loss of $70.7 million, offset by employee and non-employee stock based compensation expense of $41.5 million, changes in working capital, changes in the fair value of convertible debt and warrant liabilities and forgiveness of the PPP loan.
Net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2021, of $11.1 million resulted primarily from a net loss of $133.7 million, offset by employee and non employee stock compensation of $123 million, and net changes in working capital.
Net cash used in investing activities. Net cash used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, was $1.6 million and $1.0 million, respectively. Cash used in investing activities was related to purchases of property and equipment during each period.
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Net cash provided by financing activities. Net cash provided by financing activities of $24.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily consisted of proceeds from stock issuance from our Regulation A+ offering and crowd funding campaigns as well as proceeds from issuance of $9 million convertible debt and the conversion of $260 thousand in employee stock options during the period.
Net cash provided by financing activities of $15.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily consisted of proceeds from stock issuance of $14.9 million and receipt of $397 thousand in proceeds from the PPP loan. This loan was forgiven in April of 2022.
Because our working capital requirements depend upon numerous factors there can be no assurance that our current cash resources will be sufficient to fund our operations. Thus, we will require immediate additional financing to fund future operations. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to obtain funds on acceptable terms, if at all.
We have contractual lease obligations for our facility with an initial five year lease term. The agreement includes one or more options to renew with renewal terms that can extend the lease term by five years or more. For additional information related to these obligations, see Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, we also have obligations under our convertible debt facility to repay the remaining balance not converted into equity at the maturity date two years from issuance. See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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MANAGEMENT
The directors and executive officers of Nxu as of the date of this prospectus include:
Name | Age | Position | ||
Mark Hanchett | 42 | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board | ||
Annie Pratt | 31 | President and Director | ||
Apoorv Dwivedi | 42 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
Britt Ide | 52 | Director | ||
Caryn Nightengale | 48 | Director | ||
Jessica Billingsley | 46 | Director |
Mark Hanchett, Chief Executive Officer - Mark Hanchett has over ten years of product development experience with 16 successful electromechanical and software product launches that have already created significant change in the world. Mr. Hanchett brings a passion for solving hard problems in product strategy, design, manufacturing, and business operations, while continuously driving a focus on the best possible customer experience. He has served as Founder, Director, and CEO since inception in 2016. Before starting Nxu, Mr. Hanchett was a director at Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXON) from 2012 to 2017, leading teams in the development of innovative hardware and software products for law enforcement. From 2007 to 2012, he served as a senior mechanical engineer and project manager leading cross-functional teams through design and development of innovative conductive electrical weapons at Axon Enterprise Inc.
Annie Pratt, President - Annie Pratt is a creative problem solver with a background in product management, design, and business. After studying Product Design at Stanford’s design school, she kicked off her career as a Product Manager at Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXON) from 2014-2016, launching in-car video solutions for law enforcement. From 2016-2019, Ms. Pratt served as the Director of Consumer Products at Axon, where she built an independent business unit on its own P&L with dedicated sales, customer service, marketing, product development, manufacturing, and quality functions. That Consumer business unit doubled both revenue and profit in three years. Ms. Pratt joined the Company as Chief of Staff in 2019 and has served as the Company’s President since April 2020, where she has run marketing, sales, finance, people operations, and legal functions.
Apoorv Dwivedi, Chief Financial Officer – Apoorv Dwivedi leads our finance function and ensures that Nxu continues to optimize capital and resources as we grow. He brings extensive finance and corporate strategy experience from Fortune 100 companies across multiple industries that include automotive, technology, financial services, retail, and industrial. Prior to Nxu, from 2019 to 2022, Mr. Dwivedi was the Director of Finance for Cox Automotive where he successfully ran the Manheim Logistics business. From 2018 to 2019, he was Director of Presales within the finance solutions group at Workiva. From 2010 to 2017, Mr. Dwivedi held corporate finance roles at the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) across both the GE Capital and GE Industrial businesses. Apoorv began his career at ABN-AMRO, N.A. and was instrumental in building one of the first data analytics teams at Sears Holdings Company. Mr. Dwivedi earned his Bachelors in Finance from Loyola University – Chicago and his MBA from Yale School of Management.
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Britt Ide, Director - Britt Ide has been a director since 2021 and brings a deep background and many connections to help Nxu grow. She is an experienced private and public board director (e.g., Nasdaq: NorthWestern Energy 2017-Present and CleanTech Acquisition Corp 2021-2022) with deep expertise in the clean energy and cleantech sectors. Ms. Ide has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ide Energy & Strategy since 2010. Her degrees include BS Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University, MS Environmental Engineering from Montana State University-Bozeman, and a Juris Doctor from University of Utah. She has extensive experience in corporate governance, ESG (environmental, social, and governance), M&A, and executive development. Ms. Ide was appointed by the US Secretary of the Department of Energy to serve as an Ambassador for the Clean Energy, Education, and Empowerment program. Ms. Ide’s significant familiarity with our industry and business and financial expertise make her an ideal candidate to serve on our Board and serve as a member of our audit committee.
Caryn Nightengale, Director - Caryn Nightengale is seasoned executive with an extensive background in operations, fiscal management, corporate development, and investment banking and has served as a director since 2022. Also since 2022, Ms. Nightengale has been working to launch a start-up whose focus is helping businesses advance their diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. From 2019-2022 she was the Chief Financial Officer of Wisk Aero LLC, manufacturer of a self-flying air taxi. Prior to joining Wisk, Ms. Nightengale served as the Chief Financial Officer of Liquid Robotics from 2017-2019, a sustainability-focused robotics company. Previously, she was an internal strategic advisor to senior leadership of The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), and she was an investment banking advisor at BMO Capital Markets. In both roles, Ms. Nightengale leveraged her financial and strategic expertise to accelerate growth through M&A, joint venture, equity, venture capital and debt transactions. Ms. Nightengale earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a BS in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a major in finance and a minor in Japanese Studies. She serves on the Penn Athletics Board of Advisors, the Penn Basketball Board of Directors, and is Vice Chairperson of the MBA Council at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Ms. Nightengale brings extensive business and financial expertise to our board. For this reason, we believe she is an ideal candidate to serve on our Board and serve as chairperson of our audit committee.
Jessica Billingsley, Director - Jessica Billingsley has served as a director since July 1, 2023. She has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of Akerna (NASDAQ:KERN), a Software as a Service ag-tech company serving the cannabis, hemp, and CBD industry, since July 2019. Ms. Billingsley co-founded MJ Freeway, Akerna's wholly owned subsidiary in 2010. She has successfully taken the company public, completed multiple accretive acquisitions, and maintained market leadership for over a decade. Before Akerna, she founded and led Zoco, a technology services firm with a diverse nationwide client base. Ms. Billingsley served on the board and as audit chair of Bhang (CSE:BHNG) from November 2020 – November 2022. She currently serves on the private boards and as governance chair of both yWhales and OARO, and as the elected Vice Engagement Officer for the Young President’s Organization (YPO) Entrepreneurship Network Board. She has served as an active mentor for multiple accelerator programs, most currently for Colorado’s Boardbound program. Jessica Billingsley is a seasoned executive and innovator with over 25 years of experience in frontier technology. With a strong background in cutting-edge technologies, she has dedicated her career to the pursuit of solutions that address real-world challenges, particularly in the fields of emerging technologies and nascent industries. As a pioneering innovator, she is named on multiple patents, including one that advances supply chain technology across hardware, software, and methodology domains. Another patent features cutting-edge anti-counterfeit algorithms that bridge the digital and physical worlds using blockchain and NFT technology. Her extensive experience includes leading successful public and private companies as CEO and serving on multiple boards of directors in chair, executive committee, audit, and governance roles. She possesses in-depth expertise in private and public capital markets, successfully navigating complex transactions to drive growth and business transformation. Her leadership approach emphasizes the synergy of culture and performance. With over 25 years of experience in advanced technologies, emerging growth markets, and scaling businesses, she brings substantial domain expertise in P&L oversight, enterprise risk management, data analytics, machine learning, cybersecurity and data privacy, global supply chain management, DEI, and media and public relations. She holds FINRA securities licenses 7, 79, 63, and 24 and a dual degree in Computer Science and Communications from the University of Georgia. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Titan 100 CEO, Outstanding Women in Business, Inc. Top 100 Female Founder, and Fortune’s Most Promising Woman Entrepreneur. Her thought leadership has been featured in prominent media outlets, including Business Insider, Bloomberg, CNN, Cheddar, Fortune, and Forbes, in addition to her contributions to Entrepreneur and Rolling Stone publications. Ms. Billingsley was selected to serve on our Board and serve as a member of our audit committee based on her extensive experience with technology and emerging growth companies, her capital markets expertise, and her background as an entrepreneur.
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Controlled Company
Mr. Hanchett holds more than 50% of the voting power of the Company’s voting securities for the election of directors. As a result, the Company is, and expects to continue to be, a controlled company within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules, and, as a result, we qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
Under Nasdaq rules, a controlled company is exempt from certain corporate governance requirements, including:
· | the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors; |
· | the requirement that a listed company have a nominating and governance committee that is composed of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; |
· | the requirement that a listed company have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and |
· | the requirement for an annual performance evaluation of the nominating and governance committee and compensation committee. |
Controlled companies must comply with the exchange’s other corporate governance standards. These include having and audit committee and the special meetings of independent or non-management directors.
Independence of Directors
Under the listing rules of Nasdaq, the Company is not required to have a majority of independent directors serving on the Board, for so long as the Company is considered a controlled company within the meaning of the Nasdaq corporate governance standards. The Board has determined Mses. Ide, Nightengale and Billingsley are independent within the meaning of Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5605(a)(2).
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Committees of the Board
Audit Committee
Our audit committee consists of Mses. Ide, Nightengale and Billingsley with Ms. Nightengale serving as chairperson, resulting in three independent directors as members of the audit committee. Our Board has determined that the chairperson of the audit committee can read and understand financial statements and will ensure that each member seated in the future will be able to, read and understand fundamental financial statements and qualifies as an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of SEC regulations and meets the financial sophistication requirements of Nasdaq. As a controlled company, we remain subject to rules of Sarbanes-Oxley and Nasdaq that require us to have an audit committee composed entirely of at least three independent directors.
Our audit committee assists our Board with its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements; our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; the qualifications, independence, and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm; the design and implementation of our risk assessment; and risk management. Among other things, our audit committee is responsible for reviewing and discussing with our management the adequacy and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. The audit committee also discusses with our management and independent registered public accounting firm the annual audit plan and scope of audit activities, scope and timing of the annual audit of our financial statements, and the results of the audit, quarterly reviews of our financial statements and, as appropriate, initiates inquiries into certain aspects of our financial affairs. Our audit committee is responsible for establishing and overseeing procedures for the receipt, retention, and treatment of any complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, as well as for the confidential and anonymous submissions by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. In addition, our audit committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention, and oversight of the work of our independent registered public accounting firm. Our audit committee has sole authority to approve the hiring and discharging of our independent registered public accounting firm, all audit engagement terms and fees, and all permissible non-audit engagements with the independent auditor. Our audit committee reviews and oversees all related person transactions in accordance with our policies and procedures.
Our written audit committee charter can be found on the Company website.
Compensation Committee
Because we are a “controlled company,” we are not required to, and do not intend to, have a fully independent compensation committee. If and when we are no longer a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards, we will be required to establish a compensation committee. This committee would assist our Board with its oversight of the forms and amount of compensation for our executive officers (including officers reporting under Section 16 of the Exchange Act), the administration of our equity and non-equity incentive plans for employees and other service providers and certain other matters related to our compensation programs. Our compensation committee, among other responsibilities, will evaluate the performance of our Chief Executive Officer and, in consultation with him, will evaluate the performance of our other executive officers (including officers reporting under Section 16 of the Exchange Act).
Upon formation of a compensation committee, we would expect to adopt a compensation committee charter defining the committee’s primary duties in a manner consistent with the rules of the SEC and the applicable Nasdaq or market corporate governance standards.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Because we are a "controlled company," we are not required to, and do not currently expect to, have a nominating and corporate governance committee. If and when we are no longer a "controlled company" within the meaning of Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards, we will be required to establish a nominating and corporate governance committee. We anticipate that such a nominating and corporate governance committee would consist of three directors who will be "independent" under the rules of the SEC. This committee would identify, evaluate and recommend qualified nominees to serve on our Board, develop and oversee our internal corporate governance processes and maintain a management succession plan.
Upon formation of a nominating and corporate governance committee, we would expect to adopt a nominating and corporate governance committee charter defining the committee's primary duties in a manner consistent with the rules of the SEC and applicable stock exchange or market standards.
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Code of Business Ethics and Conduct Policy
Our Board has adopted a Code of Business Ethics and Conduct Policy applicable to the Company’s directors, officers and employees in accordance with applicable securities laws and the corporate governance rules of Nasdaq. Copies of our Code of Business Ethics and Conduct Policy are available on our Company website. The information on our website is not a part of this prospectus. Any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Conduct may be made only by our Board and will be disclosed on our corporate website promptly following the date of such amendment or waiver as required by applicable securities laws and the corporate governance rules of Nasdaq.
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
As an emerging growth company, we have opted to comply with the executive compensation disclosure rules applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as such term is defined in the rules promulgated under the Securities Act. This section describes the material components of the executive compensation program for our Chief Executive Officer and our two other most highly compensated executive officers whom we refer to as our “Named Executive Officers” or “NEOs”.
Introduction
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company’s Named Executive Officers were:
● | Mark Hanchett, Chief Executive Officer; |
● | Annie Pratt, President; and |
● | Apoorv Dwivedi, Chief Financial Officer. |
The objective of the Company’s compensation program is to provide a total compensation package to each Named Executive Officer that will enable the Company to attract, motivate and retain outstanding individuals, align the interests of our executive team with those of our stockholders, encourage individual and collective contributions to the successful execution of our short and long-term business strategies, and reward our Named Executive Officers for favorable performance.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table shows information concerning the annual compensation for services provided to the Company by our Named Executive Officers for the year ended December 31, 2022. Additional information on our Named Executive Officers’ annual compensation for the year ended December 31, 2022 is provided in the narrative sections following the Summary Compensation Table.
Name and Principal Position |
Year |
Salary ($)(1) |
Stock Awards ($)(2) |
Option Awards ($)(2) |
Total ($) |
Mark Hanchett, Chief Executive Officer |
2022 | 200,000 | - | - | 200,000 |
2021 | 167,692 | 4,380,061 | 121,891,436 | 126,439,189 | |
Annie Pratt, President |
2022 | 200,000 | - | - | 200,000 |
2021 | 167,692 | 4,986,133 | 41,420,328 | 46,574,153 | |
Apoorv Dwivedi, Chief Financial Officer(4) |
2022 | 200,000 | 770,000 | 1,651,190 | 2,621,190 |
(1) | The amounts reported in the “Salary” column for Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt represent the portion of each NEO’s base salary paid in cash. |
(2) | The amounts reported in the “Stock Awards” and “Option Awards” columns for 2022 represent the aggregate grant date fair value of restricted share units and stock options awarded pursuant to Mr. Dwivedi’s offer letter (described under the “Agreements with our Named Executive Officers”), plus the aggregate incremental fair value associated with the modifications thereto (described under “Equity Incentive Compensation”), calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. As of December 31, 2022, the achievement of the performance vesting condition with respect to 180,000 of the performance-based options was not considered probable, and therefore no associated expenses were recognized and such performance-based options are not reflected in this column. Since the performance vesting condition with respect to 100,000 of the performance-based options became probable when the condition was obtained in September 2022, compensation expense was recognized for this tranche of options and such performance-based options are reflected in this column. Assuming achievement of all performance-based vesting conditions with respect to the performance-based options granted in 2022 to Mr. Dwivedi, the aggregate grant date fair value of such performance-based options would be $1,807,400. For a discussion of the assumptions and methodologies used in calculating the grant date fair value of Mr. Dwivedi’s restricted share units and stock options, please see the summary of our significant accounting policies under the “Management Discussion and Analysis” section, filed herewith. |
(3) | Because Mr. Dwivedi was not an NEO before 2021, only his 2022 compensation is reported in the table. |
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Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
Agreements with our Named Executive Officers
All of our Named Executive Officers are employees-at-will and we have not entered into any employment, severance, change in control or similar agreements with any of them, nor are we otherwise currently responsible for any payment upon the termination of their employment. Ms. Pratt and Mr. Dwivedi have entered into the Company’s standard confidentiality agreement that generally applies to all salaried employees. Treatment of option awards upon the termination of a Named Executive Officer’s employment or a change in control is described in more detail below under the section titled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”
In 2021, Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt each received a letter that superseded any prior offer letter or compensation arrangement with the Company. The letters provided that each executive would receive 70% of their base salary in cash and 30% of their base salary as a stock award (“Salary Stock Award”), granted each bi-weekly payroll period (“Hybrid Base Salary”), plus an additional stock award equal to 15% of the Named Executive Officer’s base salary paid on the same schedule as the Salary Stock Award (“Additional Stock Award”). The Hybrid Base Salary and Additional Stock Award were paid from January 1, 2021 until July 11, 2021, after which point both Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt's base salaries were paid in cash for the remainder of 2021. With respect to their Salary Stock Awards and Additional Stock Awards, both Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt received 420.09 shares of Class A common stock for each bi-weekly pay period the Hybrid Base Salary was in effect.
On June 8, 2022, Mr. Dwivedi received an offer letter that superseded a prior offer letter dated as of November 24, 2021 (the “Amended Dwivedi Letter”). The superseding letter provides for: (i) Mr. Dwivedi’s employment as Chief Financial Officer beginning January 17, 2022 (the “Dwivedi Start Date”); (ii) an initial base salary of $200,000 per year; (iii) a restatement the Company’s promise to award 110,000 restricted share units and 490,000 stock options of Class A common stock, subject to the vesting conditions and certain modifications set forth below under the section titled “Equity Incentive Compensation”; and (iv) Mr. Dwivedi’s eligibility to participate in the standard benefits plans made available to the Company’s executive employees.
Base Salary
Each Named Executive Officer’s base salary is a fixed component of annual compensation for performing specific job duties and functions. The annual base salary rate for each of the Named Executive Officers was established at levels commensurate with historical compensation with any adjustments deemed necessary to attract and retain individuals with superior talent appropriate and relative to their expertise and experience. For 2022, our Named Executive Officers’ base salary rates were $200,000, $200,000 and $200,000 for Mr. Hanchett, Ms. Pratt and Mr. Dwivedi, respectively. For a description of the Hybrid Base Salary paid in 2021, see “Agreements with our Named Executive Officers.”
Annual Bonus
Annual cash incentive awards are used to motivate and reward our employees. We do not maintain a formal annual cash incentive award plan. Instead, such awards are determined on a discretionary basis and are generally based on individual and Company performance. We intend to adopt a formal bonus plan in which certain of our employees, including the Named Executive Officers, will be eligible to participate going forward but have not done so as of the date of this prospectus. For 2022, no Named Executive Officer was determined to have earned a discretionary cash bonus.
Equity Incentive Compensation
Equity incentive compensation is used to promote performance-based pay that aligns the interests of our executive officers with the long-term interests of our equity-owners and to enhance executive retention. Historically, the Company has made stock awards to each of the Named Executive Officers on a fully vested basis or subject to monthly or annual ratable vesting.
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In August 2021, the Board approved the Employee Stock Option Plan (the “Equity Compensation Plan”), which was shortly thereafter implemented by the Company. The Equity Compensation Plan authorizes a committee of the Board to issue grants of stock options to employees, non-employee directors and consultants as a component of overall compensation. On August 23, 2021, the Board determined it was in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to modify employees prior stock awards. Under the Equity Compensation Plan, employees could elect to convert their stock awards into nonqualified stock options at a weighted average conversion ratio for every one stock award (for Mr. Hanchett – 1:1 option to share ratio for the first 10 million shares, 6.64 option to share ratio thereafter; and Ms. Pratt – 6.64 option to share ratio). A condition of the conversion was the relinquishment of all stock awards previously awarded through the August 24, 2021 conversion date. Mr. Pratt and Ms. Hanchett elected to convert their prior stock awards into options, including the Hybrid Stock Award, Additional Stock Award and certain stock award grants of Class A common stock made to Mr. Hanchett (869,537 shares) and Ms. Pratt (991,483 shares) in the first half of 2021 for services provided to the Company. The option awards were generally subject to time-vesting conditions, as set forth in the footnotes to the “Outstanding Equity Awards at 2022 Fiscal Year-End” table.
In addition, pursuant to certain Assignment of Stock agreements entered into by Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt, the Company assigned 17,803,675 fully vested shares and 5,671,695 fully vested shares, respectively, of Class D common stock, and 12,300,000 restricted share units and 6,150,000 restricted share units, respectively, of Class D common stock, on August 27, 2021. The restricted share units are subject to the vesting conditions set forth in the footnotes to the “Outstanding Equity Awards at 2022 Fiscal Year-End” table. For a description of our Class D common stock, see Note 2 to the Company’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed herewith.
With respect to Mr. Dwivedi’s equity incentive compensation, the Amended Dwivedi Letter provides for a promise to award 490,000 stock options to purchase shares of Class A common stock, subject to the following vesting schedule: (i) 210,000 options shall vest as follows, subject to Mr. Dwivedi’s continued service through each of the following vesting dates: (a) 20,000 vested options on the 6-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date, (b) 30,000 vested options on the 12-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date and (c) 40,000 vested options on each successive 6-month anniversary thereafter, ending on the 36-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date and (ii) 280,000 options shall vest as follows, subject to the Company meeting the following milestones after the Dwivedi Start Date: (a) 40,000 vested options upon raising $150 million, (b) 40,000 vested options upon recognizing $50 million in revenue, (c) 100,000 vested options upon recognizing $500 million in revenue and (d) 100,000 vested options upon becoming a publicly-traded Company. In connection with entering into the Amended Dwivedi Letter, the Company modified Mr. Dwivedi’s stock option awards’ strike price from $12.74 to $7.00 to align with the Company’s then-current Code Section 409A third-party common stock valuation.
The Dwivedi Letter also provides for a promise to award 110,000 restricted share units of Class A common stock (the “Dwivedi RSUs”). The Dwivedi Letter provides that for the Dwivedi RSUs to vest, both of the following vesting conditions must be met: (i) the Company’s completion of a “liquidation event” (which was achieved when the Company became publicly traded in September 2022) and (ii) Mr. Dwivedi’s continued service through each of the following vesting dates: (a) 20,000 shares on the 6-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date, (b) 30,000 shares on the 12-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date, (c) 30,000 shares on the 24-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date and (d) 30,000 shares on the 36-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date. In connection with entering into the Amended Dwivedi Letter, the Company modified the Dwivedi RSUs to allow for vesting in connection with a “liquidation event.”
Other Compensation Elements
We offer participation in broad-based retirement, health and welfare plans to all of our employees. We have not maintained, and do not currently maintain, a defined benefit pension plan or nonqualified deferred compensation plan. We currently maintain a retirement plan intended to provide benefits under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code whereby employees, including our Named Executive Officers, are allowed to contribute portions of their base compensation to a tax-qualified retirement account. We currently do not provide matching contributions under the plan. In addition, we do not provide perquisites to our Named Executive Officers.
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Outstanding Equity Awards at 2022 Fiscal Year-End
The following table reflects information regarding outstanding equity-based awards held by our Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2022.
Option Awards(1) | Stock Awards | |||||||
Name |
Number of exercisable |
Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) unexercisable |
Equity incentive plan awards: Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) unexercisable |
Option exercise price ($) |
Option expiration date |
Number of shares or units of stock that have not vested (#)(2) |
Market value of shares or units of stock that have not vested (#)(3) | |
Mark Hanchett |
22,903,675 | 7,200,000 | - | 7.00 | 8/24/2031 | 7,200,000 | 0 | |
Annie Pratt |
8,221,695 | 3,600,000 | - | 7.00 | 8/24/2031 | 3,600,000 | 0 | |
Apoorv Dwivedi | (4) | 20,000 | 190,000 | - | 7.00 | 1/17/2032 | - | - |
(5) | 100,000 | - | 180,000 | 7.00 | 6/8/2032 | 90,000 | 292,500 |
(1) | All option awards reflected in this table for Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt were granted under the Company’s Equity Compensation Plan on August 24, 2021. For Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt, their option awards vest or vested as follows: (i) 17,803,676 options and 5,671,696 options, respectively, on August 24, 2021; (ii) 375,000 options and 187,500 options, respectively, vesting monthly on the first of the month from September 1, 2021 through December 1, 2021; and (iii) 300,000 options and 150,000 options, respectively, vesting monthly on the first of the month starting January 1, 2022 through December 1, 2024. |
(2) | All outstanding restricted share units of Class D common stock were granted on August 27, 2021. Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt’s restricted share units of Class D common stock vest or vested as follows: (i) 375,000 units and 187,500 units, respectively, vesting monthly on the first of the month from September 1, 2021 through December 1, 2021; and (ii) 300,000 units and 150,000 units, respectively, vesting monthly on the first of the month starting January 1, 2022 through December 1, 2024. |
(3) | The amount listed for Mr. Hanchett and Ms. Pratt reflects the market value per share of our Class D common stock determined by our Board as of December 31, 2022, multiplied by the amount shown in the column for the number of shares underlying unvested awards. For a description of some of the factors the Board used in determining the market value of our Class D common stock, the summary of our significant accounting policies under the “Management Discussion and Analysis” section, filed herewith. The amount listed for Mr. Dwivedi reflects the market value per share the Company’s common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market of $3.25 per share on the last trading day of the year (December 30, 2022). |
(4) | The options in this row have a grant date of January 17, 2022. Of the 190,000 stock options that remain unexercisable as of December 31, 2022, 30,000 stock options vest on January 17, 2023 and the remainder vest in installments of 40,000 every six months thereafter. |
(5) | The equity awards in this row have a grant date of January 1, 2022. The options vested on the date the Company became publicly-traded in September 2022. Of the 180,000 stock options that remain unexercisable as of December 31, 2022, 40,000 stock options vest upon the Company raising $150 million, 40,000 stock options vest upon the Company recognizing $50 million in revenue and 100,000 stock options vest upon the Company recognizing $500 million in revenue. Of the 90,000 restricted share units that remain unvested, 30,000 shares vest on the 12-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date, 30,000 shares vest on the 24-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date and 30,000 shares vest on the 36-month anniversary of the Dwivedi Start Date. |
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Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
As described above under the section titled “Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table—Employment Agreements,” we have not entered into any employment, severance, change in control or similar agreements with any of our Named Executive Officers, nor are we otherwise currently responsible for any payment upon the termination of any of our Named Executive Officers for any reason.
A Named Executive Officer’s outstanding, unvested option awards will be forfeited and immediately terminate in the event of a Named Executive Officer’s termination of employment for any reason. A Named Executives Officer’s outstanding, unvested option awards will become 100% vested upon the consummation of a “change in control” (as defined under the Equity Compensation Plan). Options which are vested as of a Named Executive Officer’s cessation of service as an employee will generally remain exercisable through their expiration date, unless the Named Executive Officer’s cessation of service as an employee is due to death or disability, in which case the vested options only remain exercisable through the earlier of (i) the 12-month anniversary of the Named Executive Officer’s death or disability or (ii) the expiration date of the options.
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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Director Compensation Table
The following table provides information concerning the compensation of the Company’s non-employee directors who served on the Company’s Board during fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Mark Hanchett and Annie Pratt also served as directors of the Company during fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, but did not receive any additional compensation with respect to such Board service.
Name(1) |
Fees Earned or ($) |
Option Awards ($)(2) |
Total ($) |
Caryn Nightengale | 20,000 | 232,560 | 252,560 |
Britt Ide | 22,000 | - | 22,000 |
Mark Nelson | 1,000 | 1,287,188 | 1,288,188 |
(1) | Ms. Ide joined the Company’s Board on February 19, 2021. Ms. Nightengale and Mr. Nelson joined the Company’s Board on July 1, 2022 and February 1, 2022, respectively. Mr. Nelson resigned from his Board service to pursue another opportunity on May 9, 2022. |
(2) | The amounts reported in the “Option Awards” column represent the aggregate grant date fair value associated with the 2022 grant of 36,000 nonqualified stock options to Ms. Nightengale and the 2022 grant of 300,000 and 18,750 nonqualified stock options to Mr. Nelson, respectively, and have been calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Mr. Nelson forfeited his 300,000 stock option award in connection with his Board resignation, which had a grant date fair value of $1,188,000. Ms. Nightengale, Ms. Ide and Mr. Nelson held 36,000, 54,000 and 18,750 outstanding options, respectively, as of December 31, 2022. |
Director Compensation Program
Prior to his resignation, the Company entered into a Non-Employee Director Agreement with Mr. Nelson, effective February 1, 2022 (the “Nelson Agreement”), which is substantially similar to the Ide Agreement and the Nightengale Agreement described below, and which terminated following his resignation. Mr. Nelson served just over three months with the Board, during which he attended one Board meeting and was paid $1,000. Under the terms of the Nelson Agreement and in connection with his resignation, Mr. Nelson forfeited his original incentive equity award of 300,000 nonqualified stock options, and received 18,750 fully vested nonqualified stock options, representing his receipt of 6,250 options for each full month of completed Board service. Mr. Nelson is not owed any additional compensation from the Company in connection with his Board service in 2022.
The Company initially entered into a Non-Employee Director Agreement with Ms. Ide, effective February 19, 2021, that was later superseded by a Non-Employee Director Agreement dated August 30, 2021 (the “Ide Agreement”), a Board of Directors Agreement, effective as of July 1, 2022, with Caryn Nightengale who joined the Company’s Board in 2022 (the “Nightengale Agreement”), and a Board of Directors Agreement, effective as of February 1, 2022, with Mark Nelson who joined the Company’s Board in 2022 (the “Nelson Agreement”).
The Ide Agreement and the Nightengale Agreement were each later superseded when the Company entered into a Board of Directors Agreement with Mses. Ide and Nightengale, respectively, effective as of September 27, 2022 (the “A&R Director Agreements”). The A&R Director Agreements will have an initial term lasting from the effective date until the earlier of the 12-month anniversary thereof or the date of the Company’s annual shareholder meeting, subject to each director’s election by the Company’s shareholders. If a director is re-elected, the agreement will continue to renew at each annual shareholder meeting, until the director is not re-elected, resigns, or is otherwise removed from the Board. The A&R Director Agreements also provide for the following material terms (the descriptions of which are qualified in their entirety by reference to the respective A&R Director Agreements): (i) cash fees in the amount of a $10,000 quarterly stipend, payable until the Company’s 2023 annual shareholders; (ii) a quarterly award of restricted share units having a grant date fair value of $40,000, for each quarter from the effective date until the Company’s 2023 annual shareholder meeting (“Quarterly RSUs”); (iii) a one-time special award of restricted share units having a grant date fair value of $25,000, in recognition of the director’s efforts related to the Company’s public listing (“Special RSUs”); (iv) an indemnification provision, which includes the obligation of the Company to maintain directors and officers insurance; and (v) a provision providing for attorneys’ fees if ever any proceeding commences between the parties relating to the terms of the agreement. The A&R Director Agreements also provide for certain confidentiality and non-disclosure covenants in favor of the Company and a mutual non-disparagement provision.
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The amounts reflected in the above “Director Compensation Table” were made under the Ide Agreement and Nightengale Agreement, as well as the A&R Director Agreements, which in relevant part provided for cash fees of $1,000 per Board meeting attended by each director and the option award grants reflected above, each of which were fully vested on the date of grant.
In order for the Quarterly RSUs and Special RSUs described herein (the “RSU Awards”) to be granted, the director must provide continuous service through each of the following events: (i) successful completion of a reorganization transaction (the resulting entity, “Pubco”), (ii) approval of an equity incentive plan by the Pubco’s stockholders; and (iii) approval of the terms and conditions of the RSU Awards by the Pubco’s board of directors. Provided the terms of the awards are approved by the Pubco’s board of directors, generally, it is intended for the RSU Awards to be granted on the final trading day of the first week after the Pubco’s equity plan is approved, and shall be fully vested on such date.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
The following summary of the material terms of Nxu’s common stock is not intended to be a complete summary of the rights and preferences of such securities. Nxu’s common stock is governed by Nxu’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the DGCL. We urge you to read the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws in their entirety for a complete description of the rights and preferences of Nxu’s common stock.
General
Nxu’s Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of 5,010,000,000 shares, consisting of (x) 5,000,000,000 authorized shares of common stock, including (1) 4,000,000,000 authorized shares of Class A common stock, (2) 1,000,000,000 authorized shares of Class B common stock and (y) 10,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.
As of October 3, 2023, there were 92,602,086 shares of Class A common stock outstanding, 35,625,372 shares of Class B common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each holder of Class A common stock, as such, shall have the right to one (1) vote per share of Class A common stock held of record by such holder and each holder of Class B common stock, as such, shall have the right to ten (10) votes per share of Class B common stock held of record by such holder. There are no cumulative voting rights.
Dividend Rights
The holders of shares of Class A common stock and the holders of shares of Class B common stock shall be entitled to receive, ratably in proportion to the number of shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock, respectively, with respect to any dividends or distributions as may be declared and paid from time to time by Nxu; provided, however, that in the event a dividend is paid in the form of shares of Class A common stock or Class B Common Stock, then holders of Class A common stock shall be entitled to receive shares of Class A common stock, and holders of Class B common stock shall be entitled to receive shares of Class B common stock, with holders of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock receiving, on a per share basis, an identical number of shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock, as applicable.
Liquidation Rights
Subject to the rights of any then outstanding preferred stock which ranks senior to common stock, in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Nxu, the holders of Class A common stock will be entitled to receive, after payment or provision for payment of all of its debts and liabilities, all of the assets of Nxu legally available for distribution to stockholders.
The holders of shares of Class B common stock, as such, shall not be entitled to receive any assets of Nxu in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of Nxu.
Other Rights
There are no conversion rights or redemption, purchase, retirement or sinking fund provisions with respect to the common stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Delaware law, the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of Nxu. These provisions are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of Nxu to first negotiate with the Board.
Board of Directors; Removal of Directors
The Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that a director may be removed with or without cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the votes that all the stockholders would be entitled to cast in an election of directors. Any vacancy on the Board, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of the Board, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast in favor or against the election of a nominee at a meeting of stockholders. At each annual meeting, the entire board will stand for election for a one-year term. The limitations on the removal of directors and filling of vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of Nxu.
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Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Special Meetings
The Certificate of Incorporation provides that any action required or permitted to be taken by stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of such holders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such holders. The Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of stockholders can only be called by the chairman of the board, chief executive officer or board of directors.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals
The Bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the Board. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to the secretary of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. This written notice must contain certain information specified in the Bylaws. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of outstanding voting securities.
Delaware Business Combination Statute
Nxu has opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL.
Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. The Bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of the Board or by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the votes which all stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors. The Certificate of Incorporation may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at any regular or special meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present in any manner not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware.
Pre-Funded Warrants
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the warrant agency agreement between us and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as warrant agent, and the form of Pre-Funded Warrant, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions set forth in the warrant agency agreement, including the annexes thereto, and the form of Pre-Funded Warrant.
Form
Pursuant to the warrant agency agreement between us and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as warrant agent, the Pre-Funded Warrants will be issued in book-entry form and shall initially be represented only by one or more global warrants deposited with the warrant agent, as custodian on behalf of The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Pre-Funded Warrant will have an initial exercise price per share equal to $0.0001. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price.
Exercisability
The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding common stock immediately after exercise. However, any holder may increase such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99%, provided that any increase in such percentage shall not be effective until 61 days after the holder give notice to us of such increase. Purchasers of Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering may also elect, prior to the issuance of the Pre-Funded Warrants, to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding common stock.
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Cashless Exercise
The Pre-Funded Warrants may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of “cashless exercise” in which the holder shall be entitled to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of Class A common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants, which generally provides for a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to (A)(1) the volume weighted average price on (x) the trading day preceding the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered on d ay that is not a trading day or prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” on a trading day or (y) the trading day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered after the close of “regular trading hours” on such trading day, or (2) the bid price on the day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a trading day and is delivered within two hours thereafter, less (B) the exercise price, multiplied by (C) the number of shares of Class A common stock the Pre-Funded Warrant was exercisable into, with such product then divided by the number determined under clause (A) in the this sentence.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Pre-Funded Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Pre-Funded Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer.
Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Rather, the number of shares of common stock to be issued will, at our election, either be rounded up to the nearest whole number or we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system.
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Rights as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Pre-Funded Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our shares of Class A common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Pre-Funded Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction.
Exclusive Forum Provisions
Our Certificate of Incorporation requires that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if that court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, another federal or state court situated in the State of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our business, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a duty owed by any director, officer, employee, agent or stockholder of ours to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In addition, our Certificate of Incorporation requires that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. These forum selection provisions will not apply to claims arising under the Exchange Act or other federal securities laws for which there is exclusive federal jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions.
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of Nxu’s voting common stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of Nxu’s affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) Nxu is subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and has filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the twelve months (or such shorter period as Nxu was required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of Nxu’s voting common stock for at least six months but who are Nxu’s affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
· | 1% of the total number of shares of such securities then-outstanding; or |
· | the average weekly reported trading volume of such securities during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by Nxu’s affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Listing of Securities
Nxu’s Class A common stock is listed for trading on Nasdaq under the symbol “NXU.”
Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our Class A common stock and the warrant agent for the Pre-Funded Warrants is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. We have agreed to indemnify American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC in its role as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth information known to the Company regarding the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock as of October 3, 2023 by:
· | each person who is known by the Company to own beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of any class of the Company’s common stock; |
· | each of the Company’s current named executive officers and directors; and |
· | all current executive officers and directors of the Company, as a group. |
The SEC has defined “beneficial ownership” of a security to mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of voting power and/or investment power over such security. A stockholder is also deemed to be, as of any date, the beneficial owner of all securities that such stockholder has the right to acquire within 60 days after that date, including but not limited to the right to acquire through (i) the exercise of any option, warrant or right, (ii) the conversion of a security, (iii) the power to revoke a trust, discretionary account or similar arrangement, or (iv) the automatic termination of a trust, discretionary account or similar arrangement. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, shares that may be acquired by that person within 60 days thereafter are deemed outstanding, while such shares are not deemed outstanding for purposes of computing percentage ownership of any other person. Each person named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all of the common stock shown as beneficially owned by such person, except as otherwise indicated in the table or footnotes below.
The beneficial ownership of voting securities of the Company is based on 92,602,086 and 35,625,372 shares of Nxu’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock, respectively, issued and outstanding as of October 3, 2023.
Name of Beneficial Owner(1) | Class A Shares | % of Class | Class B Shares | % of Class | Combined Voting Power(2) | |||||||||||||||
5% Stockholders | ||||||||||||||||||||
GEM Global Yield LLC SCS | 34,340,374 | (3) | 37.1 | - | - | 8.5 | % | |||||||||||||
Directors and Executive Officers | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mark Hanchett | 27,308,830 | (4) | 22.8 | % | 26,503,676 | (5) | 72.6 | % | 58.1 | % | ||||||||||
Annie Pratt | 10,726,831 | (6) | 10.5 | % | 10,021,696 | (7) | 27.4 | % | 22.1 | % | ||||||||||
Apoorv Dwivedi | 649,014 | (8) | * | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||
Britt Ide | 412,768 | (9) | * | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||
Caryn Nightengale | 394,749 | (10) | * | - | - | * | ||||||||||||||
Jessica Billingsley | 194,444 | (11) | * | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (6 individuals) | 39,586,636 | 30.6 | % | 36,525,372 | 100.0 | % | 80.6 | % |
* Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%.
(1) | The business address of each of the individuals is c/o Nxu, Inc., 1828 N Higley Rd., Suite 116 Mesa, Arizona 85205. |
(2) | Represents the percentage of voting power with respect to all shares of the Company’s outstanding capital stock voting together as a single class. Does not include shares underlying stock options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of October 3, 2023 or restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. The holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to 10 votes per share and the holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share. |
(3) | The principal business address of GEM Global Yield LLC SCS (“GEM”) is 12C, rue Guillaume J. Kroll, L-1882 Luxembourg. Consists of (i) 34,000,000 unrestricted shares of Class A common stock; and (ii) 340,374 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the full exercise of a common stock purchase warrant within 60 days, in each case issued pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2021, as amended by a letter agreement, dated as of September 19, 2023. GEM Global Yield Fund LLC is the general partner of GEM. Christopher F. Brown is the sole beneficial owner of GEM GP and has voting and dispositive power over the shares held by GEM. Mr. Brown disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by GEM other than to the extent of his ultimate pecuniary interest therein. |
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(4) | Includes 26,308,830 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable within 60 days and 600,000 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(5) | Includes 600,000 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(6) | Represents 10,276,831 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable within 60 days and 300,000 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(7) | Includes 300,000 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(8) | Includes 190,000 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable within 60 days and restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(9) | Includes 218,324 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable within 60 days and 194,444 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(10) | Represents 200,305 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable within 60 days and 194,444 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
(11) | Represents 194,444 restricted stock units that vest within 60 days. |
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Compensation arrangements with our Named Executive Officers and directors are described elsewhere in this prospectus. See “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” for information regarding the ownership of our securities by our control persons.
Related Party Transactions
Since the beginning of the fiscal year preceding our last fiscal year, there are no transactions, or any currently proposed transactions, to which we were or are to be a participant, in which (i) the amount involved exceeded or will exceed the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years; and (ii) any of our directors, executive officers or, to our knowledge, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our capital stock or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than equity and other compensation, termination, change in control and other arrangements, which are described above in the section titled “Executive Compensation.”
Indemnification Agreements
The Company assumed certain indemnification agreements (the “Indemnity Agreements”) that the Predecessor entered into with each director and executive officer of the Company. Each Indemnity Agreement provides that, subject to limited exceptions, and among other things, we will indemnify the director or executive officer to the fullest extent permitted by law for claims arising in his or her capacity as our director or officer.
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Parties
Our Board reviews and approves transactions with directors, officers and holders of five percent or more of our voting securities and their affiliates, each a related party. The material facts as to the related party’s relationship or interest in the transaction are disclosed to our Board prior to their consideration of such transaction, and the transaction is not considered approved by our Board unless a majority of the directors who are not interested in the transaction approve the transaction. Further, when stockholders are entitled to vote on a transaction with a related party, the material facts of the related party’s relationship or interest in the transaction are disclosed to the stockholders, who must approve the transaction in good faith.
Additionally, we adopted a written related party transactions policy that such transactions must be approved by our audit committee.
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CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
Subject to the limitations, assumptions and qualifications described herein, the following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants offered pursuant to this prospectus. The Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Offered Securities.” All prospective holders of the Offered Securities should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities.
This discussion is based on current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, published administrative pronouncements and rulings of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus supplement. These authorities are subject to change and to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to holders described in this discussion. There can be no assurance that a court or the IRS will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described herein, and we have not obtained, nor do we intend to obtain, a ruling with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a holder of the purchase, ownership or disposition of the Offered Securities.
This discussion addresses only Offered Securities that are held as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to particular holders in light of their individual circumstances, nor does it address any alternative minimum tax, Medicare tax on certain investment income, estate or gift tax consequences, or any aspects of U.S. state, local or non-U.S. taxes. It does not address holders that are subject to special rules, such as:
• | banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions; |
• | tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations; |
• | brokers or dealers in securities; |
• | traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings; |
• | persons who hold any of the Offered Securities as a position in a hedging transaction, “straddle,” “conversion transaction,” or other risk reduction transaction; |
• | persons deemed to sell any of the Offered Securities under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; |
• | entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes or other pass-through entities such as subchapter S corporations (or investors in such entities or arrangements); |
• | regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts; |
• | controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies or corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
• | U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; |
• | “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code and entities all of the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds; |
• | U.S. expatriates and former citizens or former long-term residents of the United States; or |
• | holders that acquire the Offered Securities through the exercise of an employee stock option or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan. |
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If a holder is a partnership or other pass-through entity (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership or other type of pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes), the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner or beneficial owner will generally depend on the status of such partner or beneficial owner and the entity’s activities. Partnerships, partners and beneficial owners in partnerships or other pass-through entities that own the Offered Securities should consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities.
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of the Offered Securities, that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:
• | an individual that is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
• | a corporation, or an entity treated as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
• | a trust that (1) is subject to (A) the primary supervision of a court within the United States and (B) the authority of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States person; or |
• | an estate that is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income regardless of its source. |
As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner, other than an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of the Offered Securities that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes not a U.S. Holder.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE PARTICULAR FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES.
General Treatment of Pre-Funded Warrants
Although it is not entirely free from doubt, a Pre-Funded Warrant should be treated as a share of Class A common stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes and a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants should generally be taxed in the same manner as a holder of Class A common stock as described below. Accordingly, upon exercise, the holding period of a Pre-Funded Warrant should carry over to the Share received. Similarly, the tax basis of the Pre-Funded Warrant should carry over to the Share received upon exercise increased by the exercise price of $0.0001. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the risks associated with the acquisition of a Pre-Funded Warrant pursuant to this offering (including potential alternative characterizations). The balance of this discussion generally assumes that the characterization described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Tax Considerations Applicable to U.S. Holders
Distributions on Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants
We do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. If we make distributions of cash or other property on the Shares (other than certain distributions of stock), such distributions will constitute dividends to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by a corporate U.S. Holder may be eligible for a dividends received deduction, subject to applicable limitations. Dividends received by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, are generally taxed at the lower applicable capital gains rate provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described below under “—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of the Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants.”
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of the Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants
Upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants, a U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition and such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants. This capital gain or loss will be long term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period in such Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants is more than one year at the time of the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition. Long-term capital gains recognized by certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, generally will be subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
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Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
In general, backup withholding and information reporting requirements may apply to payments on the Offered Securities and to the receipt of proceeds on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities. Backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24 percent) may apply if a U.S. Holder fails to furnish its taxpayer identification number, a U.S. Holder fails to certify under penalties of perjury that such taxpayer identification number is correct and that such U.S. Holder is not subject to backup withholding (generally on a properly completed and duly executed IRS Form W-9), the applicable withholding agent is notified by the IRS that the holder previously failed to properly report payments of interest or dividends, or such U.S. Holder otherwise fails to comply with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules.
Certain U.S. Holders generally are not subject to backup withholding and information reporting requirements, provided that their exemptions from backup withholding and information reporting are properly established. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from a payment to a U.S. Holder under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a credit against such U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such U.S. Holder to a refund, provided the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding, the availability of an exemption from backup withholding, and the procedure for obtaining such an exemption, if available.
Tax Considerations Applicable to Non-U.S. Holders
Distributions on Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants
As mentioned above, we do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. However, distributions of cash or other property (other than certain distributions of stock) will constitute dividends to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be subject to the treatment as described below under “— Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of the Offered Securities”.
Dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder that are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States generally will be subject to withholding tax at a 30-percent rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to provide us or our paying agent with a properly executed applicable IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or appropriate successor form), as applicable, certifying under penalties of perjury that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person and is eligible for the benefits under the applicable tax treaty. These forms may need to be periodically updated. If a Non-U.S. Holder holds the Offered Securities through a financial institution or other intermediary, the Non-U.S. Holder generally will be required to provide the appropriate documentation to the financial institution or other intermediary. A Non-U.S. Holder eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty who fails to timely provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS.
If dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), the Non-U.S. Holder will generally be taxed on the dividends in the same manner as a U.S. Holder. In this case, the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the withholding tax discussed in the preceding paragraph, although the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or appropriate successor form) in order to claim an exemption from withholding. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, are subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates generally applicable to Non-U.S. Holders. Dividends received by a corporate Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with such Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30-percent rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty). Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors with respect to other U.S. tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities, including the possible imposition of the branch profits tax.
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Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of the Offered Securities
Subject to the discussions below under “—Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” and “—FATCA,” a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on gain realized on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Offered Securities unless:
• | the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), |
• | the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or |
• | We are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation,” as defined in the Code, at any time within the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period, whichever period is shorter, and the Non-U.S. Holder is not eligible for an exemption under an applicable income tax treaty. |
We believe that we are not, and do not anticipate becoming, a United States real property holding corporation. Even if we are or have been a United States real property holding corporation during the specified testing period, as long as our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market (such as Nasdaq) at any time during the calendar year in which the disposition occurs, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the disposition of Shares or Pre-Funded Warrants if the Non-U.S. Holder does not own or has not owned (actually or constructively) more than 5 percent of our common stock at any time during the shorter of the two periods mentioned above. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of this regularly traded exception.
If a Non-U.S. Holder recognizes gain on a sale, exchange or other disposition of the Offered Securities that is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), the Non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates generally applicable to a United States person. If the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, the Non-U.S. Holder may also be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30-percent rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors with respect to other U.S. tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Offered Securities, including the possible imposition of the branch profits tax.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Information returns will be filed with the IRS in connection with payments of dividends on the Offered Securities. Copies of the information returns reporting those dividends and withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which a Non-U.S. Holder is a resident under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or agreement. Unless a Non-U.S. Holder complies with certification procedures to establish that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person, information returns may also be filed with the IRS in connection with the proceeds from a sale, exchange or other disposition of the Offered Securities to or through the U.S. office (and, in certain cases, the foreign office) of a broker.
A Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24 percent) on payments on the Offered Securities or on the proceeds from a sale, exchange or other disposition of the Offered Securities unless the Non-U.S. Holder complies with certification procedures to establish that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person or otherwise establishes an exemption. Compliance with the certification procedures required to claim a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty (including properly certifying non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 (or appropriate successor form)) generally will satisfy the certification requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding as well. Notwithstanding the foregoing, U.S. federal backup withholding may apply if the payor has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that a holder is a United States person.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from a payment to a Non-U.S. Holder under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a credit against such Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such Non-U.S. Holder to a refund, provided the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular circumstances.
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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, “FATCA”), a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% generally will be imposed on certain payments made to a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined under these rules) unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. tax authorities to withhold on certain payments and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding U.S. account holders of such institution or meets other exceptions. Under FATCA and administrative guidance, a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% generally also will be imposed on certain payments made to a “non-financial foreign entity” (as specifically defined under these rules) unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification identifying its direct and indirect U.S. owners or meets other exceptions. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. governing these withholding and reporting requirements may be subject to different rules.
These withholding taxes would be imposed on dividends with respect to our Class A common stock to foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities (including in their capacity as agents or custodians for beneficial owners of our common stock) that fail to satisfy the above requirements. Prior to the issuance of proposed U.S. Treasury regulations, withholding taxes under FATCA also would have applied to gross proceeds from the disposition of our Class A common stock. However, the proposed U.S. Treasury regulations provide that such gross proceeds are generally not subject to withholding taxes under FATCA. Taxpayers (including withholding agents) may currently rely on these proposed U.S. Treasury regulations until they are revoked or final U.S. Treasury regulations are issued.
Under certain circumstances, a Non-U.S. Holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. Prospective Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our common stock. We will not pay any additional amounts to Non-U.S. Holders with respect to any amounts withheld, including pursuant to FATCA.
THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. IT IS NOT TAX ADVICE. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We are offering up to 42,666,667 Shares, based on an assumed public offering price of $0.1875 per Share, which represents the closing price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq on October 3, 2023, for gross proceeds of up to approximately $8.0 million before deduction of placement agent commissions and offering expenses, in a best-efforts offering. There is no minimum amount of proceeds that is a condition to closing of this offering. The actual amount of gross proceeds, if any, in this offering could vary substantially from the gross proceeds from the sale of the maximum amount of securities being offered in this prospectus.
Pursuant to a placement agency agreement, dated as of , 2023, we have engaged Maxim Group LLC to act as our exclusive placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any securities, nor is it required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, other than to use its “reasonable best efforts” to arrange for the sale of the securities by us. Therefore, we may not sell the entire amount of securities being offered. We will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with the institutional investors, at the investors’ option, who purchase our securities in this offering. Investors who do not enter into a securities purchase agreement shall rely solely on this prospectus in connection with the purchase of our securities in this offering. The Placement Agent may engage one or more subagents or selected dealers in connection with this offering.
The placement agency agreement provides that the Placement Agent’s obligations are subject to conditions contained in the placement agency agreement.
The Shares will be offered at a fixed price and are expected to be issued in a single closing. There is no minimum number of Shares to be sold or minimum aggregate offering proceeds for this offering to close. We expect this offering to be completed not later than two business days following the commencement of this offering and we will deliver all securities issued in connection with this offering delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”) upon our receipt of investor funds. Accordingly, neither we nor the Placement Agent has made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account since the Placement Agent will not receive investor funds in connection with the sale of securities offered hereunder.
We will deliver the securities being issued to the investors upon receipt of investor funds for the purchase of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We expect to deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus on or about , 2023.
Placement Agent Fees, Commissions and Expenses
We have agreed to pay to the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to six and a half percent (6.5%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing in this offering, the actual aggregate cash placement fee, if any, is not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amount set forth above.
We estimate the total expenses payable by us for this offering to be approximately $0.85 million, which amount includes: (i) a placement agent fee of $520,000, assuming the purchase of all of the securities we are offering; (ii) reimbursement of the out-of-pocket expenses of the Placement Agent of up to $50,000; and (iii) other estimated expenses of approximately $277,182, which include our legal, accounting, and printing costs and various fees associated with the registration and listing of our securities.
The following table shows the public offering price, placement agent fees and proceeds, before expenses, to us.
Per Share | Per Pre- Funded Warrant | Total | ||||||||||
Public offering price(1) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Placement agent fees(2) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us(3) | $ | $ | $ |
(1) | The combined public offering price is $ per Share and $ per Pre-Funded Warrant. |
(2) | Represents a cash fee equal to six and a half percent (6.5%) of the aggregate purchase price paid by investors in this offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for its out-of-pocket expenses in an amount up to $50,000. |
(3) | The amount of offering proceeds to us presented in this table assumes no Pre-Funded Warrants are issued in lieu of Shares. |
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Offering Lock-Up Agreements
We and each of our officers and directors as of the date of this prospectus have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any of our Class A common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our Class A common stock for a period of 30 days after this offering is completed without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent.
The Placement Agent may in its sole discretion, and at any time without notice, release some or all of the shares subject to lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the lock-up period. When determining whether or not to release shares from the offering lock-up agreements, the Placement Agent will consider, among other factors, the security holder’s reasons for requesting the release, the number of shares for which the release is being requested and market conditions at the time.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the Placement Agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the Placement Agent may be required to make for these liabilities.
Determination of Offering Price and Exercise Price
The actual public offering price of the securities we are offering will be negotiated between us and the investors in the offering based on the trading of our common stock prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the public offering price of the securities we are offering will include the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an assessment of our management, the general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as are deemed relevant.
Regulation M
The Placement Agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the securities sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the Placement Agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of our securities by the Placement Agent acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the Placement Agent (i) may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities and (ii) may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by the Placement Agent. In connection with the offering, the Placement Agent or selected dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically. No forms of electronic prospectus other than prospectuses that are printable as Adobe® PDF will be used in connection with this offering.
Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the Placement Agent’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by the Placement Agent is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the Placement Agent in its capacity as placement agent and should not be relied upon by investors.
Discretionary Accounts
The Placement Agent does not intend to confirm sales of the securities offered hereby to any accounts over which they have discretionary authority.
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Other Activities and Relationships
The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
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In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the Placement Agent or its affiliates enter into a lending relationship with us, they will routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The Placement Agent and its affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions that consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the Common Stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the Common Stock offered hereby. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
This prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by the Placement Agent, and the Placement Agent may distribute this prospectus electronically.
The foregoing does not purport to be a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement or the securities purchase agreement, copies of which are attached to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information”.
Selling Restrictions
Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the Placement Agent that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published, in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.
Canada. The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31 103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33 105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33 105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriters conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
European Economic Area. In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”) an offer to the public of any securities may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of any securities may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State:
● | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; |
● | to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or |
● | in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of securities shall result in a requirement for the publication by us or any underwriters of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. |
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For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State, and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Israel. This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In the State of Israel, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the shares is directed only at, investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals”, each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors will be required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
United Kingdom. Each underwriter has represented and agreed that:
● | it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to us; and |
● | it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom. |
Switzerland. The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (the SIX) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA). Accordingly, no public distribution, offering or advertising, as defined in CISA, its implementing ordinances and notices, and no distribution to any non-qualified investor, as defined in CISA, its implementing ordinances and notices, shall be undertaken in or from Switzerland, and the investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
Australia. No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), in relation to the offering.
This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the Corporations Act) and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the securities may only be made to persons (the Exempt Investors) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the securities without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The securities applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring securities must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
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This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Cayman Islands. No invitation, whether directly or indirectly, may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our securities.
Taiwan. The securities have not been and will not be registered with the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan pursuant to relevant securities laws and regulations and may not be sold, issued or offered within Taiwan through a public offering or in circumstances which constitutes an offer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of Taiwan that requires a registration or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan. No person or entity in Taiwan has been authorized to offer, sell, give advice regarding or otherwise intermediate the offering and sale of the securities in Taiwan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong. The contents of this prospectus have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this prospectus, you should obtain independent professional advice. Please note that (i) our shares may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of this prospectus or any document other than to “professional investors” within the meaning of Part I of Schedule 1 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) (SFO) and any rules made thereunder, or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong) (CO) or which do not constitute an offer or invitation to the public for the purpose of the CO or the SFO, and (ii) no advertisement, invitation or document relating to our shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere) which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the SFO and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the People’s Republic of China. This prospectus may not be circulated or distributed in the PRC and the shares may not be offered or sold, and will not offer or sell to any person for re-offering or resale directly or indirectly to any resident of the PRC except pursuant to applicable laws, rules and regulations of the PRC. For the purpose of this paragraph only, the PRC does not include Taiwan and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “NXU.”
98 |
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters relating to the validity of Nxu’s common stock covered by this registration statement will be passed upon for Nxu by Winston & Strawn LLP, Houston, Texas.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Nxu, Inc. appearing elsewhere in this prospectus have been audited by Prager Metis CPAs LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing therein (which report expresses an unqualified opinion and includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern). Such financial statements have been so included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement on Form S-1, including exhibits, under the Securities Act, with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information pertaining to us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and our exhibits.
In addition, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public on a website maintained by the SEC located at www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.nxu.com. Through our website, we make available, free of charge, annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
We are incorporating by reference into this prospectus certain information that we file with the SEC, which means that we are disclosing important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for information incorporated by reference that is superseded by information contained in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any statements in the prospectus or any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that we have previously filed with the SEC:
· | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2023 and April 28, 2023, respectively. |
our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2023 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 12, 2023 and August 14, respectively;
our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 6, 2023, January 30, 2023, February 15, 2023, April 17, 2023, April 20, 2023, April 28, 2023, May 10, 2023, May 12, 2023, May 12, 2023, June 8, 2023, June 21, 2023, August 10, 2023, September 1, 2023 and September 18, 2023; and
· | the description of our Class A common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8A12B (File No. 001-41702) relating thereto, filed on May 12, 2023, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
Any information in any of the foregoing documents will automatically be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that information in this prospectus or in a later filed document that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference modifies or replaces such information.
We also incorporate by reference all documents we subsequently file in the future pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part prior to the termination of the offering. These documents include periodic reports, such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K (except, in any such case, the portions furnished and not filed pursuant to Item 2.02, Item 7.01 or otherwise), as well as any proxy statements.
99 |
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, without charge upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with the, including exhibits which are specifically incorporated by reference into such documents. You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing to or telephoning us at the following address:
Nxu, Inc.
Attn: Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
1828 N Higley Rd., Suite 116
Mesa, Arizona 85205
(760) 515-1133
100 |
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NXU, INC.
Audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 | ||
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 4054) | F-2 | |
Consolidated Balance Sheets | F-3 | |
Consolidated Statements of Operations | F-4 | |
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity | F-5 | |
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | F-6 | |
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | F-7 |
Unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 | ||
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022 | F-20 | |
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023, and 2022 | F-21 | |
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023, and 2022 | F-22 | |
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023, and 2022 | F-24 | |
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements | F-25 |
F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and
Stockholders of Nxu, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Nxu, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related statements of operations, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern
The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, as of December 31, 2022, the Company had recurring losses from operations and an accumulated deficit. These conditions, among others, raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans concerning these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ Prager Metis CPAs, LLP | |
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020. | |
El Segundo California | |
March 16, 2023 (September 18, 2023 as to Note 1 and Note 11, under the heading “Reorganization, Merger and Incorporation of Nxu, Inc.”) |
F-2 |
NXU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands, except share data)
December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | |||||||
ASSETS | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other assets | ||||||||
Total current assets | ||||||||
Property and equipment, net | ||||||||
Intangible assets, net | ||||||||
Right-of-use assets | ||||||||
Security deposits | ||||||||
Vendor deposits | ||||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | $ | $ | ||||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Payroll tax liabilities | ||||||||
Contract Liability | ||||||||
Paycheck protection program loan | ||||||||
Current portion of deferred rent | ||||||||
Current portion of finance lease liability | ||||||||
Current portion of lease liability | ||||||||
Total current liabilities | ||||||||
Deferred rent | ||||||||
Lease liability, net of current portion | ||||||||
Warrant liability, at fair value | ||||||||
Convertible debt, at fair value | ||||||||
Total liabilities | ||||||||
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9) | ||||||||
Stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
Class A Common stock, par value $; shares authorized; issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022; issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021. | ||||||||
Class B Stock, par value $ | ; authorized; issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022; issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021.||||||||
Class C Stock, par value $; shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022; shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021. | ||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total stockholders’ equity | ( | ) | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-3 |
NXU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except per-share data)
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Revenue | $ | $ | ||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Stock based compensation | ||||||||
Research and development | ||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||
Advertising | ||||||||
Total operating expenses | ||||||||
Operating loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||
Paycheck protection program forgiveness | ||||||||
Loss on disposal of property and equipment | ( | ) | ||||||
Interest expense | ( | ) | ||||||
Other income | ( | ) | ||||||
Net loss on convertible debt and warrant liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Total other income | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net Loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Loss per share, basic | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding used in computing loss per share: |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-4 |
NXU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except share data)
Common Stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class C | Class B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number
of Shares | Amount | Number
of Shares | Amount | Number
of Shares | Amount | Additional
Paid- in Capital | Accumulated
Equity (Deficit) | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock issued for cash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B Stock Issued | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Founder Class A shares relinquished | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for services and rent guarantees | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock issued for cash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for services and rent guarantees | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B Stock Issued | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exchange of Class C to Class A | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Options exercised to stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-5 |
NXU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | ||||||||
Employee stock based compensation | ||||||||
Non-employee stock compensation | ||||||||
Forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Loan | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Loss on the fair value of Convertible debt and Warrant liability | ||||||||
Loss on the sale of property and equipment | ||||||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Accounts payable | ( | ) | ||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Payroll tax liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net change in operating lease assets and liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||
Contract liability | ||||||||
Deferred rent | ( | ) | ||||||
Security deposits | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Vendor deposits | ( | ) | ||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | ||||||||
Purchases of property and equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Addition of intangible assets | ( | ) | ||||||
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment | ||||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Cash flows from financing activities | ||||||||
Proceeds from stock issuance | ||||||||
Proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt | ||||||||
Proceeds from exercised stock options | ||||||||
Proceeds from paycheck protection loan | ||||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | ||||||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash, beginning of period | ||||||||
Cash, end of period | $ | $ | ||||||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||||||||
Cash paid for interest | $ | $ | ||||||
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash activity: | ||||||||
Purchases on account related to property and equipment | $ | $ | ||||||
Incremental expense on Class C to Class A stock exchange | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-6 |
NXU, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. | Organization and Basis of Presentation |
Reorganization, Merger and Incorporation of Nxu, Inc.
On May 12, 2023, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc. (“Atlis”) completed its previously announced reorganization merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 16, 2023 (the “Reorganization Agreement”), by and among Atlis, Nxu, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (the “Company” or “Nxu”), and Atlis Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and, as of immediately prior to the consummation of such merger, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (“Merger Sub”). The Reorganization Agreement provided for the merger of Atlis and Merger Sub, with Atlis surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (the “Reorganization Merger”). The Reorganization Agreement was approved and adopted by Atlis’s stockholders at Atlis’s Special Meeting of Stockholders, which was held on May 9, 2023.
The directors and executive officers of Nxu immediately following the completion of the Reorganization Merger are the same individuals who were directors and executive officers, respectively, of Atlis as of immediately prior to the Reorganization Merger.
Upon completion of the Reorganization Merger, Nxu Class A Common Stock was deemed to be registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to Rule 12g-3(a) promulgated thereunder and for purposes of Rule 12g-3(a), Nxu is the successor issuer to Atlis. Future filings by Nxu with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) will be filed by Nxu under Atlis’s existing CIK number: 0001722969.
Transactions that occurred in connection with the Reorganization Merger are considered transactions between entities under common control, and thus the financial statements for periods prior to the Reorganization Merger have been adjusted to combine the previously separate entities for presentation purpose.
Organization
Nxu, Inc. (the “Company” or “Nxu”), a Delaware corporation based in Mesa, Arizona, was incorporated in 2016 under the name “Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc.” Nxu is a vertically integrated, electric vehicle technology ecosystem company committed to electrifying vehicles and equipment for Work. The Company is developing three products to meet the needs of our target customer, proprietary Nxu battery cell and pack technology, a modular and scalable electric powered platform and an electric pickup truck. The Nxu battery technology is the core of the Company’s hardware platform and is designed to be capable of charging a full-size pickup in less than 15 minutes.
Basis of Presentation
The Company’s financial statements are prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), which requires us to make estimates based on assumptions about current, and for some estimates, future economic and market conditions which affect reported amounts and related disclosures in our financial statements. Although our estimates contemplate current and expected future conditions, it is reasonably possible that actual conditions could differ from our expectations, which could materially affect our results of operations, our financial position and cash flows.
The presentation of certain prior period amounts have been adjusted to reflect current period classifications and presentation. Specifically, Research and development costs now include Research and development related employee compensation as well as Research and development, materials and equipment. General and administrative expenses include employee compensation specific to general and administrative expenses as well as Legal and other general and administrative expenses.
References to amounts in the consolidated financial statement sections are in thousands, except share and per share data, unless otherwise specified.
Going Concern
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. These financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
During the year ended December 31, 2022,
the Company incurred a net loss of $
F-7 |
The Company cannot provide any assurance that unforeseen circumstances that could occur at any time within the next twelve months or thereafter will not increase the need for the Company to raise additional capital on an immediate basis. Additionally, Company cannot provide any assurance that access to capital will be readily available when needed.
These matters, among others, raise substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date these financial statements
are issued. Company management is addressing this risk by pursuing all available options for funding including accessing the public markets
through public listing. On September 27, 2022, the Company registered its Regulation A Class A shares with the SEC and listed on Nasdaq
under the ticker symbol “AMV.” Additionally, as disclosed in Note 14, in January 2023, the company received the second tranche
of funding related to its convertible debt agreement entered into on November 4, 2022. Net proceeds were $
Change in Accounting Policy
The Company has opted for an effective adoption
date of January 1, 2022, for the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases.
At the transition date, the operating lease ROU asset and operating lease liability were $
2. | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2019, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes which amends ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). This update is intended to simplify accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in ASC 740 and amending existing guidance to improve consistent application of ASC 740. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. The guidance in this update has various elements, some of which are applied on a prospective basis and others on a retrospective basis with earlier application permitted. The Company does not expect this update to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-06 (ASU 2020-06). ASU 2020-06 eliminates the beneficial conversion feature and cash conversion models in Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 that require separate accounting for embedded conversion features in convertible instruments. The new guidance also eliminates some of the conditions that must be met for equity classification under ASC 815-40-25. The standard is effective for smaller reporting companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has chosen to early adopt this standard for the period ended December 31, 2022.
The Company has reviewed all recently issued accounting pronouncements and concluded that they were either not applicable or not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Due to uncertainties, actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions used in preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
Segment Reporting
The Company evaluated segment reporting in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 280 – Segment Reporting (“ASC 280”) and concluded that Nxu is comprised of one operating segment. The Company reports segment information based on the operating results regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resource allocation and the performance of the business.
F-8 |
Concentration of Credit Risks
The Company is subject to concentrations of credit risk primarily from cash and cash equivalents.
The Company considers all highly liquid temporary cash investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents
accounts are held at a financial institution and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to
$
Advertising
The Company began utilizing media networks,
including, but not limited to online and social media presence to build awareness for the product and brand. Advertising costs for the
year ended December 31, 2022, were $
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, but no less than quarterly, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are carried at cost.
Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of each asset. Estimated useful lives for significant
classes of assets are currently 5 years. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Significant renewals and betterments
are capitalized according to their estimated useful lives or over the lease term for leasehold improvements. The Company capitalizes
property and equipment with an initial value over $
Long-Lived Assets
In accordance with ASC 360-10, the Company
evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their net book value may not be
recoverable. When such facts and circumstances exist, the Company compares the projected undiscounted future cash flows associated with
the related asset or group of assets over their estimated useful lives against their respective carrying amount. Impairment, if any,
is based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value, based on market value when available, or discounted expected cash
flows, of those assets and is recorded in the period in which the determination is made. Depending on the asset, estimated fair market
value may be determined either by use of the discounted cash flow model or by reference to estimated selling values of assets in similar
condition. There were
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are charged
to operations when incurred and are included in Operating expenses on the consolidated statements of operations. The Company recorded
$
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative costs include
salaries related to non-production and non research and development employees, legal and other professional fees, rent and other general
expenses incurred by the company. The company recorded $
F-9 |
Stock Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur in accordance with ASC 718-10-35-3.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing method for valuing stock option awards. Calculating the fair value of stock option awards requires the input of subjective assumptions. Other reasonable assumptions could have a material impact on the Company’s stock-based compensation expense and therefore, its operational results.
Stock Issued for Services
The Company periodically grants common stock awards to non-employees in exchange for services. The fair value of the stock-based compensation awards granted is based on the fair value of the award on the grant date. Stock-based payments are recorded on the consolidated statements of operations in the same manner and to the same financial statement line item as it would have been had such settlement been made in cash.
Contract Liability
The Company defers the recognition of revenue
when cash payments are received or due in advance of satisfying its performance obligations, including amounts which are refundable.
The Company recorded
Other income, net
Other income primarily consists of realized and unrealized gains and losses on convertible debt and warrant liabilities, gains and losses on the sale of property and equipment and gains on forgiveness of the Company’s Paycheck Protection Program.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments.
Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”) defines fair value, the methods used to measure fair value and the expanded disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between the buyer and the seller at the measurement date. In determining fair value, the valuation techniques consistent with the market approach, income approach and cost approach shall be used to measure fair value. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy for inputs, which represent the assumptions used by the buyer and seller in pricing the asset or liability. These inputs are further defined as observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs are those that buyer and seller would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that the buyer and seller would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not being applied. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these securities does not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Level 2 - Valuations based on (i) quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, (ii) quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets, (iii) inputs other than quoted prices for the assets and liabilities, or (iv) inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by market through correlation or other means.
Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
The fair value of the Company’s certain assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheets as of December 31, 2022, and 2021. The fair values of cash and cash equivalents, prepaid assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses are estimated to approximate the carrying values as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, due to the short maturities of such instruments.
There were no transfers between Levels 1, 2 or 3 during the year ended December 31, 2022, or for the year ended December 31, 2021.
F-10 |
3. | Property and Equipment |
Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
As of December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Leasehold improvements | $ | $ | ||||||
Office equipment | ||||||||
Tools and plant equipment | ||||||||
Vehicles | ||||||||
Less—Accumulated depreciation | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Property and equipment, net | $ | $ |
Depreciation expense for the years ended
December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, were $
4. | Intangible Assets |
Intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):
As of December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Patents | $ | $ | ||||||
Less—Accumulated amortization | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Intangible assets, net | $ | $ |
The Company recorded amortization expense
related to
5. | Income Taxes |
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company recorded a valuation allowance due to the uncertainty of future realization of federal and state net operating loss carryforwards.
Deferred income tax assets are comprised of the following at December 31, 2022, and 2021 (in thousands):
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Deferred income tax assets: | $ | $ | ||||||
Valuation allowance | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net total | $ | $ |
At December 31, 2021, the Company had net operating
loss carryforwards of approximately $
In December 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act of 2017 ("Tax Act") was enacted into law which significantly revises the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The newly
enacted federal income tax law, among other things, contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including a flat corporate tax
rate of
F-11 |
The Company generated an income tax benefit of $
Reconciliation between the statutory rate and the effective tax rate is as follows at of December 31, 2022, and 2021:
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation: | ||||||||
Federal statutory tax rate | % | % | ||||||
State taxes, net of federal benefit | % | % | ||||||
Change in valuation allowance | ( | %) | ( | %) | ||||
Effective Tax Rate | % | % |
The Company recognizes interest and penalties
related to uncertain tax positions in general and administrative expense. At December 31, 2022, and 2021 the Company did
The Company's federal income tax returns for tax years ended December 31, 2019, and beyond remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service. The returns for Arizona, the Company's most significant state tax jurisdiction, remain subject to examination by the Arizona Department of Revenue for tax years ended December 31, 2017, and beyond.
6. | Paycheck Protection Program Loan |
On February 11, 2021, The Company was granted
a loan from Washington Federal Bank, in the aggregate amount of $
On April 30, 2020, The Company was granted a
loan from Washington Federal Bank, in the aggregate amount of $
7. | Net Loss per Share |
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, excluding shares of Class B common stock as these shares do not participate in the earnings of the Company. For the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, the Company’s basic and diluted net loss per share were the same because the Company generated a net loss for each period and potentially dilutive securities are excluded from diluted net loss per share as a result of their anti-dilutive impact. The Company’s basic net loss per share was $
and $ for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Potentially dilutive securities represented approximately million (consisting of million options and RSUs, thousand warrants, and million shares related to convertible debt) and million options and RSUs for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
8. | Leases |
Operating Lease
The Company adopted ASC 842, Leases (“ASC
842”), on January 1, 2022. Consequently, financial information has not been updated for dates and periods before this date. Additionally,
the Company chose to elect certain relief options offered in ASC 842 including the package of practical expedients, the option to account
for separate lease and non-lease components as a single unit, and the option to exclude right-of-use assets and lease liabilities that
arise from short term leases (i.e., leases with terms of twelve months or less). Under ASC 842, the Company determines if an arrangement
is a lease at inception. Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the
lease term and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and
liabilities are recognized at commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company’s
lease consists of mixed-use office and warehouse space in Mesa, Arizona. The Company’s lease evaluation may include options to
terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. When readily determinable, the Company
uses the implicit rate in determining the present value of lease payments. The ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes
lease incentives. Lease expense for amortization of the ROU asset is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company’s
lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees, material restrictions or covenants. The Company had a weighted
average remaining lease term of
F-12 |
The Company’s aggregate lease maturities as of December 31, 2022, are as follows (in thousands):
Year | ||||
2023 | $ | |||
2024 | ||||
2025 | ||||
Total minimum lease payments | ||||
Less imputed interest | ( | ) | ||
Total operating lease liabilities | $ |
Financing Lease
The Company entered into a capital lease
agreement on July 1, 2022, with a vendor to purchase equipment to be used in research and development. The terms of the note are 18 months
at 7% interest payable in monthly installments of $14 thousand. The Company recorded a total of $
The following table provides information about the financial statement classification of our lease expenses reported within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (in thousands):
2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
Lease Expense Category: | Classification | |||||||||
Operating Lease Expense | General and administrative expenses Legal and other | $ | $ | |||||||
Finance lease expense: | ||||||||||
Amortization of leased assets | General and administrative expenses Legal and Other | |||||||||
Interest on lease liabilities | Interest expense | |||||||||
Total lease expense | $ | $ |
9. | Commitments and Contingencies |
Registration Rights
The holders of the 2022 convertible note that was issued will have registration rights to require the Company to register the sale of its debt securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed in conjunction with the convertible note.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, are any material legal proceedings threatened against the Company. From time to time, the Company may be a party to certain legal or regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of any such future legal or regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not expect that any such future proceedings will have a material effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.
10. | Vendor Deposits |
During 2021, the Company paid $60 thousand
to Salt River Project, an Arizona utility company, as a refundable deposit for engineering services for implementation of additional
electricity capacity to facilitate the development of the Company’s 1.5MW charging capabilities. In 2022, this contract was cancelled,
and the deposit was refunded. Additionally, the Company recorded a total of $
F-13 |
11. | Stock Based Compensation and Common Stock |
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, (“ASC 718”). Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period.
Prior to and up until the quarter ended September 30, 2021, the Company awarded employees grants in common stock as part of employee compensation, which typically vested over four years. Upon vesting, the company recorded employee stock compensation to additional paid-in-capital as the shares were vested but not issued. The share value was calculated based on the most recent funding event. Subsequently, the Company changed its accounting policy to value company shares based on appraisal of fair market value that considered all available information material to the value of the Company, including the present value of anticipated future cash flows and other relevant factors such as a discount for lack of marketability. The same method was applied retrospectively to value stock grant awards in prior years.
On August 24, 2021, the Company offered employees
the option to convert their vested stock grants into stock options at weighted average conversion ratio of approximately
On August 24,2021, the Company issued
Class B stock to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and the President.
Between August 24, 2021, and December 31, 2021, the Company awarded
stock options to new employees, non-employees and to our Board of Directors.
On June 17, 2022, the Company agreed with a third party who provided a rent guarantee to the Company’s landlord on the Company’s building in Mesa, Arizona to exchange 75,000 shares of Class A common stock for 10,000 shares of Class C common stock. The Company recorded General and Administrative expenses of $572 thousand on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, resulting from consideration provided for the loss of perquisites afforded to the Class C shareholder.
The Company recorded $
million and $ million in stock based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing method for valuing stock option awards. Calculating the fair value of stock option awards requires the input of subjective assumptions. Other reasonable assumptions could provide differing results. The fair value of stock options at the grant date was determined using the following assumptions for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021.
Years ended December 31, | ||||
2022 | 2021 | |||
Expected average life (years) | ||||
Expected volatility | % | % | ||
Risk-free interest rate | % | % | ||
Expected dividend yield | % | % |
Compensation expense was determined by applying the Black-Scholes model on the appraised value of the underlying share price for each stock on the grant date.
F-14 |
A summary of the Company’s outstanding stock options and restricted stock units (“RSU”) as of December 31, 2022, and changes during the year is presented below:
Options | RSUs | |||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Weighted average exercise price | Weighted average contractual term (in years) | Shares | Weighted average grant date fair value | ||||||||||||||||
Outstanding, December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
Granted | ||||||||||||||||||||
Exercised | ( | ) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Forfeited | ( | ) | ( | ) | - | |||||||||||||||
Shares issued | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Unissued shares converted to options | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Expired | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||
Outstanding, December 31, 2022 | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
Exercisable, December 31, 2022 | $ |
Common Stock
The total number of shares of common stock the Company has authority to issue is
at $ par value per share.
In 2021 and 2022, the Company issued Class B shares of Common Stock. These shares are not traded openly or available for sale to the public. Class B shares are offered only to the President and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Each Class B share of common stock is granted ten votes compared to Class A shares of common stock which are granted one vote per share. The shares of Class B Stock are not entitled to receive any dividends or any distribution on a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company. Class B shares are not convertible, are deemed to have no economic value, and upon a holder’s cessation of service to the Company, such holder shall, on the one-year anniversary of such cessation, surrender to the Company for no consideration all shares of Class B Stock owned by such holder. Class B stock were issued to the Chief Executive Officer and President in the amount of
shares as of December 31, 2022.
The breakdown of common stock by class at December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, were as follows:
December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Class A | ||||||||
Class C | ||||||||
Class B | ||||||||
Total Shares Outstanding |
Reorganization, Merger and Incorporation of Nxu, Inc.
As described in Note 1, on May 12, 2023, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc. (“Atlis”) completed its Reorganization merger to Nxu, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (the “Company” or “Nxu”). At the effective time of the Reorganization Merger, all of the issued and outstanding shares of Atlis’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Atlis Class A Common Stock”) were converted automatically on a one-for-one basis into shares of Nxu’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Nxu Class A Common Stock”) and all of the issued and outstanding shares of Atlis’s Class D common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Atlis Class D Common Stock” and, together with Atlis Class A Common Stock, “Atlis Common Stock”) were converted automatically on a one-for-one basis into shares of Nxu’s Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Nxu Class B Common Stock” and, together with Nxu Class A Common Stock, “Nxu Common Stock”), and, as a result, the current stockholders of Atlis automatically became stockholders of Nxu, holding the same number and percentage of shares of Nxu Common Stock as they held of Atlis Common Stock as of immediately prior to the Reorganization Merger.
Issuance and conversion of shares of common stock pursuant to the Reorganization Merger are considered transactions between entities under common control. As a result, the condensed consolidated financial statements for periods prior to these transactions have been adjusted to combine the previously separate entities for presentation purposes.
F-15 |
Pursuant to the Company's Reorganization Merger, each share of Atlis Motor Vehicles, Inc Class A common stock was converted into one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Nxu, Inc. Class A common stock and each share of Atlis Motor Vehicles, Inc Class D common stock was converted into one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Nxu, Inc. Class B common stock. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, and the voting rights described below, shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock shall have the same rights, privileges and powers, rank equally, share ratably and be identical in all respects and as to all matters. The voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, powers and preferences of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of the preferred stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) upon any issuance of the preferred stock of any series.
In 2021 and 2022, the Company issued Class B shares of common stock. These shares are not traded openly nor available for sale to the public. Class B shares are offered only to the (1) Chief Executive Officer and (2) President of the Company. At all meetings of stockholders and on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation generally, each holder of Class A common stock, as such, shall have the right to one (1) vote per share of Class A common stock held of record by such holder and each holder of Class B common stock, as such, shall have the right to ten (10) votes per share of Class B common stock held of record by such holder. The shares of Class B common stock are not entitled to receive any dividends or any distribution upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company. Class B shares are not convertible, are deemed to have no economic value, and upon a holder’s cessation of service to the Company, such holder shall, on the one-year anniversary of such cessation, surrender to the Company for no consideration all shares of Class B shares owned by such holder. Shares of Class B common stock were issued to the (1) Chief Executive Officer and (2) President in the amount of
shares as of December 31, 2022.
In addition, at the effective time of the Reorganization Merger, (i) each outstanding option to purchase shares of Atlis Class A Common Stock (“Atlis Option”), whether vested or unvested, automatically converted into an option to purchase shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock (a “Nxu Option”) and (ii) each outstanding Atlis restricted share unit (an “Atlis Restricted Share”), whether vested or unvested, automatically converted into a restricted stock unit of Nxu (a “Nxu RSU”). Each Nxu Option is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the Employee Stock Option Plan and the applicable Atlis Option award agreement as in effect immediately prior to the effective time. Each Nxu RSU is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the applicable Atlis Restricted Share award agreement as in effect immediately prior to the effective time.
At the effective time of the Reorganization Merger, (i) each outstanding Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Note (an “Atlis Note”) convertible into shares of Atlis Class A Common Stock automatically converted into a Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Note convertible into shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock (a “Nxu Note”) and (ii) each outstanding warrant to purchase shares of Atlis Class A Common Stock (an “Atlis Warrant”) automatically converted into a warrant to purchase shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock (a “Nxu Warrant”). Each Nxu Note is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the applicable Atlis Note as in effect immediately prior to the effective time. Each Nxu Warrant is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the applicable Atlis Warrant as in effect immediately prior to the effective time.
In connection with the Reorganization Merger, Nxu replaced Atlis as the publicly held corporation traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). On May 15, 2023, shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock commenced trading under the ticker symbol “NXU” on Nasdaq.
The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Company has authority to issue is 5,010,000,000 shares, consisting of (1) 5,000,000,000 authorized shares of common stock, including (a)
authorized shares of Class A Common Stock, (b) authorized shares of Class B common stock and (2) authorized shares of preferred stock, par value $ per share.
12. | Convertible Debt and Warrant Liability |
On November 4, 2022, the Company issued the
first tranche of the 10% Original Issue Discount Convertible Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $
F-16 |
The Company elected the fair value option to account for the 2022 Convertible Notes. As such, the Company recorded the 2022 Convertible Notes at fair value and will subsequently measure them to fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value were recognized as a component of other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations. Losses as a result in changes in fair value of the Company’s convertible notes during the year ended December 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):
Years ended December 31, | ||||
2022 | ||||
Balance at the beginning of the year | $ | |||
Convertible Debt issued during the period | ||||
Unrealized loss | ||||
Convertible Debt Liability at the end of the year | $ |
As a result of applying the fair value option, direct costs and fees related to the convertible notes were expensed as incurred and were not deferred.
The following table provides the fair value and contractual principal balance outstanding of the 2022 Convertible debt accounted for under the fair value option as of December 31, 2022:
Amount | ||||
Convertible debt fair value | $ | |||
2022 Convertible Notes, contractual principal outstanding | $ | |||
Fair value less unpaid principal balance | $ |
All convertible notes and warrants, by written agreement, provide for a beneficial ownership limitation cap of 4.99% shares of the total issued and outstanding common stock of the Company, at any given time.
Warrant Liability
In connection with the issuance of the
convertible note, the investors received a number of warrants equal to 30% of the face value of the convertible note divided by the VWAP
prior to the applicable closing date. The Common Stock Warrants entitles the holder to purchase one share of the Company’s Class
A ordinary shares at the exercise price of a) $
The Company recorded the Warrants at fair value and subsequently remeasured them to fair value at the reporting date. Changes in fair value were recognized as a component of other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognized a gain in the consolidated statements of operations in relation to these instruments for fiscal year 2022 as follows (in thousands). There were no warrants exercised as of December 31, 2022.
Years ended December 31, | ||||
2022 | ||||
Balance at the beginning of the year | $ | |||
Warrants issued during the period | ||||
Unrealized Gain | ( | ) | ||
Warrant Liability at the end of the year | $ |
F-17 |
13. | Fair Value |
The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2022, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value. The company had no such instruments at December 31, 2021:
Description: | Level | December 31, 2022 | ||||
Liabilities: | ||||||
Warrant liability | 3 | $ | ||||
Convertible Notes | 3 | $ |
Warrant Liability
The Common Stock Warrants are accounted for as liabilities pursuant to ASC 815-40 and are measured at fair value as of each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of the Warrants are recorded in the statements of operations each period. Changes in fair value of the liability resulting from the cumulative changes in instrument- specific credit risk will be presented in accumulated other comprehensive income.
The Common Stock Warrants were valued using a Monte Carlo simulation model, which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. Inherent in an options pricing model are assumptions related to expected share-price volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Company estimates the volatility of its ordinary shares based on historical volatility that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend rate is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates to remain at zero.
The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 fair value measurements for Common Stock Warrants as of December 31, 2022.
December 31, 2022 | ||||
Exercise price | $ | |||
Share price | $ | |||
Volatility | % | |||
Expected life | ||||
Risk-free rate | % | |||
Dividend yield |
Convertible Note
The Company accounts for its convertible note under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). Under 815-15-25, the election can be at the inception of a financial instrument to account for the instrument under the fair value option under ASC 825. The Company has made such election for its convertible note. Using the fair value option, the convertible note, in its entirety, is required to be recorded at its initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the note are recognized as non-cash change in the fair value of the convertible note in the statements of operations. Changes in fair value of the liability resulting from the cumulative changes in instrument- specific credit risk will be presented in accumulated other comprehensive income. The fair value of the conversion feature of the note was valued utilizing the Monte Carlo simulation model.
The estimated fair value of the Convertible Notes was based on the following significant inputs:
December 31, 2022 | ||||
Risk-free interest rate | % | |||
Time to expiration (in years) | ||||
Expected volatility | % | |||
Dividend yield | ||||
Stock price | $ | |||
Face value | $ | |||
Fixed conversion rate | $ | |||
Roll-forward discount rate | % |
F-18 |
14. | Subsequent Events |
On January 5, 2023, the Company entered into an amendment to the Securities Purchase Agreement dated November 3, 2022, pursuant to which the Company and each Investor agreed, among other things, to amend the terms and conditions of the second tranche of funding and terminate the third tranche of funding contemplated under the Purchase Agreement.
The Purchase Agreement Amendment provides
that, with respect to the Second Tranche, at any time prior to the earlier to occur of (x) April 30, 2024 and (y) the twentieth (20th)
trading day following the effectiveness of the resale registration statement covering the resale of all of the shares of the Company’s
Class A common stock issuable under the first tranche of funding (the “First Tranche”), which closed upon signing
of the Purchase Agreement, each Investor shall have the right, severally and not jointly, to purchase a base allocation of $5.0 million
in Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Notes (the “Notes”), which are convertible into
shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, and warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase a number of shares of
the Company’s Class A common stock equal to 30% of the face value of the Notes divided by the volume weighted average price at
one or more Second Tranche closings (with a total base allocation of $10.0 million, in the aggregate, for all Investors) and, solely
with respect to the initial Second Tranche closing, up to an additional $5.0 million in additional Notes and related Warrants pursuant
to oversubscription rights, to the extent then available. In connection with the Purchase Agreement Amendment, the Company also issued
a Warrant to each Investor purchase up to an aggregate of
Concurrently with the Purchase Agreement
Amendment, the Company also entered into an amendment (the “Registration Rights Agreement Amendment”) to the Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of November 3, 2022, with each Investor, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement
(a “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission registering the resale of the shares of the Company’s
Class A common stock issuable under the First Tranche within 20 days after the closing of the First Tranche and registering the resale
of the shares of the Company’s Class A common stock issuable under the Second Tranche within two trading days after the closing
of the Second Tranche, as applicable, and to cause any such Registration Statement to become effective within 60 days after filing. On
January 27, 2023, the investors exercised their rights to purchase the allowable amounts under the agreement. The Company received net
proceeds of $
On February 21, 2023, the Company consummated
a public offering of an aggregate of
On March 13, 2023, the Company received a notice from The Nasdaq stating that, based on Nasdaq’s review of the Company’s Market Value of Listed Securities (“MVLS”) for the last 38 consecutive business days, the Company no longer meets the minimum MVLS requirement of $50 million for continued listing of the Company’s Class A common stock on Nasdaq under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(A) (the “MLVS Rule”).
The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s Class A common stock on Nasdaq and, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), the Company will have 180 calendar days, or until September 11, 2023, to regain compliance with the MVLS Rule. To regain compliance with the MLVS Rule, the MVLS for the Company’s shares of Class A common stock must be at least $50 million for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days at any time during this 180-day period. If the Company regains compliance with the MLVS Rule, Nasdaq will provide the Company with written confirmation and will close the matter.
If the Company does not regain compliance by September 11, 2023, Nasdaq will provide notice that the Company’s shares of Class A common stock are subject to delisting. In the event of such notification, the Nasdaq rules permit the Company an opportunity to appeal Nasdaq’s determination.
There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the MVLS requirement or maintain compliance with the other Nasdaq listing requirements. The Company is monitoring the MLVS of its shares of Class A common stock and will consider options available to it to potentially achieve compliance. The Company may be eligible to transfer to The Nasdaq Capital Market before the expiry of the 180-day period. To qualify, the Company would be required to meet the continued listing requirements for The Nasdaq Capital Market.
F-19 |
NXU, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current Assets: | ||||||||
Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ||||||||
Inventory | ||||||||
Total current assets | ||||||||
Property and equipment, net | ||||||||
Intangible assets, net | ||||||||
Right-of-use assets | ||||||||
Security deposits | ||||||||
Vendor deposits | ||||||||
Total assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | ||||||||
Current Liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Payroll tax liabilities | ||||||||
Contract liability | ||||||||
Note payable | 157 | |||||||
Variable share settled restricted stock units | ||||||||
Current portion of operating lease liability | ||||||||
Total current liabilities | ||||||||
Lease liability, net of current portion | ||||||||
Convertible debt and warrant liability, at fair value | ||||||||
Total liabilities | ||||||||
Commitments and contingencies (Note 10) | ||||||||
Stockholders' (deficit) equity: | ||||||||
Class A Common Stock, par value $ | ||||||||
Class B Stock, par value $ outstanding at June 30, 2023; 0 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 | ; authorized; issued and ||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total stockholders' equity (deficit) | ( | ) | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficit) equity | $ | $ |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).
F-20 |
NXU, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | ||||||||||||||||
Research and development | ||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||||||
Advertising | ||||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||
Operating loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Other income (expense) | ||||||||||||||||
Interest expense | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||
Paycheck protection program forgiveness | ||||||||||||||||
Gain/(loss) on sale or disposal of property and equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||
Warrant expense | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Gain/(loss) on convertible debt and warrant liability | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Other income (expense) | ||||||||||||||||
Total other income | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Loss per share, basic and diluted | $ | ) | $ | ) | $ | ) | $ | ) | ||||||||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).
F-21 |
NXU, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(Amounts in thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class B | Additional | Accumulated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Paid-in Capital | (Deficit) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at March 31, 2023 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued for cash | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B stock issued | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for services | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conversion of long term debt to equity | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | — | - | — | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2023 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class B | Additional | Accumulated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Paid-in Capital | (Deficit) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued for cash | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B stock issued | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for services | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise of series A warrants | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise of stock options | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conversion of long term debt to equity | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | — | - | — | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2023 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).
F-22 |
NXU, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(Amounts in thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class C | Class B | Securities | Additional | Accumulated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Receivable | Paid-in Capital | (Deficit) | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at March 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued for cash | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for services and rent guarantees | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B stock issued | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exchange of class C to class A stock | ( | ) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A | Class C | Class B | Securities | Additional | Accumulated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Receivable | Paid-in Capital | (Deficit) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued for cash | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for services and rent guarantees | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series B stock issued | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exchange of class C to class A stock | ( | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).
F-23 |
NXU, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)
(Unaudited)
Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | ||||||||
Employee stock based compensation | ||||||||
Non-employee stock based compensation | ||||||||
Non-cash warrant expense | ||||||||
Paycheck Protection Loan Program | ( | ) | ||||||
Net change in operating lease assets and liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
(Gain)/loss on the sale or disposal of property and equipment | ( | ) | ||||||
(Gain)/loss on fair value of convertible debt and warrant liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Other receivables | ( | ) | ||||||
Inventory | ( | ) | ||||||
Accounts payable | ||||||||
Accrued expenses | ( | ) | ||||||
Payroll tax liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||
Contract liability | ||||||||
Security deposits | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Vendor deposits | ( | ) | ||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | ||||||||
Purchases of property and equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment | ||||||||
Payments on financing lease liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
Proceeds from public offering, net of offering costs | ||||||||
Proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt | ||||||||
Payments on convertible debt | ( | ) | ||||||
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options | ||||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | ||||||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash, beginning of period | ||||||||
Cash, end of period | $ | $ | ||||||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||||||||
Cash paid for income taxes | $ | $ | ||||||
Interest | $ | $ | ||||||
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: | ||||||||
Debt converted to equity | $ | $ |
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).
F-24 |
NXU INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
1. | Organization and Basis of Presentation |
Reorganization, Merger and Incorporation of Nxu, Inc.
On May 12, 2023, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc. (“Atlis”) completed its previously announced reorganization merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 16, 2023 (the “Reorganization Agreement”), by and among Atlis, Nxu, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (the “Company” or “Nxu”), and Atlis Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and, as of immediately prior to the consummation of such merger, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (“Merger Sub”). The Reorganization Agreement provided for the merger of Atlis and Merger Sub, with Atlis surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nxu (the “Reorganization Merger”). The Reorganization Agreement was approved and adopted by Atlis’s stockholders at Atlis’s Special Meeting of Stockholders, which was held on May 9, 2023.
The directors and executive officers of Nxu immediately following the completion of the Reorganization Merger are the same individuals who were directors and executive officers, respectively, of Atlis as of immediately prior to the Reorganization Merger.
Upon completion of the Reorganization Merger, Nxu Class A Common Stock was deemed to be registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to Rule 12g-3(a) promulgated thereunder and for purposes of Rule 12g-3(a), Nxu is the successor issuer to Atlis. Future filings by Nxu with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) will be filed by Nxu under Atlis’s existing CIK number: 0001722969.
Transactions that occurred in connection with the Reorganization Merger are considered transactions between entities under common control, and thus the financial statements for periods prior to the Reorganization Merger have been adjusted to combine the previously separate entities for presentation purpose. See more information regarding shares of common stock authorized, issued and outstanding in connection with the Reorganization Merger in Note 11.
Organization
Nxu, Inc. is a US-based technology company building energy and infrastructure solutions for consumers and businesses to enable faster transition to electrification across all market segments. We design, engineer, and build innovative battery cells and battery packs for use in advanced energy storage systems and mobility products as well as megawatt charging stations. We believe that widespread adoption of Electric Vehicles (“EVs”) across all market segments, especially by the commercial and industrial markets, requires high performing battery and pack solutions that can effectively compete with legacy diesel-based products in terms of capability, performance and charge time.
Our battery technology is expected to offer considerable advantages in battery capacity, charging rate, safety, and lifespan. We are confident that these advantages will be highly beneficial to Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”) in the automotive and medium to heavy duty equipment segments as it would encourage customers to transition to electrification. Our Lithium ion (“Li-ion”) batteries are designed to fully charge in 15 minutes or less, thereby allowing for a more competitive EV experience to match fossil fuel vehicles. We believe Nxu technology may be used to power medium and super-duty pick-up trucks, last mile delivery vehicles, garbage trucks, cement trucks, vans, recreational vehicles (“RVs”), box trucks, light to heavy-duty equipment and more. In addition, our batteries could be used for commercial and residential energy storage devices.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are presented on the same basis as the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC") on March 16, 2023 (“2022 Form 10-K") pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). The Company has made its disclosures in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation with respect to interim financial statements, have been included. The results for any of the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or any other period. The condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited) should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in the 2022 Form 10-K.
F-25 |
Certain amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes may not compute due to rounding. All computations have been calculated using unrounded amounts for all periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect, in the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly state, in all material respects, the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the periods presented.
Correction of Immaterial Misclassification
Management identified an immaterial classification
error related to research and development costs previously reported as general and administrative expense in the June 30, 2022 unaudited
condensed consolidated financial statements. The correction resulted in an increase to research and development costs of $
Going Concern
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. These financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
During the six month period
ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $
The Company cannot provide any assurance that unforeseen circumstances that could occur at any time within the next twelve months or thereafter will not increase the need for the Company to raise additional capital on an immediate basis. Additionally, the Company cannot provide any assurance that access to capital will be readily available when needed.
These matters, among others, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date these financial statements are issued. Company management is addressing this risk by pursuing all available options for funding including accessing the public markets through secondary offerings. The Company plans to continue considering all avenues available to it in order to obtain the necessary capital to be able to continue as a going concern and to execute on our business objectives including but not limited to debt financing, private placements, public offerings and equity lines of credit. The Company’s success is dependent upon achieving its strategic and financial objectives, including continuing to acquire capital through public markets as we work diligently to achieve future operational revenue goals.
2. | Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The Company has reviewed all recently issued accounting pronouncements and concluded that they were either not applicable or not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Due to uncertainties, actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions used in preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
Stock-based Compensation
Stock Options
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost for stock options is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period, less actual forfeitures.
F-26 |
Compensation expense for stock option awards was determined by applying the Black-Scholes option-pricing model on the appraised value of the underlying share price for each stock on the grant date. Calculating the fair value of stock option awards requires the input of subjective assumptions such as the expected average life of the award (in years), the expected rate of volatility, the risk free interest rate and the expected dividend yield. Other reasonable assumptions could provide differing results.
Restricted Stock Units
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation related to the granting of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) in accordance with ASC 718. Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost for RSUs classified as equity awards is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. The Company has accounted for certain time-based RSUs as liability classified awards; the awards are granted at a fixed dollar amount settled in a variable number of shares, as such, the fair value approximates the fixed dollar amount at inception. As such, RSUs classified as liability awards will be measured at fair value at the grant date and remeasured at the end of each reporting period until fully vested.
Equity classified and liability classified RSUs vest over various periods, ranging from vesting immediately to vesting in increments over a period of three years. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur in accordance with ASC 718-10-35-3.
Compensation cost for time-based RSUs is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. In accordance with ASC 718-10-35-8, the amount of compensation cost recognized will at least equal the portion of the grant-date value of the award that is vested at that date.
3. | Inventory |
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value (“LCNRV”) and generally consists of raw materials and work in progress. The Company calculates inventory value on the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis. NRV is the estimated selling price of inventory in the ordinary course of business, less estimated costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. The Company assesses the valuation of inventory and periodically adjusts its value for estimated excess and obsolete inventory based upon expectations of future demand and market conditions, as well as damaged or otherwise impaired goods. The following table summarizes the components of inventory on the condensed consolidated balance sheets at June 30, 2023 (in thousands):
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Raw materials | $ | $ | ||||||
Work in process | ||||||||
Total inventory | $ | $ |
4. | Property and Equipment |
Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Leasehold improvements | $ | $ | ||||||
Office equipment | ||||||||
Tools and plant equipment | ||||||||
Vehicles | ||||||||
Less—Accumulated depreciation | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Property and equipment, net | $ | $ |
Depreciation expense for the
three and six months ended June 30, 2023 was $
F-27 |
5. | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets |
Prepaid expenses and other current assets consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Prepaid insurance | $ | $ | ||||||
Prepaid rent | ||||||||
Other prepaid expenses | ||||||||
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets | $ | $ |
6. | Vendor and Security Deposits |
At June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company had total
vendor and security deposits of $
7. | Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities |
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Accrued compensation and benefits | ||||||||
Other accrued expenses | ||||||||
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | $ |
8. | Income Taxes |
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company recorded a full valuation allowance due to the uncertainty of future realization of federal and state net operating loss carryforwards.
At December 31, 2022, the
Company had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $
In December 2017, the U.S.
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Act") was enacted into law which significantly revised the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended. The newly enacted federal income tax law, among other things, contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including
a flat corporate tax rate of
The Company generated an income
tax benefit of $
The Company recognizes interest
and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in general and administrative expense. At June 30, 2023 and 2022 the Company did
F-28 |
9. | Net Loss per Share |
Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, excluding shares of Class B common stock as these shares do not participate in the earnings of the Company. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s basic and diluted net loss per share were the same because the Company generated a net loss for each period and potentially dilutive securities are excluded from diluted net loss per share as a result of their anti-dilutive impact. The Company’s basic net loss and diluted net loss per share was $
and $ for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company’s basic net loss and diluted net loss per share was $ and $ for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
10. | Commitments and Contingencies |
Registration Rights
The holders of the convertible notes that were issued have registration rights that required the Company to register the sale of their debt securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement, as amended, that was signed in conjunction with the convertible notes.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, are any material legal proceedings threatened against the Company. From time to time, the Company may be a party to certain legal or regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of any such future legal or regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not expect that any such future proceedings will have a material effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.
Contract Losses
In December 2021, the Company entered into an agreement ("Agreement") with QAD, Inc. (“QAD”), a cloud-based enterprise resource software provider. Under the Agreement, QAD would provide implementation services and access to the cloud-based software platform for a 5-year term. However, subsequent to executing the Agreement, the Company and QAD (collectively, the “Parties”) were unable to successfully implement the software platform. From March 2023 through April 2023, the Parties attempted to reach an agreement to mutually terminate the agreement.
In May 2023, after mutual termination discussions were unsuccessful, QAD filed for arbitration pursuant to the Agreement to resolve the dispute. The Company and QAD disagree about the cause of the software implementation failure and whether the Company owes QAD a termination fee. The Company believes QAD’s lack of performance voided the Agreement and intends to vigorously defend its legal rights to the fullest extent of the law. As of June 30, 2023, any obligation under the Agreement is inestimable and therefore no accrual in relation to this dispute has been recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets or Statements of Operations.
11. | Stock-based Compensation and Common Stock |
Stock-based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Under the fair value recognition provisions of this topic, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period, less actual forfeitures.
Compensation expense for stock option awards was determined by applying the Black-Scholes option-pricing model on the appraised value of the underlying share price for each stock on the grant date. Calculating the fair value of stock option awards requires the input of subjective assumptions such as the expected average life of the award (in years), the expected rate of volatility, the risk free interest rate and the expected dividend yield. Other reasonable assumptions could provide differing results.
The fair value of RSUs classified as equity awards is based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. On average, these time-based RSUs vest in increments over a period of three years.
F-29 |
In May 2023, the Company granted RSUs that vest over various periods, ranging from immediate to increments over a period of three years. The Company has generally accounted for these time-based RSUs as liability classified awards; as such, the RSUs will be measured at fair value at the grant date and remeasured at the end of each reporting period until fully vested. The awards are granted at a fixed dollar amount settled in a variable number of shares, as such, the fair value approximates the fixed dollar amount at inception. RSUs granted and classified as equity awards are measured at fair value based on the closing price of the company’s common stock on the grant date. These time-based RSUs vest in increments over a period of three years.
Compensation cost for time based RSUs is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. In accordance with ASC 718-10-35-8, the amount of compensation cost recognized will at least equal the portion of the grant-date value of the award that is vested at that date.
A summary of stock-based compensation recognized during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 is as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30, |
Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
Stock options | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Restricted stock units (classified as equity) | ||||||||||||||||
Restricted stock units (classified as liabilities) | ||||||||||||||||
Total stock-based compensation expense | $ | $ | $ | $ |
As of June 30, 2023, the total unrecognized compensation related to outstanding stock option awards and restricted stock units was $
million, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted-average period of approximately years. Total unrecognized stock-based compensation will be adjusted for actual forfeitures.
2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan
On May 12, 2023, the Company adopted the 2023 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). The purposes of the Plan are to a) encourage the profitability and growth of the Company through short and long-term incentives that are consistent with the Company’s objectives; (b) give participants an incentive for excellence in individual performance; (c) promote teamwork among participants; and (d) give the Company a significant advantage in attracting and retaining key employees, directors and consultants. To accomplish such purposes, the Plan provides that the Company may grant (i) Options, (ii) Stock Appreciation Rights, (iii) Restricted Shares, (iv) Restricted Stock Units, (v) Performance-Based Awards (including performance-based Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Units), (vi) Other Share-Based Awards, (vii) Other Cash-Based Awards or (viii) any combination of the foregoing. The Plan was originally adopted in connection with the consummation of the Company’s Reorganization Merger as contemplated by that certain agreement and plan of merger, dated as of April 14, 2023, by and among the Company, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc., and such other parties to the agreement.
With respect to awards granted under the Plan
and in accordance with the Plan, the Company's Board of Directors (or the “Administrator”) is authorized to deliver an aggregate
of
F-30 |
Common Stock
As described in Note 1, on May 12, 2023, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc. (“Atlis”) completed its Reorganization merger to Nxu, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (the “Company” or “Nxu”). At the effective time of the Reorganization Merger, all of the issued and outstanding shares of Atlis’s Class A common stock, par value $
per share (“Atlis Class A Common Stock”) were converted automatically on a one-for-one basis into shares of Nxu’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Nxu Class A Common Stock”) and all of the issued and outstanding shares of Atlis’s Class D common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Atlis Class D Common Stock” and, together with Atlis Class A Common Stock, “Atlis Common Stock”) were converted automatically on a one-for-one basis into shares of Nxu’s Class B common stock, par value $ per share (“Nxu Class B Common Stock” and, together with Nxu Class A Common Stock, “Nxu Common Stock”), and, as a result, the current stockholders of Atlis automatically became stockholders of Nxu, holding the same number and percentage of shares of Nxu Common Stock as they held of Atlis Common Stock as of immediately prior to the Reorganization Merger.
Issuance and conversion of shares of common stock pursuant to the Reorganization Merger are considered transactions between entities under common control. As a result, the condensed consolidated financial statements for periods prior to these transactions have been adjusted to combine the previously separate entities for presentation purposes.
Pursuant to the Company's Reorganization Merger, each share of Atlis Motor Vehicles, Inc Class A common stock was converted into one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Nxu, Inc. Class A common stock and each share of Atlis Motor Vehicles, Inc Class D common stock was converted into one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Nxu, Inc. Class B common stock. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, and the voting rights described below, shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock shall have the same rights, privileges and powers, rank equally, share ratably and be identical in all respects and as to all matters. The voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, powers and preferences of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of the preferred stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) upon any issuance of the preferred stock of any series.
In 2021 and 2022, the Company issued Class B shares of common stock. These shares are not traded openly nor available for sale to the public. Class B shares are offered only to the (1) Chief Executive Officer and (2) President of the Company. At all meetings of stockholders and on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation generally, each holder of Class A common stock, as such, shall have the right to one (1) vote per share of Class A common stock held of record by such holder and each holder of Class B common stock, as such, shall have the right to ten (10) votes per share of Class B common stock held of record by such holder. The shares of Class B common stock are not entitled to receive any dividends or any distribution upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company. Class B shares are not convertible, are deemed to have no economic value, and upon a holder’s cessation of service to the Company, such holder shall, on the one-year anniversary of such cessation, surrender to the Company for no consideration all shares of Class B shares owned by such holder. Shares of Class B common stock were issued to the (1) Chief Executive Officer and (2) President in the amount of
shares as of December 31, 2022.
In addition, at the effective time of the Reorganization Merger, (i) each outstanding option to purchase shares of Atlis Class A Common Stock (“Atlis Option”), whether vested or unvested, automatically converted into an option to purchase shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock (a “Nxu Option”) and (ii) each outstanding Atlis restricted share unit (an “Atlis Restricted Share”), whether vested or unvested, automatically converted into a restricted stock unit of Nxu (a “Nxu RSU”). Each Nxu Option is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the Employee Stock Option Plan and the applicable Atlis Option award agreement as in effect immediately prior to the effective time. Each Nxu RSU is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the applicable Atlis Restricted Share award agreement as in effect immediately prior to the effective time.
At the effective time of the Reorganization Merger, (i) each outstanding Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Note (an “Atlis Note”) convertible into shares of Atlis Class A Common Stock automatically converted into a Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Note convertible into shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock (a “Nxu Note”) and (ii) each outstanding warrant to purchase shares of Atlis Class A Common Stock (an “Atlis Warrant”) automatically converted into a warrant to purchase shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock (a “Nxu Warrant”). Each Nxu Note is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the applicable Atlis Note as in effect immediately prior to the effective time. Each Nxu Warrant is subject to terms and conditions consistent with the applicable Atlis Warrant as in effect immediately prior to the effective time.
In connection with the Reorganization Merger, Nxu replaced Atlis as the publicly held corporation traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). On May 15, 2023, shares of Nxu Class A Common Stock commenced trading under the ticker symbol “NXU” on Nasdaq.
F-31 |
The total number of shares
of all classes of capital stock which the Company has authority to issue is
Schedule of common stock outstanding by class are as follows:
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Class A shares | ||||||||
Class B shares | ||||||||
Total shares outstanding |
12. Convertible Notes and Warrant Liability
Convertible Notes
On November 3, 2022, the Company
issued the first tranche of the 10% Original Issue Discount Convertible Notes (“Convertible Notes”) in the aggregate principal
amount of $
On January 5, 2023, the Company entered into an amendment to the Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement Amendment”), pursuant to which the Company and each Investor agreed, among other things, to amend the terms and conditions of the second tranche of funding (“Second Tranche”) and terminate the third tranche of funding contemplated under the Purchase Agreement.
In connection with the Purchase Agreement Amendment, the Company also issued a Warrant to each Investor purchase up to an aggregate of 268,980 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock.
Concurrently with the Purchase Agreement Amendment, the Company also entered into an amendment (the “Registration Rights Agreement Amendment”) to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 3, 2022, with each Investor, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement (a “Registration Statement”) with the SEC registering the resale of the shares of the Company’s Class A common stock issuable under the First Tranche within 20 days after the closing of the First Tranche and registering the resale of the shares of the Company’s Class A common stock issuable under the Second Tranche within two trading days after the closing of the Second Tranche, as applicable, and to cause any such Registration Statement to become effective within 60 days after filing.
On January 27, 2023, the Investors
exercised their rights to purchase the allowable amounts under the Purchase Agreement Amendment and the Company issued $10.0 million of
Convertible Notes and 942,034 Common Stock Warrants in the Second Tranche. The Company received net proceeds of $
F-32 |
The Company elected the fair value option to account for the Convertible Notes. As such, the Company recorded the Convertible Notes at fair value and will subsequently measure them to fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value were recognized as a component of other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations. Activity as a result in changes in fair value of the Company’s Convertible Notes during the six month period ended June 30, 2023 were as follows (in thousands):
Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 | ||||
Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | |||
Convertible Notes issued during the period | ||||
Conversions | ( | ) | ||
Payments | ( | ) | ||
Unrealized loss | ||||
Convertible Notes liability at June 30, 2023 | $ |
As a result of applying the fair value option, direct costs and fees related to the Convertible Notes were expensed as incurred and were not deferred.
The following table provides the fair value and contractual principal balance outstanding of the Convertible Notes accounted for under the fair value option as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Convertible Notes fair value | $ | $ | ||||||
Convertible Notes, contractual principal outstanding | ||||||||
Fair value less unpaid principal balance | $ | $ |
All Convertible Notes and Common Stock Warrants, by written agreement, provide for a beneficial ownership limitation cap of 4.99% shares of the total issued and outstanding common stock of the Company, at any given time.
On April 11, 2023, the Company received a notice
from Nasdaq indicating that the Company is not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing
Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Market. The Company acknowledges that receipt of the notice from Nasdaq constituted
an event of default under its Convertible Notes agreements. As a result, unless waived by the holders, the Convertible Notes began accruing
default interest at a rate of
As of June 30, 2023, the Company acknowledges the
event of default had not been cured, as the Company remained out of compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth
in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Market. As such, a total of $
Warrant Liability
In connection with the issuance of the Convertible Notes, the investors received a number of Common Stock Warrants equal to 30% of the face value of the Convertible Notes divided by the VWAP prior to the applicable closing date. The Warrants entitle the holder to purchase one share of the Company’s Class A common stock at the exercise price of a) $The Exercise Price included a one-time reset at the 6-month anniversary of the initial exercise date (the “Reset Date”) to the lower of the initial Exercise Price and 120% of the daily VWAP on the trading day prior to the Reset Date. per share (“Exercise Price”) or (b) 92.5% of the average of the three lowest daily VWAP of the Common Stock during the ten trading day period (“Variable Exercise Price”), whichever is lower.
There were
On February 21, 2023, the Company consummated the offering of an aggregate
of
There were
F-33 |
The Company recorded the of the Warrants at fair value and subsequently remeasured unexercised Warrants to fair value at the reporting date. Changes in fair value were recognized as a component of other income (expense), net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognized a gain in the condensed consolidated statements of operations in relation to these instruments for the six months ended June 30, 2023 as follows (in thousands).
June 30, 2023 | ||||
Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | |||
Warrants issued during the period | ||||
Series A warrants exercised during the period | ( | ) | ||
Unrealized gain | ( | ) | ||
Warrant liability at June 30, 2023 | $ |
13. | Fair Value |
The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value (in thousands).
Description: | Level | June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||
Liabilities: | ||||||||||||
Convertible Notes | 3 | $ | $ | |||||||||
Warrant liability | 3 | |||||||||||
Convertible Notes and warrant liability, at fair value | $ | $ |
Convertible Notes
The Company accounts for its Convertible Notes under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). Under 815-15-25, the election can be at the inception of a financial instrument to account for the instrument under the fair value option under ASC 825. The Company has made such an election for its Convertible Notes. Using the fair value option, the Convertible Notes, in their entirety, are required to be recorded at initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the notes are recognized as non-cash changes in the fair value of the Convertible Notes in the statements of operations. The fair value of the conversion feature of the Convertible Notes were valued utilizing the Monte Carlo simulation model.
The estimated fair value of the Convertible Notes was based on the following significant inputs:
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||
Tranche 1 | Tranche 2 | Tranche 1 | ||||||||||
Risk-free interest rate | % | % | % | |||||||||
Time to expiration (in years) | ||||||||||||
Expected volatility | % | % | % | |||||||||
Dividend yield | ||||||||||||
Stock price | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Face value | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Fixed conversion rate | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Roll-forward discount rate | % | % | % |
Warrant Liability
The Common Stock Warrants and Series B Warrants are accounted for as liabilities pursuant to ASC 815-40 and are measured at fair value as of each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of the Warrants are recorded in the statements of operations each period. Changes in fair value of the liability resulting from the cumulative changes in instrument-specific credit risk will be presented in accumulated other comprehensive income.
The Warrants were valued using a Monte Carlo simulation model, which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. Inherent in an options pricing model are assumptions related to expected share-price volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Company estimates the volatility of its ordinary shares based on historical volatility that matches the expected remaining life of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend rate is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates to remain at zero.
F-34 |
The following tables provide quantitative information regarding Level 3 fair value measurements for Common Stock Warrants and Series B Warrants as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Common Stock Warrants
June 30, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
Tranche 1 | Tranche 2 | Purchase Amendment | Tranche 1 | |||||||||||||
Risk-free interest rate | % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||
Time to expiration (in years) | ||||||||||||||||
Expected volatility | % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||
Dividend yield | ||||||||||||||||
Stock price | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Exercise price | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Outstanding warrants | 5.11 | % |
Series B Warrants
June 30, 2023 | ||||
Risk-free interest rate | % | |||
Time to expiration (in years) | ||||
Expected volatility | % | |||
Dividend yield | ||||
Stock price | $ | |||
Exercise price | $ | |||
Outstanding warrants |
14. | Subsequent Events |
Office Lease Commencement
On July 3, 2023 (the
“Commencement Date”), the Company entered into a sublease for office space consisting of approximately
Starting in July 2023 and as of the Commencement Date, the lease will be recognized and measured in accordance with ASC 842, Leases.
Public Offering
On
August 9, 2023, the Company announced the pricing of a public offering of
The closing of the offering occurred on
August 11, 2023. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
In connection with the offering,
the Company has agreed to amend the terms of existing Series B warrants to purchase
F-35 |
Up to 42,666,667 Shares of Class A Common Stock
(or Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Shares of Class A Common Stock)
Nxu, Inc.
Maxim Group LLC
Placement Agent
, 2023.
Until , 2023 all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as placement agent and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
PART II. INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution. |
The following table sets forth costs and expenses payable by us in connection with the registration of the securities of Nxu being registered hereby. With the exception of the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee, the amounts set forth below are estimates.
SEC registration fee | $ | 882 | ||
FINRA filing fee | 1,300 | |||
Accounting fees and expenses | 35,000 | |||
Legal fees and expenses | 180,000 | |||
Printing and engraving expenses | 10,000 | |||
Transfer agent and registrar fees | 25,000 | |||
Miscellaneous | 25,000 | |||
Total | $ | 277,182 |
Item 14. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Section 145 of the DGCL authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement for expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act.
Nxu’s bylaws provide that Nxu shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of Nxu, or, while a director or officer of Nxu, is or was serving at the request of Nxu as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of Nxu, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.
Nxu’s bylaws further provide that Nxu shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of Nxu to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of Nxu, or, while a director or officer of Nxu, is or was serving at the request of Nxu as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of Nxu; except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to Nxu unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity by Nxu for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
Any of the foregoing indemnification provisions (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by Nxu only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director or officer is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standard of conduct described above, which determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (i) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or (iv) by the stockholders. Such determination shall be made, with respect to former directors and officers, by any person or persons having the authority to act on the matter on behalf of Nxu. To the extent, however, that a present or former director or officer of Nxu has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith, without the necessity of authorization in the specific case.
II-1 |
Expenses, including without limitation attorneys’ fees, incurred by a current or former director or officer in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding to which such person is a party or is threatened to be made a party or otherwise involved as a witness or otherwise by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of Nxu, or, while a director or officer of Nxu, is or was serving at the request of Nxu as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, shall be paid by Nxu in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such current or former director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by Nxu.
In addition, Nxu assumed certain customary indemnification agreements that Nxu’s predecessor, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc., entered into with each of its directors and officers. The assumption of these agreements require Nxu to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Nxu purchased and maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures Nxu’s directors and officers against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgement in some circumstances and insures Nxu against its obligations to indemnify the directors and officers.
The foregoing is only a general summary of certain aspects of Delaware law and Nxu’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws dealing with indemnification of directors and officers and does not purport to be complete. It is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed provisions of those sections of the DGCL referenced above and Nxu’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws.
Item 15. | Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities. |
Regulation D Offering
During the past three years, the Predecessor issued an aggregate of 280,195 shares of Class A common stock to various investors at a weighted average share price of $9.04 per share for aggregate proceeds of $2,532,761, under the Company’s Regulation D funding campaign.
Regulation A Offering
During the past three years, the Predecessor issued an aggregate of 1,665,996 shares of Class A common stock to various investors at a weighted average share price of $7.63, 871,938 shares of Class A common stock at a weighted average share price of $16.64 and 143,864 bonus shares of Class A common stock issued at a weighted average share price of $0, for aggregate gross proceeds of $14,506,595, under the terms of the Regulation A offering which became qualified on September 23, 2022.
Private Placement
On November 3, 2022, the Predecessor entered into the Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors (collectively, the “Investors”), pursuant to which it agreed to issue to the Investors, for gross proceeds of up to $27,000,000, Senior Secured Original Issue 10% Discount Convertible Promissory Notes (the “notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of up to $30,000,000 and warrants to purchase a number of shares of the Predecessor’s Class A common stock equal to 30% of the face value of the notes divided by the volume weighted average price, in three tranches.
Under the first tranche of funding, which closed upon signing of the Purchase Agreement, for gross proceeds of $9,000,000, the Predecessor issued notes to the Investors in the aggregate principal amount of $10,000,000 (the “First Tranche Notes”) and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 231,312 shares of the Predecessor’s Class A common stock (the “First Tranche Warrants”).
On January 5, 2023, the Predecessor entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Purchase Agreement with each Investor, pursuant to which the Predecessor and each Investor agreed, among other things, to amend the terms and conditions of the second tranche of funding and terminate the third tranche of funding contemplated under the Purchase Agreement.
The Amendment provides that, with respect to the second tranche of funding, at any time prior to the earlier to occur of (x) April 30, 2024 and (y) the twentieth (20th) trading day following the effectiveness of the resale registration statement covering the resale of all of the shares of the Predecessor’s Class A common stock issuable under the first tranche of funding, each Investor shall have the right, severally and not jointly, to purchase a base allocation of $5.0 million in notes and warrants to purchase a number of shares of the Predecessor’s Class A common stock equal to 30% of the face value of the notes divided by the volume weighted average price at one or more closings (with a total base allocation of $10.0 million, in the aggregate, for all Investors) and, solely with respect to the initial closing, up to an additional $5.0 million in additional notes and related warrants pursuant to oversubscription rights, to the extent then available. In connection with the Amendment, the Predecessor also issued top-up warrants to the Investors to purchase up to an aggregate of 537,960 shares of the Predecessor’s Class A common stock (the “Top-Up Warrants”).
II-2 |
On January 27, 2023, the Investors elected to purchase notes and warrants pursuant to the second tranche of funding. Under the second tranche of funding, which closed on January 31, 2023, for gross proceeds of $9,000,000, we issued notes to the Investors in the aggregate principal amount of $10,000,000 (the “Second Tranche Notes” and together with the First Tranche Notes, the “Notes”) and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 942,034 shares of our Class A common stock (the “Second Tranche Warrants” and collectively with the First Tranche Warrants and the Top-Up Warrants, the “Warrants”).
A registration statement registering the resale of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of the First Tranche Notes and exercise of the First Tranche Warrants went effective on January 20, 2023. A registration statement registering the resale of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of the Second Tranche Notes and exercise of the Second Tranche Warrants and the Top-Up Warrants went effective on February 9, 2023. As of October 3, 2023, there was an aggregate of approximately $1.3 million of Notes outstanding and 1,711,306 Warrants outstanding.
The Notes mature 24 months after issuance, do not initially bear any interest and are convertible into shares of the Predecessor’s Class A common stock at an initial conversion price equal to the lesser of a fixed price per share of Class A common stock ($0.6403 per share in the case of the First Tranche Notes and $15.00 per share in the case of the Second Tranche Notes) or 92.5% of the average of the three lowest daily volume weighted average prices of the Class A common stock during the ten trading days immediately preceding the notice of voluntary conversion of the notes, subject to adjustment as further specified in the notes. The Notes will be fully repayable in cash upon maturity. In addition, the Investors have the option of prepaying up to 20% of the issuance amount of a subsequent financing.
The Warrants are exercisable at an initial exercise price equal to the lesser of a fixed price per share ($0.5910 per share in the case of the First Tranche Warrants, $0.5825 per share in the case of the Top-Up Warrants and $15.00 per share in the case of the Second Tranche Warrants) or 92.5% of the average of the three lowest daily volume weighted average prices of the Class A common stock during the ten trading days immediately preceding the notice of exercise, subject to adjustment. The Warrants carry a 5-year term and, if not exercised, will terminate.
The securities were issued and sold in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder since, among other things, the issuance was made without any public solicitation to a limited number of accredited investors and/or qualified institutional buyers and were acquired for investment purposes only.
Item 16. | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. |
A list of exhibits included as part of this registration statement is set forth in the Exhibit Index which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Item 17. | Undertakings |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
(a) | To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
(b) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and |
(c) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
(2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
II-3 |
(3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
(4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
(5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
(a) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
(b) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
(c) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
(d) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
(6) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
II-4 |
EXHIBIT INDEX
II-5 |
+ Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
† Portions of the exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K. The Company agrees to furnish a supplemental copy with any omitted information to the SEC upon request.
* Filed herewith.
II-6 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Mesa, State of Arizona, on October 10, 2023.
NXU, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Hanchett | |
Mark Hanchett | ||
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Mark Hanchett and Annie Pratt and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by the registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act, and all post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, his, hers or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done or by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on October 10, 2023.
Signatures | Title | |
/s/ Mark Hanchett |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | |
Mark Hanchett | (Principal Executive Officer) | |
/s/ Apoorv Dwivedi |
Chief Financial Officer | |
Apoorv Dwivedi | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |
/s/ Annie Pratt |
President and Director | |
Annie Pratt | ||
/s/ Britt Ide |
Director | |
Britt Ide | ||
/s/ Caryn Nightengale |
Director | |
Caryn Nightengale | ||
/s/ Jessica Billingsley |
Director | |
Jessica Billingsley |
II-7
Exhibit 1.1
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
October [__], 2023
Maxim Group LLC
300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Subject to the terms and conditions herein (this “Agreement”), Nxu, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby agrees to sell up to an aggregate of $_____ of registered securities of the Company, including but not limited to, up to _______ shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the "Common Stock”), and pre-funded common stock purchase warrants to purchase up to _______ shares of Common Stock (the “Prefunded Warrants” and the shares of Common Stock underlying the Prefunded Warrants, the “Prefunded Warrant Shares”, and the Shares, the Prefunded Warrants and the Prefunded Warrant Shares, the “Securities”) directly to various investors (each, an “Investor” and, collectively, the “Investors”) through Maxim Group LLC (the “Placement Agent”) as placement agent. The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Investors in connection with the Offering (as defined below), including, without limitation, a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The purchase price to the Investors for each Share is $_____, the purchase price to the Investors for each Prefunded Warrant $____, and the exercise price to the Investors for each share of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Prefunded Warrants is $0.0001. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Offering.
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Placement Agent as follows:
Section 1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering and sale by the Company of the Securities pursuant to the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-_____) (the “Registration Statement”), with the terms of such offering (the “Offering”) to be subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement Agent and the prospective Investors. The Placement Agent will act on a reasonable best efforts basis and the Company agrees and acknowledges that there is no guarantee of the successful placement of the Securities, or any portion thereof, in the prospective Offering. Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent or any of its “Affiliates” (as defined below) be obligated to underwrite or purchase any of the Securities for its own account or otherwise provide any financing. The Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal. The Placement Agent shall have no authority to bind the Company with respect to any prospective offer to purchase Securities and the Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase Securities and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at one or more closings (each a “Closing” and the date on which each Closing occurs, a “Closing Date”). The Closing of the issuance of the Securities shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment”, i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Securities directly to the account designated by the Placement Agent and, upon receipt of such Securities, the Placement Agent shall electronically deliver such Securities to the applicable Investor and payment shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company. As compensation for services rendered, on each Closing Date, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set forth below:
(i) A cash fee equal to 6.5% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities at the closing of the Offering (the “Closing”).
(ii) The Company also agrees to reimburse Placement Agent’s expenses up to a maximum of $50,000, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and the Placement Agent, payable immediately upon the Closing of the Offering.
(b) The term of the Placement Agent's exclusive engagement will be as set forth in the Engagement Agreement (as defined below). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the indemnification provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement, and the Company’s obligation to pay fees actually earned and payable and to reimburse expenses actually incurred and reimbursable pursuant to Section 1 hereof and which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule 5110(g)(4)(A), will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the ability of the Placement Agent or its Affiliates to pursue, investigate, analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any other business relationship with Persons (as defined below) other than the Company. As used herein (i) “Persons” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind and (ii) “Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Section 2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of each Closing Date, as follows:
(a) Securities Law Filings. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, which was filed on October __, 2023, [as amended,] and declared effective on October __, 2023 for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act. Following the determination of pricing among the Company and the prospective Investors introduced to the Company by Placement Agent, the Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430B and 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a final prospectus relating to the placement of the Securities, their respective pricings and the plan of distribution thereof and will advise the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, at any given time, including the exhibits thereto filed at such time, as amended at such time, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness is hereinafter called the “Preliminary Prospectus”; and the final prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and/or 424(b) (including the Preliminary Prospectus as it may be amended or supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.” The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is hereinafter called the “Original Registration Statement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”), if any, which were or are filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at any given time, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial
statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be. As used in this paragraph and elsewhere in this Agreement, “Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus, any subscription agreement between the Company and the Investors, the final terms of the Offering provided to the Investors (orally or in writing) and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package. The term “any Prospectus” shall mean, as the context requires, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, and any supplement to either thereof. The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or intends to commence a proceeding for any such purpose.
(b) Assurances. The Original Registration Statement, as amended, (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did not contain any 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. The Final Prospectus, as of its date, complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. The Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations promulgated thereunder, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Final Prospectus), in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. Except for this Agreement and the Transaction Documents, there are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. Except for this Agreement and the Transaction Documents, there are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Final Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.
(c) Offering Materials. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to each Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Time of Sale Disclosure Package.
(d) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) or the Company’s shareholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as defined in the Purchase Agreement). This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(e) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which it is a party do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(f) Certificates. Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters set forth therein.
(g) Reliance. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and warranties and hereby consents to such reliance.
(h) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(i) Statistical or Market-Related Data. Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(j) Certain Fees; FINRA Affiliations. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company, any Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. There are no other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Placement Agent’s compensation, as determined by FINRA. Other than payments to the Placement Agent for this Offering, the Company has not made and has no agreements, arrangements or understanding to make any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member participating in the
offering as defined in FINRA Rule 5110 (a “Participating Member”); or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Participating Member, within the 180-day period preceding the initial filing of the Registration Statement through the 60-day period after the Effective Date. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any Participating Member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein. To the Company’s knowledge, no officer, director or any beneficial owner of 10% or more of the Company’s Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Participating Member in the Offering. Except for securities purchased on the open market, no Company Affiliate is an owner of stock or other securities of any Participating Member. No Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any Participating Member. No proceeds from the sale of the Securities (excluding placement agent compensation as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus) will be paid to any Participating Member, any persons associated with a Participating Member or an affiliate of a Participating Member. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company has not issued any warrants or other securities or granted any options, directly or indirectly, to the Placement Agent within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Prospectus. Except for securities issued to the Placement Agent as disclosed in the Prospectus, no person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Prospectus is a Participating Member, is a person associated with a Participating Member or is an affiliate of a Participating Member. No Participating Member in the Offering has a conflict of interest with the Company. For this purpose, a “conflict of interest” exists when a Participating Member, the parent or affiliate of a Participating Member or any person associated with a Participating Member in the aggregate beneficially own 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding subordinated debt or common equity, or 5% or more of the Company’s preferred equity. “FINRA member participating in the Offering” includes any associated person of a Participating Member in the Offering, any member of such associated person’s immediate family and any affiliate of a Participating Member in the Offering. When used in this Section 3.1(j) the term “affiliate of a FINRA member” or “affiliated with a FINRA member” means an entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a FINRA member. The Company will advise the Representative and EGS if it learns that any officer, director or owner of 10% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a Participating Member.
(k) Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is comprised of the persons set forth under the heading of the Prospectus captioned “Management.” The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the Board of Directors comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and the rules of the Trading Market. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent” as defined under the rules of the Trading Market.
(l) D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires most recently completed by each of the Company’s directors and officers is true and correct in all respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in such questionnaires become inaccurate and incorrect.
(m) Representations and Warranties Incorporated by Reference. Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) made to the Investors in the Purchase Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference (as though fully restated herein) and is hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent.
Section 3. Delivery and Payment. Each Closing shall occur at the offices of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105 (“Placement Agent Counsel”) (or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company). Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at each Closing payment of the purchase price for the Securities sold on such Closing Date shall be made by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of such Securities, and such Securities shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations, as the Placement Agent may request at least one business day before the time of purchase (as defined below).
Deliveries of the documents with respect to the purchase of the Securities, if any, shall be made at the offices of Placement Agent Counsel. All actions taken at a Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.
Section 4. Covenants and Agreements of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as follows:
(a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Final Prospectus has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of any Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Offering. The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any Prospectus or for additional information, (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or a Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 4(a) that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(b) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the Placement Agent and the Investors in endeavoring to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (United States and foreign) as the Placement Agent and the Investors may reasonably request and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent, and provided further that the Company shall not be required to produce any new disclosure document. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Placement Agent may reasonably request for distribution of the Securities. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(c) Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus and Other Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the distribution of Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus that is necessary in order to make the statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with law. Before amending the Registration Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects.
(d) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus. The Company will furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the last Closing Date of the Offering, as many copies of any Prospectus or prospectus supplement and any amendments and supplements thereto, as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
(e) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company covenants that it will not, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a Company Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act. In the event that the Placement Agent expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Company Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(f) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the shares of Common Stock.
(g) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable and in accordance with applicable requirements under the Securities Act, but in any event not later than 18 months after the last Closing Date, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Placement Agent an earnings statement, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the last Closing Date, that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(h) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Trading Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.
(i) Additional Documents. The Company will enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the Placement Agent or the Investors deem necessary or appropriate to consummate the Offering, all of which will be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent and the Investors. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent may rely upon, and each is a third party beneficiary of, the representations and warranties, and applicable covenants, set forth in any such purchase, subscription or other agreement with Investors in the Offering.
(j) No Manipulation of Price. Neither the Company, nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders, has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(k) Acknowledgment. The Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the Company and may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the Placement Agent's prior written consent.
(l) Announcement of Offering. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent may, subsequent to the Closing, make public its involvement with the Offering.
(m) Reliance on Others. The Company confirms that it will rely on its own counsel and accountants for legal and accounting advice.
(n) Research Matters. By entering into this Agreement, the Placement Agent does not provide any promise, either explicitly or implicitly, of favorable or continued research coverage of the Company and the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s selection as a placement agent for the Offering was in no way conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on the Placement Agent providing favorable or any research coverage of the Company. In accordance with FINRA Rule 2241(b)(2), the parties acknowledge and agree that the Placement Agent has not directly or indirectly offered favorable research, a specific rating or a specific price target, or threatened to change research, a rating or a price target, to the Company or inducement for the receipt of business or compensation. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Placement Agent with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by the Placement Agent’s investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short position in debt or equity securities of the Company.
(o) Subsequent Equity Sales.
(i) From the date hereof until 30 days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (ii) file any public registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than the Prospectus or filing a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with an employee benefit plan without prior written consent of the Placement Agent.
(ii) From the date hereof until 30 days after the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, 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 debt or equity 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 Stock or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit or an “at-the-market offering”, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.
(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4(o) shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance. An “Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) Common Stock or equity awards to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with automatic price resets, stock splits, adjustments or combinations as set forth in such securities) or to extend the term of such securities and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the 30 day period following the Closing Date, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.
(iv) If within two (2) months of the Closing, the Company completes any financing of equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt or other capital-raising activity of the Company for which the Placement Agent is not acting as underwriter or placement agent (other than the exercise by any person or entity of any options, warrants or other convertible securities) with any of the investors that were contacted, introduced or participated in the Offering, then the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent a commission as described in Section 1(a)(i) herein, in each case only with respect to the portion of such financing received from such investors. The right set forth in this Section 4(o)(iv) shall be limited to the twenty one (21) institutional investors that Maxim identified in Exhibit B to the Engagement Agreement (as defined below).
(p) Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements except to extend the term of the lock-up period and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement breaches any provision of a Lock-Up Agreement, the Company shall promptly use its best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
(q) FINRA. The Company shall advise the Placement Agent (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it is aware that any officer, director, 10% or greater shareholder of the Company or Person that received the Company’s unregistered equity securities in the past 180 days is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member firm prior to the earlier of the termination of this Agreement or the 60-day period after the Effective Date.
Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Placement Agent. The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Placement Agent shall have received, and the Company shall have caused to be delivered to the Placement Agent, a letter from Prager Metis CPAs LLP (the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company), addressed to the Placement Agent, dated as of the date hereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent. The letter shall not disclose any change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, operations, business or prospects of the Company from that set forth in the Incorporated Documents or the applicable Prospectus or prospectus supplement, which, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering of the Securities as contemplated by such Prospectus.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA. Each Prospectus (in accordance with Rule 424(b)) and “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), if any, shall have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and the FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement terms and arrangements.
(c) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each Prospectus, and the registration, sale and delivery of the Securities, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent's counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 5.
(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to each Closing Date, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect or any material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (“Material Adverse Change”).
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on each Closing Date the favorable opinion of Company Counsel, dated as of such Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
(f) Officers’ Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received on each Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents, the Prospectus, and this Agreement and to the further effect that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct, as if made on and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;
(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, and any Prospectus, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, and any Prospectus, did not and do not include any 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so set forth; and
(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus, there has not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any Subsidiary which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material Adverse Effect.
(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On each Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received from Prager Metis CPAs LLP, or such other independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, a letter dated as of such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date.
(h) Lock-Up Agreements. On the date hereof, the Placement Agent shall have received the executed lock-up agreement from each of the Company’s directors and officers as of the date hereof.
(i) Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock shall be registered under the Exchange Act and shall be listed on the Trading Market, and the Company shall not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the shares of Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the shares of Common Stock from the Trading Market, nor shall the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
(j) Additional Documents. On or before each Closing Date, the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent shall have received such information and documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
(j) Warrant Agency Agreement. On the Closing Date, the duly executed warrant agency agreement executed by and between the Company and the transfer agent.
If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to a Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 6 (Payment of Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification and Contribution) and Section 8 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 6. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each prospectus supplement, if any, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Placement Agent in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country, and, if requested by the Placement Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” an “International Blue Sky Survey” or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Placement Agent of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions; (vii) if applicable, the filing fees incident to the review and approval by the FINRA of the Placement Agent's participation in the offering and distribution of the Securities; (viii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Shares and Prefunded Warrant Shares on the Trading Market; (ix) all costs and expenses incident to the travel and accommodation of the Company’s and the Placement Agent's employees on the “roadshow,” if any; and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Part II of the Registration Statement.
Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person. an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, (i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Incorporated Document, or any Prospectus or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Incorporated Documents) or (ii) otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person's actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, in the case of clause (ii) only, the Company shall not be responsible for any Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person's (x) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities in the Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person's rights under this Agreement.
(b) Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such action including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such action (including any impeded parties) include such Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person; provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons in connection with any action or related actions, in addition to any local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened action in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.
(c) In the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.
(d) The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person's actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person's gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.
(e) The reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person's services under or in connection with, this Agreement.
Section 8. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement. A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.
Section 9. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or e-mailed and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Placement Agent to the address set forth above, attention: James Siegal, email: jsiegel@maximgrp.com
With a copy to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10105
E-mail: mbernstein@egsllp.com
If to the Company:
1828 N Higley Rd., Suite 116
Mesa, Arizona 85205
Attention: Mark Hanchett
With a copy to:
Winston & Strawn LLP
800 Capitol St., Suite 2400
Houston, Texas 77002-2925
Attention: Michael J. Blankenship
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 10. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and to their respective successors, and personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
Section 11. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
Section 12. Governing Law. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived. Any dispute arising under this Agreement may be brought into the courts of the State of New York or into the Federal Court located in New York, New York and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of aforesaid courts. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by delivering a copy thereof via overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment. If either party to this Agreement shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of a Transaction Document, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorney's fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
Section 13. General Provisions.
(a) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Engagement Agreement, dated September 22, 2023 (“Engagement Agreement”), between the Company and the Placement Agent shall continue to be effective and the terms therein shall continue to survive and be enforceable by the Placement Agent in accordance with its terms, provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Engagement Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Placement Agent’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual and commercial in nature, (ii) the Placement Agent has acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (iii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
NXU, inc. | ||
By: | ||
Name: Title: |
The foregoing Placement Agency Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
maxim group LLC | ||
By: | ||
Name: Title: |
Exhibit 4.4
NXU, INC.
and
EQUINITI TRUST COMPANY, LLC, as
Warrant Agent
Warrant Agency Agreement
Dated as of ___, 2023
WARRANT AGENCY AGREEMENT
WARRANT AGENCY AGREEMENT, dated as of _____, 2023 (“Agreement”), between Nxu, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC (the “Warrant Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, pursuant to a registered offering by the Company (the “Offering”) of up to _______ shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) (or up to _______ pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) in lieu of shares of Common Stock); and
WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth and pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-1[, as amended] (File No. 333-[ ]) (the “Registration Statement”), and the terms and conditions of the Warrant Certificate, the Company wishes to issue the Pre-Funded Warrants in book entry form entitling the respective holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Holders,” which term shall include a Holder’s transferees, successors and assigns and “Holder” shall include, if the Pre-Funded Warrants are held in “street name,” a Participant (as defined below) or a designee appointed by such Participant); and
WHEREAS, the Company wishes the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing so to act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, exercise and replacement of the Pre-Funded Warrants and, in the Warrant Agent’s capacity as the Company’s transfer agent, the delivery of the Warrant Shares.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, all capitalized terms not herein defined shall have the meanings hereby indicated:
(a) | “Affiliate” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). |
(b) | “Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which the Nasdaq Stock Market is authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close. |
(c) | “Close of Business” on any given date means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day. |
(d) | “Person” means an individual, corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, government or political subdivision thereof or governmental agency or other entity. |
(e) | “Warrant Certificate” means a certificate in substantially the form attached as Exhibit 1 hereto, representing such number of Warrant Shares as is indicated therein, provided that any reference to the delivery of a Warrant Certificate in this Agreement shall include delivery of a Definitive Certificate or a Global Warrant (each as defined below). |
(f) | “Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants. |
All other capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Warrant Certificate.
Section 2. Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment.
Section 3. Global Warrants.
(a) | The Warrants shall be registered securities and shall be evidenced by a pre-funded global warrant with respect to the Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Global Warrant”) in the form of the Warrant Certificate, which shall be deposited with the Warrant Agent and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), or as otherwise directed by the Depositary. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) the Depositary or its nominee for each Global Warrant or (ii) institutions that have accounts with the Depositary (such institution, with respect to a Pre-Funded Warrant in its account, a “Participant”). |
(b) | If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Pre-Funded Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Pre-Funded Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each Global Warrant, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to each Holder a Warrant Certificate. |
(c) | A Holder has the right to elect at any time or from time to time a Warrant Exchange (as defined below) pursuant to a Warrant Certificate Request Notice (as defined below). Upon written notice by a Holder to the Company and the Warrant Agent for the exchange of some or all of such Holder’s Global Warrants for a separate certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1, (such separate certificate, a “Definitive Certificate”) evidencing the same number of Pre-Funded Warrants, which request shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 2 (a “Warrant Certificate Request Notice” and the date of delivery of such Warrant Certificate Request Notice by the Holder, the “Warrant Certificate Request Notice Date” and the surrender by the Holder to the Warrant Agent of a number of Global Warrants for the same number of Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by a Warrant Certificate, a “Warrant Exchange”), the Company and the Warrant Agent shall promptly effect the Warrant Exchange and the Company shall promptly issue and deliver to the Holder a Definitive Certificate for such number of Warrants in the name set forth in the Warrant Certificate Request Notice. Such Definitive Certificate shall be dated the original issue date of the Pre-Funded Warrants, shall be manually executed by an authorized signatory of the Company, shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and shall be reasonably acceptable in all respects to such Holder. In connection with a Warrant Exchange, the Company agrees to deliver the Definitive Certificate to the Holder within ten (10) Business Days of the Warrant Certificate Request Notice pursuant to the delivery instructions in the Warrant Certificate Request Notice (“Warrant Certificate Delivery Date”). If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Definitive Certificate subject to the Warrant Certificate Request Notice by the Warrant Certificate Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares evidenced by such Definitive Certificate (based on the VWAP (as defined in the Warrant Certificate) of the Common Stock on the Warrant Certificate Request Notice Date), $10 per Business Day for each Business Day after such Warrant Certificate Delivery Date until such Definitive Certificate is delivered or, prior to delivery of such Warrant Certificate, the Holder rescinds such Warrant Exchange. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon the date of delivery of the Warrant Certificate Request Notice, the Holder shall be deemed to be the holder of the Definitive Certificate and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Definitive Certificate shall be deemed for all purposes to contain all of the terms and conditions of the Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by such Warrant Certificate and the terms of this Agreement, other than Sections 3(c), 3(d) and 9 herein, shall not apply to the Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by the Definitive Certificate. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall act as warrant agent with respect to any Definitive Certificate requested and issued pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in the event of inconsistency between any provision in this Agreement and any provision in a Definitive Certificate, as it may from time to time be amended, the terms of such Definitive Certificate shall control. |
(d) | A Holder of a Definitive Certificate (pursuant to a Warrant Exchange or otherwise) has the right to elect at any time or from time to time a Global Warrants Exchange (as defined below) pursuant to a Global Warrants Request Notice (as defined below). Upon written notice by a Holder to the Company for the exchange of some or all of such Holder’s Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by a Definitive Certificate for a beneficial interest in Global Warrants held in book-entry form through the Depositary evidencing the same number of Pre-Funded Warrants, which request shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 3 (a “Global Warrants Request Notice” and the date of delivery of such Global Warrants Request Notice by the Holder, the “Global Warrants Request Notice Date” and the surrender upon delivery by the Holder of the Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by Definitive Certificates for the same number of Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by a beneficial interest in Global Warrants held in book-entry form through the Depositary, a “Global Warrants Exchange”), the Company shall promptly effect the Global Warrants Exchange and shall promptly direct the Warrant Agent to issue and deliver to the Holder Global Warrants for such number of Pre-Funded Warrants in the Global Warrants Request Notice, which beneficial interest in such Global Warrants shall be delivered by the Depositary’s Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system to the Holder pursuant to the instructions in the Global Warrants Request Notice. In connection with a Global Warrants Exchange, the Company shall direct the Warrant Agent to deliver the beneficial interest in such Global Warrants to the Holder within ten (10) Business Days of the Global Warrants Request Notice pursuant to the delivery instructions in the Global Warrant Request Notice (“Global Warrants Delivery Date”). If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder Global Warrants subject to the Global Warrants Request Notice by the Global Warrants Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares evidenced by such Global Warrants (based on the VWAP (as defined in the Warrant Certificate) of the Common Stock on the Global Warrants Request Notice Date), $10 per Business Day (increasing to $20 per Business Day on the fifth Business Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Business Day after such Global Warrants Delivery Date until such Global Warrants are delivered or, prior to delivery of such Global Warrants, the Holder rescinds such Global Warrants Exchange. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon the date of delivery of the Global Warrants Request Notice, the Holder shall be deemed to be the beneficial holder of such Global Warrants. |
Section 4. Form of Warrant Certificate. The Warrant Certificate, together with the form of election to purchase Common Stock (“Notice of Exercise”) and the form of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof, shall be in the form of Exhibit 1.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Global Warrant shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President, by facsimile signature, and have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, by facsimile signature. The Global Warrant shall be countersigned by the Warrant Agent by facsimile signature and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Global Warrant shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Warrant Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Global Warrant, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Warrant Agent, issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Global Warrant had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Global Warrant may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Global Warrant, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Global Warrant, although at the date of the execution of this Warrant Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
The Warrant Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at one of its offices, or at the office of one of its agents, books for registration and transfer of the Global Warrants issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective Holders of the Global Warrant, the number of warrants evidenced on the face of each of such Global Warrant and the date of each of such Global Warrant. The Warrant Agent will create a special account for the issuance of Global Warrants. The Company will keep or cause to be kept at one of its offices, books for the registration and transfer of any Definitive Certificates issued hereunder and the Warrant Agent shall not have any obligation to keep books and records with respect to any Definitive Warrants. Such Company books shall show the names and addresses of the respective Holders of the Definitive Certificates, the number of warrants evidenced on the face of each such Definitive Certificate and the date of each such Definitive Certificate.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Warrant Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Warrant Certificates. With respect to the Global Warrants, subject to the provisions of the Warrant Certificate and the last sentence of this first paragraph of Section 6 and subject to applicable law, rules or regulations, or any “stop transfer” instructions the Company may give to the Warrant Agent, at any time after the closing date of the Offering, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Termination Date (as such term is defined in the Warrant Certificate), any Global Warrant or Global Warrants may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Global Warrant or Global Warrants, entitling the Holder to purchase a like number of shares of Common Stock as the Global Warrant or Global Warrants surrendered then entitled such Holder to purchase. Any Holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Global Warrant shall make such request in writing delivered to the Warrant Agent, and shall surrender the Global Warrant to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the Warrant Agent. Any requested transfer of Pre-Funded Warrants, whether in book-entry form or certificate form, shall be accompanied by reasonable evidence of authority of the party making such request that may be required by the Warrant Agent. Thereupon the Warrant Agent shall, subject to the last sentence of this first paragraph of Section 6, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Global Warrant or Global Warrants, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Global Warrants. The Company shall compensate the Warrant Agent per the fee schedule mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto and provided separately on the date hereof.
Upon receipt by the Warrant Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Warrant Certificate, which evidence shall include an affidavit of loss, or in the case of mutilated certificates, the certificate or portion thereof remaining, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity in customary form and amount (but, with respect to any Definitive Certificates, shall not include the posting of any bond by the Holder), and satisfaction of any other reasonable requirements established by Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Delaware, and reimbursement to the Company and the Warrant Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Warrant Agent and cancellation of the Warrant Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant Certificate of like tenor to the Warrant Agent for delivery to the Holder in lieu of the Warrant Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Warrants; Exercise Price; Termination Date.
(a) | The Pre-Funded Warrants shall be exercisable commencing on the Initial Exercise Date (as such term is defined the Pre-Funded Warrants). The Pre-Funded Warrants shall cease to be exercisable and the right to exercise such Pre-Funded Warrants shall terminate and become void as set forth in the Warrant Certificate. Subject to the foregoing and to Section 7(b) below, the Holder of a Pre-Funded Warrant may exercise the Pre-Funded Warrant in whole or in part pursuant to Section 2 of the Warrant Certificate. Payment of the Exercise Price may be made, at the option of the Holder, by wire transfer or by certified or official bank check in United States dollars, to the Warrant Agent at the principal office of the Warrant Agent or to the office of one of its agents as may be designated by the Warrant Agent from time to time. In the case of the Holder of a Global Warrant, the Holder shall deliver the executed Notice of Exercise and the payment of the Exercise Price as described herein. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, a holder whose interest in a Global Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant held in book-entry form through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises by delivering to the Depositary (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by the Depositary (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable). The Company acknowledges that the bank accounts maintained by the Warrant Agent in connection with the services provided under this Agreement will be in its name and that the Warrant Agent may receive investment earnings in connection with the investment at Warrant Agent risk and for its benefit of funds held in those accounts from time to time. Neither the Company nor the Holders will receive interest on any deposits or Exercise Price. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that, with respect to a holder whose interest in a Global Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant held in book-entry form through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), upon delivery of irrevocable instructions to such holder’s Participant to exercise such warrants, that solely for purposes of Regulation SHO that such holder shall be deemed to have exercised such warrants. |
(b) | Upon receipt of a Notice of Exercise for a Cashless Exercise the Company will promptly calculate and transmit to the Warrant Agent the number of Warrant Shares issuable in connection with such Cashless Exercise and deliver a copy of the Notice of Exercise to the Warrant Agent, which shall issue such number of Warrant Shares in connection with such Cashless Exercise. |
(c) | Upon the exercise of the Warrant Certificate pursuant to the terms of Section 2 of the Warrant Certificate, the Warrant Agent shall cause the Warrant Shares underlying such Warrant Certificate or Global Warrant to be delivered to or upon the order of the Holder of such Warrant Certificate or Global Warrant, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such Holder, no later than the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as such term is defined in the Warrant Certificate). If the Company is then a participant in the DWAC system of the Depositary and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) the Pre-Funded Warrant is being exercised via Cashless Exercise, then the certificates for Warrant Shares shall be transmitted by the Warrant Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s broker with the Depositary through its DWAC system. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Company becomes obligated to pay any amounts to any Holders pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) or 2(d)(iv) of the Warrant Certificate, such obligation shall be solely that of the Company and not that of the Warrant Agent. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a Cashless Exercise, if any Holder fails to duly deliver payment to the Warrant Agent of an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Warrant Shares to be purchased upon exercise of such Holder’s Pre-Funded Warrant as set forth in Section 7(a) hereof by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Warrant Agent will not obligated to deliver such Warrant Shares (via DWAC or otherwise) until following receipt of such payment, and the applicable Warrant Share Delivery Date shall be deemed extended by one day for each day (or part thereof) until such payment is delivered to the Warrant Agent. |
(d) | The Warrant Agent shall deposit all funds received by it in payment of the Exercise Price for all Warrants in the account of the Company maintained with the Warrant Agent for such purpose (or to such other account as directed by the Company in writing) and shall advise the Company via email at the end of each day on which notices of exercise are received or funds for the exercise of any Pre-Funded Warrant are received of the amount so deposited to its account. |
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Warrant Certificates. All Warrant Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Warrant Agent for cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Warrant Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Warrant Certificate shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Warrant Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Warrant Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Warrant Agent shall deliver all canceled Warrant Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Warrant Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company, subject to any applicable law, rule or regulation requiring the Warrant Agent to retain such canceled certificates.
Section 9. Certain Representations; Reservation and Availability of Shares of Common Stock or Cash.
(a) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Warrant Agent, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, and the Warrants have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the Company and, assuming due authentication thereof by the Warrant Agent pursuant hereto and payment therefor by the Holders as provided in the Registration Statement, constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits hereof; in each case except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(b) As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (i) four billion (4,000,000,000) shares of Class A common stock, of which approximately 38,174,853 shares of Class A common stock are issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2023, and [__________] shares of Class A common stock are reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, (ii) one billion (1,000,000,000) shares of Class B common stock, of which approximately 33,825,370 shares of Class B common stock are issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2023 and (iii) ten million (10,000,000) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which no shares are issued and outstanding. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, there are no other outstanding obligations, warrants, options or other rights to subscribe for or purchase from the Company any class of capital stock of the Company.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock or its authorized and issued shares of Common Stock held in its treasury, free from preemptive rights, the number of shares of Common Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Pre-Funded Warrants.
(d) The Warrant Agent will create a special account for the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Warrant Certificates or certificates evidencing Common Stock upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or governmental charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Warrant Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Stock in a name other than that of the Holder of the Warrant Certificate evidencing Pre-Funded Warrants surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificate for shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of any Pre-Funded Warrants until any such tax or governmental charge shall have been paid (any such tax or governmental charge being payable by the Holder of such Warrant Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or governmental charge is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for shares of Common Stock is issued (or to whose broker’s account is credited shares of Common Stock through the DWAC system) upon the exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record for the Common Stock represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date on which submission of the Notice of Exercise was made, provided that the Warrant Certificate evidencing such Pre-Funded Warrant is duly surrendered (but only if required herein) and payment of the Exercise Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) is received on or prior to the Warrant Share Delivery Date; provided, however, that if the date of submission of the Notice of Exercise is a date upon which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding day on which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are open.
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number of Shares of Common Stock or Number of the Company Warrants. The Exercise Price, the number of shares covered by each Pre-Funded Warrant and the number of Pre-Funded Warrants outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate. In the event that at any time, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate, the Holder of any Pre-Funded Warrant thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than shares of Common Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Pre-Funded Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares contained in Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate and the provisions of Sections 7, 11 and 12 of this Agreement with respect to the shares of Common Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares. All Pre-Funded Warrants originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Exercise Price pursuant to the Warrant Certificate shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
Section 12. Certification of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares of Common Stock. Whenever the Exercise Price or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of each Pre-Funded Warrant is adjusted as provided in Section 11 or 13, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth the Exercise Price of each Pre-Funded Warrant as so adjusted, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Warrant Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) instruct the Warrant Agent to send a brief summary thereof to each Holder of a Warrant Certificate.
Section 13. Fractional Shares of Common Stock.
(a) | The Company shall not issue fractions of Pre-Funded Warrants or distribute Warrant Certificates which evidence fractional Pre-Funded Warrants. Whenever any fractional Pre-Funded Warrant would otherwise be required to be issued or distributed, the actual issuance or distribution shall reflect a rounding of such fraction to the nearest whole Pre-Funded Warrant (rounded down). |
(b) | The Company shall not issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants or distribute stock certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. Whenever any fraction of a share of Common Stock would otherwise be required to be issued or distributed, the actual issuance or distribution in respect thereof shall be made in accordance with Section 2(d)(v) of the Warrant Certificate. |
Section 14. Conditions of the Warrant Agent’s Obligations. The Warrant Agent accepts its obligations herein set forth upon the terms and conditions hereof, including the following to all of which the Company agrees and to all of which the rights hereunder of the Holders from time to time of the Warrant Certificates shall be subject:
(a) | Compensation and Indemnification. The Company agrees promptly to pay the Warrant Agent the compensation detailed on Exhibit 6 hereto for all services rendered by the Warrant Agent and to reimburse the Warrant Agent for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct finally adjudicated to have been directly caused by the Warrant Agent in connection with the services rendered hereunder by the Warrant Agent. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence, or willful misconduct on the part of the Warrant Agent, finally adjudicated to have been directly caused by Warrant Agent hereunder, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending against any claim of such liability. The Warrant Agent shall be under no obligation to institute or defend any action, suit, or legal proceeding in connection herewith or to take any other action likely to involve the Warrant Agent in expense, unless first indemnified to the Warrant Agent’s satisfaction. The indemnities provided by this paragraph shall survive the resignation or discharge of the Warrant Agent or the termination of this Agreement. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Warrant Agent be liable under or in connection with the Agreement for indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential losses or damages of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to lost profits, whether or not foreseeable, even if the Warrant Agent has been advised of the possibility thereof and regardless of the form of action in which such damages are sought, and the Warrant Agent’s aggregate liability to the Company, or any of the Company’s representatives or agents, under this Section 14(a) or under any other term or provision of this Agreement, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, is expressly limited to, and shall not exceed in any circumstances, one (1) year’s fees received by the Warrant Agent as fees and charges under this Agreement, but not including reimbursable expenses previously reimbursed to the Warrant Agent by the Company hereunder. |
(b) | Agent for the Company. In acting under this Warrant Agreement and in connection with the Warrant Certificates, the Warrant Agent is acting solely as agent of the Company and does not assume any obligations or relationship of agency or trust for or with any of the Holders of Warrant Certificates or beneficial owners of Pre-Funded Warrants. |
(c) | Counsel. The Warrant Agent may consult with counsel satisfactory to it, which may include counsel for the Company, and the written advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice of such counsel. |
(d) | Documents. The Warrant Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon any Warrant Certificate, notice, direction, consent, certificate, affidavit, statement or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been presented or signed by the proper parties. |
(e) | Certain Transactions. The Warrant Agent, and its officers, directors and employees, may become the owner of, or acquire any interest in, Warrants, with the same rights that it or they would have if it were not the Warrant Agent hereunder, and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, it or they may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the Company and may act on, or as depositary, trustee or agent for, any committee or body of Holders of Warrant Securities or other obligations of the Company as freely as if it were not the Warrant Agent hereunder. Nothing in this Warrant Agreement shall be deemed to prevent the Warrant Agent from acting as trustee under any indenture to which the Company is a party. |
(f) | No Liability for Interest. Unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Warrant Agent shall have no liability for interest on any monies at any time received by it pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Warrant Certificates. |
(g) | No Liability for Invalidity. The Warrant Agent shall have no liability with respect to any invalidity of this Agreement or the Warrant Certificates (except as to the Warrant Agent’s countersignature thereon). |
(h) | No Responsibility for Representations. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any of the recitals or representations herein or in the Warrant Certificate (except as to the Warrant Agent’s countersignature thereon), all of which are made solely by the Company. |
(i) | No Implied Obligations. The Warrant Agent shall be obligated to perform only such duties as are herein and in the Warrant Certificates specifically set forth and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement or the Warrant Certificates against the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall not be under any obligation to take any action hereunder which may tend to involve it in any expense or liability, the payment of which within a reasonable time is not, in its reasonable opinion, assured to it. The Warrant Agent shall not be accountable or under any duty or responsibility for the use by the Company of any of the Warrant Certificates authenticated by the Warrant Agent and delivered by it to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or for the application by the Company of the proceeds of the Warrant Certificate. The Warrant Agent shall have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by the Company in the performance of its covenants or agreements contained herein or in the Warrant Certificates or in the case of the receipt of any written demand from a Holder of a Warrant Certificate with respect to such default, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any duty or responsibility to initiate or attempt to initiate any proceedings at law. |
Section 15. Purchase or Consolidation or Change of Name of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent shall be party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent, shall be the successor to the Warrant Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Warrant Agent under the provisions of Section 17. In case at the time such successor Warrant Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Warrant Agent and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Warrant Agent or in the name of the successor Warrant Agent; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Warrant Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 16. Duties of Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company, by its acceptance hereof, shall be bound:
(a) | The Warrant Agent may consult with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Warrant Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion. |
(b) | Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of the Company; and such certificate shall be full authentication to the Warrant Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate. |
(c) | Subject to the limitation set forth in Section 14, the Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct, or for a breach by it of this Agreement. |
(d) | The Warrant Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Warrant Certificate (except its countersignature thereof) by the Company or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only. |
(e) | The Warrant Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Warrant Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Warrant Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for the adjustment of the Exercise Price or the making of any change in the number of shares of Common Stock required under the provisions of Section 11 or 13 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such change or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment or change (except with respect to the exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants evidenced by the Warrant Certificates after actual notice of any adjustment of the Exercise Price); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock will, when issued, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. |
(f) | Each party hereto agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the other party hereto for the carrying out or performing by any party of the provisions of this Agreement. |
(g) | The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable and shall be indemnified and held harmless for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer, provided Warrant Agent carries out such instructions without gross negligence or willful misconduct. |
(h) | The Warrant Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Warrant Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Pre-Funded Warrants or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Warrant Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Warrant Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity. |
(i) | The Warrant Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorney or agents, and the Warrant Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorney or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof. |
Section 17. Change of Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing sent to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. The Company may remove the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent upon 30 days’ notice in writing, sent to the Warrant Agent or successor Warrant Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. If the Warrant Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Warrant Agent or by the Holder of a Warrant Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the Holder of any Warrant Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Warrant Agent, provided that, for purposes of this Agreement, the Company shall be deemed to be the Warrant Agent until a new warrant agent is appointed. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of a state thereof, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Warrant Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. After appointment, the successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Warrant Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Warrant Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Warrant Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Warrant Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. However, failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 17, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Warrant Agent or the appointment of the successor Warrant Agent, as the case may be.
Section 18. Issuance of New Warrant Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Warrants to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Warrant Certificates evidencing Pre-Funded Warrants in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares of stock or other securities or property purchasable under the several Warrant Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 19. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made (i) by the Warrant Agent or by the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to or on the Company, (ii) subject to the provisions of Section 17, by the Company or by the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to or on the Warrant Agent or (iii) by the Company or the Warrant Agent to the Holder of any Warrant Certificate shall be deemed given (a) on the date delivered, if delivered personally, (b) on the first Business Day following the deposit thereof with Federal Express or another recognized overnight courier, if sent by Federal Express or another recognized overnight courier, (c) on the fourth Business Day following the mailing thereof with postage prepaid, if mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested), and (d) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Business Day and (e) the next Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Business Day, in each case to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
(a) | If to the Company, to: |
Nxu, Inc.
1828 N Higley Rd., Suite 116
Mesa, Arizona 85205
Attn: Jordan Christensen
(b) | If to the Warrant Agent, to: |
Equiniti Trust Company, LLC
6201 12th Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11219
Attn: Joshua McGinn
For any notice delivered by email to be deemed given or made, such notice must be followed by notice sent by overnight courier service to be delivered on the next business day following such email, unless the recipient of such email has acknowledged via return email receipt of such email.
(c) If to the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to the address of such Holder as shown on the registry books of the Company. Any notice required to be delivered by the Company to the Holder of any Warrant may be given by the Warrant Agent on behalf of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, where this Agreement provides for notice of any event to a Holder of any Warrant, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary or its designee.
Section 20. Supplements and Amendments.
(a) The Company and the Warrant Agent may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any Holders of Global Warrants in order to add to the covenants and agreements of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Global Warrants or to surrender any rights or power reserved to or conferred upon the Company in this Agreement, provided that such addition or surrender shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Global Warrants or Warrant Certificates in any material respect.
(b) In addition to the foregoing, with the consent of Holders of Pre-Funded Warrants entitled, upon exercise thereof, to receive not less than a majority of the shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder, the Company and the Warrant Agent may modify this Agreement for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Warrant Agreement or modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Global Warrants; provided, however, that no modification of the terms (including but not limited to the adjustments described in Section 11) upon which the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercisable or the rights of holders of Pre-Funded Warrants to receive liquidated damages or other payments in cash from the Company or reducing the percentage required for consent to modification of this Agreement may be made without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Warrant Certificate affected thereby; provided further, however, that no amendment hereunder shall affect any terms of any Warrant Certificate issued in a Warrant Exchange. As a condition precedent to the Warrant Agent’s execution of any amendment, the Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent a certificate from a duly authorized officer of the Company that states that the proposed amendment complies with the terms of this Section 20.
Section 21. Successors. All covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 22. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give any Person other than the Company, the Holders of Warrant Certificates and the Warrant Agent any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Warrant Agent and the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. For the avoidance of doubt, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, to the extent any provision of a Warrant Certificate conflicts with any provision of this Agreement, the provisions of the Warrant Certificate shall govern and be controlling.
Section 23. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Warrant Certificate and Global Warrant issued hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the conflicts of law principles thereof.
Section 24. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 25. Captions. The captions of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
Section 26. Information. The Company agrees to promptly provide to the Holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants any information it provides to the holders of the Common Stock, except to the extent any such information is publicly available on the EDGAR system (or any successor thereof) of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
NXU, inc. | |||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: | |||
EQUINITI trust Company, LLC |
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By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: |
Exhibit 1
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant Certificate
Exhibit
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant Certificate Request Notice
PRE-FUNDED WARRANT CERTIFICATE REQUEST NOTICE
To: Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as Warrant Agent for Nxu, Inc. (the “Company”)
The undersigned Holder of Pre-Funded Warrants (“Warrants”) in the form of Global Warrants issued by the Company hereby elects to receive a Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants held by the Holder as specified below:
1. | Name of Holder of Warrants in form of Global Warrants: _____________________________ |
2. | Name of Holder in Warrant Certificate (if different from name of Holder of Warrants in form of Global Warrants): ________________________________ |
3. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Global Warrants: ___________________ |
4. | Number of Warrants for which Warrant Certificate shall be issued: __________________ |
5. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Global Warrants after issuance of Warrant Certificate, if any: ___________ |
6. | Warrant Certificate shall be delivered to the following address: |
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with this Warrant Exchange and the issuance of the Warrant Certificate, the Holder is deemed to have surrendered the number of Warrants in form of Global Warrants in the name of the Holder equal to the number of Warrants evidenced by the Warrant Certificate.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER] | |
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
Exhibit 3
Form of Global Warrant Request Notice
GLOBAL WARRANT REQUEST NOTICE
To: Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as Warrant Agent for Nxu, Inc. (the “Company”)
The undersigned Holder of Pre-Funded Warrants (“Warrants”) in the form of Warrants Certificates issued by the Company hereby elects to receive a Global Warrant evidencing the Warrants held by the Holder as specified below:
1. | Name of Holder of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates: _____________________________ |
2. | Name of Holder in Global Warrant (if different from name of Holder of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates): ________________________________ |
3. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Warrant Certificates: ___________________ |
4. | Number of Warrants for which Global Warrant shall be issued: __________________ |
5. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Warrant Certificates after issuance of Global Warrant, if any: ___________ |
6. | Global Warrant shall be delivered to the following address: |
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with this Global Warrant Exchange and the issuance of the Global Warrant, the Holder is deemed to have surrendered the number of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates in the name of the Holder equal to the number of Warrants evidenced by the Global Warrant.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER] | |
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
Exhibit 4
Warrant Agent Fee Schedule
Exhibit 4.5
PRE-FUNDED COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
NXU, inc.
Warrant Shares: ________ | Initial Exercise Date: _______, 2023 |
THIS PRE-FUNDED COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and until this Warrant is exercised in full (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Nxu, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to ______ shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b). This Warrant shall initially be issued and maintained in the form of a security held in book-entry form and the Depository Trust Company or its nominee (“DTC”) shall initially be the sole registered holder of this Warrant, subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated __________, 2023, among the Company and the purchasers signatory thereto.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the
Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 2(a), a holder whose interest in this Warrant is a beneficial interest in certificate(s) representing this Warrant held in book-entry form through DTC (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises made pursuant to this Section 2(a) by delivering to DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable), subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
b) Exercise Price. The aggregate exercise price of this Warrant, except for a nominal exercise price of $0.0001 per Warrant Share, was pre-funded to the Company on or prior to the Initial Exercise Date and, consequently, no additional consideration (other than the nominal exercise price of $0.0001 per Warrant Share) shall be required to be paid by the Holder to any Person to effect any exercise of this Warrant. The Holder shall not be entitled to the return or refund of all, or any portion, of such pre-paid aggregate exercise price under any circumstance or for any reason whatsoever, including in the event this Warrant shall not have been exercised prior to the Termination Date. The remaining unpaid exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $0.0001, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. This Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, |
either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;
(B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and |
(X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
d) | Mechanics of Exercise. |
i. | Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such |
Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered on or prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date and the Initial Exercise Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date for purposes hereunder, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by such Warrant Share Delivery Date.
ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant is not held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary) and if this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to
such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of
outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
d) [Reserved]
e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries) is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of its assets, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common
Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. If this Warrant is not held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary), this Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Warrant Agent for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
o) Warrant Agency Agreement. If this Warrant is held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary), this Warrant is issued subject to the Warrant Agency Agreement. To the extent any provision of this Warrant conflicts with the express provisions of the Warrant Agency Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall govern and be controlling.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
NXU, inc. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: NXU, inc.
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or
[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
_______________________________
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: | |||
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: |
|||
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |||
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |||
Date: | |||
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
Name: | |
(Please Print) | |
Address: | |
(Please Print) | |
Phone Number: | |
Email Address: |
Dated: _______________ __, ______
Holder’s Signature: | ||
Holder’s Address: |
Exhibit 5.1
NORTH AMERICA SOUTH
AMERICA EUROPE ASIA |
800
Capital St., Suite 2400 |
October 10, 2023
Nxu, Inc.
1828 N. Higley Road, Suite 116
Mesa, AZ 85205
Re: Nxu, Inc. – Registration Statement on Form S-1
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Nxu, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on October 10, 2023 (the “Registration Statement”), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the offer and sale of up to 42,666,667 shares of Class A common stock of the Company, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Shares”), or pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), each such Pre-Funded Warrant being exercisable from time to time for one Share (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”). The Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.”
This opinion letter is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we examined and relied upon such certificates, corporate records, agreements, instruments and other documents, and examined such matters of law, that we considered necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions. In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have examined and are familiar with originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as in effect on the date hereof, (iii) the Bylaws of the Company, as in effect on the date hereof, (iv) the Form of Pre-Funded Warrant and (v) such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions set forth below. In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. As to any facts material to the opinion expressed herein that we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others. In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have further assumed that, before the issuance of the Securities, the Registration Statement will have become effective under the Securities Act.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
1. The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
2. The Pre-Funded Warrants have been duly authorized and, when issued by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
3. The Pre-Funded Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued by the Company upon exercise of, and in accordance with the provisions of, the Pre-Funded Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
October 10, 2023 Page 2 |
The opinions expressed herein are based upon and limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, including the statutory provisions, the applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the foregoing. We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, regulations or ordinances. The opinions expressed herein that are based on the laws of the State of New York are limited to the laws generally applicable in transactions of the type covered by the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are experts within the meaning of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission or that this consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act.
Very truly yours, | |
/s/ Winston & Strawn LLP |
Exhibit 10.18
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of October [__], 2023, between Nxu, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act (as defined below), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York are generally open for use by customers on such day.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the Class A common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Company Counsel” means Winston & Strawn, LLP, with offices located at 800 Capitol St., Suite 2400, Houston, TX 77002-2925.
“Disclosure Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.
“Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent.
“EGS” means Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, with offices located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105-0302.
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(s).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities, (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement for 30 days after the Closing Date, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities and (d) up to $[___] of Shares (or Prefunded Warrants) issued to other purchasers pursuant to the Prospectus concurrently with the Closing at the Per Share Purchase Price, less the aggregate Subscription Amount pursuant to this Agreement.
“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(aa).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Lock-Up Agreement” means the Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and the directors and officers of the Company, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Per Share Purchase Price” equals $____, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Placement Agent” means Maxim Group LLC.
“Prefunded Warrant Purchase Price” equals $____, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Prefunded Warrant” means, collectively, the Pre-Funded Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Prefunded Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and shall expire when exercised in full, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.
“Prefunded Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Prefunded Warrants.
“Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act.
“Pricing Prospectus” means (i) the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Securities that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to [____] (New York City time) on the Effective Date and (ii) any free writing prospectus (as defined in the Securities Act) identified on Schedule A hereto, taken together.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement with Commission file No. 333-______ which registers the sale of the Securities to the Purchasers and includes any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” means any registration statement prepared by the Company registering additional Securities, which was filed with the Commission on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares, the Prefunded Warrants and the Prefunded Warrant Shares.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
“Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing shares of Common Stock).
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Securities purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds (minus, if applicable, a Purchaser’s aggregate exercise price of the Prefunded Warrants, which amounts shall be paid as and when such Prefunded Warrants are exercised).
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a), and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the Pink Open Market, OTCQB or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreement, the Prefunded Warrant, the Warrant Agency Agreement and all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Warrant Agency Agreement” means the warrant agency agreement dated on or about the Closing Date, between the Company and the Transfer Agent.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $______ of Shares as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a); provided, however, that, to the extent that a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser (together with such Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any Person acting as a group together with such purchaser or any of such Purchaser’s Affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, or as such Purchaser may otherwise choose, in lieu of purchasing Shares such Purchaser may elect to purchase Prefunded Warrants at the Prefunded Warrant Purchase Price in lieu of Shares. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, at the election of the Purchaser at Closing, 9.99%) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities on the Closing Date. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, each Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” settlement with the Company or its designee. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and/or Prefunded Warrants (as applicable to such Purchaser) as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of EGS or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree. Each Purchaser acknowledges that, concurrently with the Closing and pursuant to the Prospectus, the Company may sell up to $______ of additional Shares or Prefunded Warrants to purchasers not party to this Agreement, less the aggregate Subscription Amount pursuant to this Agreement, and will issue to such purchasers such shares of Common Stock and/or Prefunded Warrants in the same form and at the same Per Share Purchase Price or Prefunded Warrant Purchase Price. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”) (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and released by the Transfer Agent directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent identified by each Purchaser; upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser, and payment therefor shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time on or after the time of execution of this Agreement by the Company and an applicable Purchaser, through, and including the time immediately prior to the Closing (the “Pre-Settlement Period”), such Purchaser sells to any Person all, or any portion, of the Shares to be issued hereunder to such Purchaser at the Closing (collectively, the “Pre-Settlement Shares”), such Purchaser shall, automatically hereunder (without any additional required actions by such Purchaser or the Company), be deemed to be unconditionally bound to purchase, such Pre-Settlement Shares to such Purchaser at the Closing; provided, that the Company shall not be required to deliver any Pre-Settlement Shares to such Purchaser prior to the Company’s receipt of the purchase price of such Pre-Settlement Shares hereunder; and provided further that the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the forgoing shall not constitute a representation or covenant by such Purchaser as to whether or not during the Pre-Settlement Period such Purchaser shall sell any shares of Common Stock to any Person and that any such decision to sell any shares of Common Stock by such Purchaser shall solely be made at the time such Purchaser elects to effect any such sale, if any. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein and a Purchaser’s Subscription Amount set forth on the signature pages attached hereto, the number of Shares purchased by a Purchaser (and its Affiliates) hereunder shall not, when aggregated with all other shares of Common Stock owned by such Purchaser (and its Affiliates) at such time, result in such Purchaser beneficially owning (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) in excess of 9.9% of the then issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock outstanding at the Closing (the “Beneficial Ownership Maximum”), and such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, to the extent it would otherwise exceed the Beneficial Ownership Maximum immediately prior to the Closing, shall be conditioned upon the issuance of Shares at the Closing to the other Purchasers signatory hereto. To the extent that a Purchaser’s beneficial ownership of the Shares would otherwise be deemed to exceed the Beneficial Ownership Maximum, such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount shall automatically be reduced as necessary in order to comply with this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise (as defined in the Prefunded Warrants) delivered on or prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of the this Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver the Prefunded Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date and the Closing Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as defined in the Prefunded Warrants) for purposes hereunder.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date (except as indicated below), the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) a legal opinion of Company Counsel, substantially in the form and substance acceptable to the Placement Agent and each Purchaser;
(iii) subject to the sixth sentence of Section 2.1, the Company shall have provided each Purchaser with the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
(iv) subject to the sixth sentence of Section 2.1, a copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(v) for each Purchaser of Prefunded Warrants pursuant to Section 2.1, a Prefunded Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the portion of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount applicable to Prefunded Warrant divided by the Prefunded Warrant Purchase Price, with an exercise price equal to $0.0001, subject to adjustment therein;
(vi) the duly executed Warrant Agency Agreement;
(vii) on the date hereof, the duly executed Lock-Up Agreements; and
(viii) the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).
(b) On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, which shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” settlement with the Company or its designee.
2.3 Closing Conditions.
(a) The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, in all respects) on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company; and
(v) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the Subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the 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 any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Shares and Prefunded Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby and (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities; Registration. The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Prefunded Warrant Shares are duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Prefunded Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Prefunded Warrants. The Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. All corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities has been duly and validly taken. The Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on ________, 2023 (the “Effective Date”), including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, shall file the Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and 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 the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Pricing Prospectus, Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, as applicable, was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), which Schedule 3.1(g) shall also include the number of shares of Common Stock owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock or the capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or capital stock of any Subsidiary. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers). There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company or any Subsidiary. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained 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. The Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, and the SEC Reports conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or the SEC Reports or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or the SEC Reports, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing Applicable Law or order or decree of any Governmental Authority or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.
(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.
(j) Litigation. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”). None of the Actions set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(k) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including 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 (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(o) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(p) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any 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 without a significant increase in cost.
(r) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(r), none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (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, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain 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 GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only 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. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(t) Certain Fees. Except for fees payable by the Company to the Placement Agent or as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus or Prospectus, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(u) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
(x) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
(y) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The SEC Reports, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the applicable rules and regulations, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to the SEC Reports incorporated by reference in the Prospectus), in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any 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 press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit 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 and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. There are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. Schedule 3.1(aa) sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(bb) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has 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 and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim. The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements. The term “taxes” mean all federal, state, local, foreign, and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments, or charges of any kind whatsoever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements, and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.
(cc) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA or any foreign equivalent. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the FCPA or any foreign equivalent.
(dd) Accountants. The Company’s accounting firm is Prager Metis CPAs LLP. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
(ee) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(ff) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.14 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Prefunded Warrant Shares deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders' equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
(gg) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Placement Agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.
(hh) Reserved.
(ii) Cybersecurity. (i)(x) There has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (y) the Company and the Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
(jj) Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.
(kk) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company's knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(ll) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s request.
(mm) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(nn) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(b) Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Prefunded Warrants, it will be an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8), (a)(9), (a)(12), or (a)(13) under the Securities Act.
(d) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(e) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the SEC Reports and has been afforded, (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate of the Placement Agent has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities to such Purchaser, neither the Placement Agent nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.
(f) Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material pricing terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Prefunded Warrant Shares. If all or any portion of a Prefunded Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or resale of the Prefunded Warrant Shares or if the Prefunded Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise, the Prefunded Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement registering the sale or resale of the Prefunded Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale or resale of the Prefunded Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Prefunded Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale or resale of the Prefunded Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Prefunded Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use best efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance or resale of the Prefunded Warrant Shares effective during the term of the Prefunded Warrants.
4.2 Furnishing of Information. Until the time that no Purchaser owns Securities, the Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
4.3 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b) and reasonably cooperate with such Purchaser regarding such disclosure.
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.
4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented in writing to the receipt of such information and agreed in writing with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, or a duty to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously with the delivery of such notice file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.7 Use of Proceeds. Except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or Schedule 4.7, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (b) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (c) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.
4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is solely based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
4.9 Reservation of Common Stock. The Company shall have reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Prefunded Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Prefunded Warrants.
4.10 Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Shares and Prefunded Warrant Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Shares and Prefunded Warrant Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares and Prefunded Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.
4.11 Reserved.
4.12 Reserved.
4.13 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of this Agreement) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to this Agreement. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
4.14 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules (other than as disclosed to its legal and other representatives). Notwithstanding the foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, or agent, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
4.15 Capital Changes. Until the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in interest of the Shares other than a reverse stock split that is required, in the good faith determination of the Board of Directors, to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the Trading Market. .
4.16 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Prefunded Warrants set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Prefunded Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Prefunded Warrants. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required in order to exercise the Prefunded Warrants. The Company shall honor exercises of the Prefunded Warrants and shall deliver Prefunded Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.17 Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements except to extend the term of the lock-up period and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement breaches any provision of a Lock-Up Agreement, the Company shall promptly use its best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date hereof; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and Purchasers which purchased at least 50.1% in interest of the Shares and Prefunded Warrants based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder (or, prior to the Closing, the Company and each Purchaser) or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be the third party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8 and this Section 5.8.
5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any Action or Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such Action or Proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such Action or Proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence an Action or Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, the prevailing party in such Action or Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Action or Proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file (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., www.docusign.com), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that, in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Prefunded Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Prefunded Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any Action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any Proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through EGS. EGS does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents the Placement Agent. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
5.18 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.19 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.20 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.21 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
NXU, inc. | Address for Notice: | ||
By: | |||
Name: Title: |
E-Mail: | ||
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): |
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO NXU SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: | ||
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: | ||
Name of Authorized Signatory: | ||
Title of Authorized Signatory: | ||
Email Address of Authorized Signatory: | ||
Address for Notice to Purchaser: |
Address for Delivery of Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):
Subscription Amount: $_________________
Shares: _________________
Pre-Funded Warrant Shares: ___________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker o 4.99% or o 9.99%
EIN Number: ____________________
o Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
Exhibit 23.1
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Nxu, Inc.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM’S CONSENT
We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated March 16, 2023, (September 18, 2023 as to Note 1 and Note 11, under the heading “Reorganization, Merger and Incorporation of Nxu, Inc.”), (which report expresses an unqualified opinion and includes an explanatory paragraph related to Nxu, Inc.’s ability to continue as a going concern) related to our audit of the financial statements of Nxu, Inc. as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and for the years then ended, which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Prager Metis CPAs, LLP
El Segundo, CA
October 10, 2023
Exhibit 107
Calculation of Filing Fee Tables
Form S-1
(Form Type)
Nxu, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Table 1: Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities
Security Type |
Security Class Title |
Fee
Rule |
Amount Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit(2) |
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Fee Rate |
Amount of Registration Fee | |
Fees to Be Paid |
Equity | Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A common stock”) | 457(o) | — | — | $8,000,000 | 0.00011020 | $881.60 |
Fees to Be Paid |
Equity | Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock(3) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Fees to Be Paid |
Equity | Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants(3) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Total Offering Amounts | $8,000,00 | 0.00011020 | $881.60 | |||||
Net Fee Due | $881.60 |
(1) | Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the registrant is also registering an indeterminate number of additional shares of Class A common stock that may become issuable as a result of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction, and the shares of Class A common stock set forth in this table shall be adjusted to include such shares, as applicable. | |
(2) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) of the Securities Act. | |
(3) |
No separate fee is required pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act. |