CITR 8-K
CitroTech Inc. (CITR)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On September 30, 2025, General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into Securities Purchase Agreements (the “Securities Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors (the “Investors”) for the issuance and sale (the “PIPE Offering”) of (i) 420,937 shares of its Series C Convertible Preferred Stock par value $0.0001 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $6,314,062 (the “Series C Preferred Stock”), each convertible into 3.3333 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) warrants (the “PIPE Warrants”) to purchase up to 701,563 shares of Common Stock at an offering price of $15.00 per share of Series C Preferred Stock and accompanying PIPE Warrant. The PIPE Warrants are exercisable immediately upon issuance at an exercise price of $6.00 per share, subject to customary adjustments for stock splits, reorganizations and such similar events, and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The 420,937 shares of Series C Preferred Stock are referred to herein as the “Preferred Stock Shares”. The Securities Purchase Agreement includes representations, warranties, and covenants customary for a transaction of this type. There is no trading market available for the Preferred Stock Shares or the PIPE Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. The Company does not intend to list the Preferred Stock Shares or PIPE Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system.
Univest Securities, LLC acted as placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with the PIPE Offering, pursuant to that certain Placement Agency Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2025, between the Company and the Placement Agent (the “Placement Agency Agreement”). Pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, the Company (i) paid the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to 8% of the gross proceeds from the PIPE Offering, (ii) reimbursed the Placement Agent an amount equal to 1% of the gross proceeds from the PIPE Offering for certain out-of-pocket expenses, (iii) reimbursed the Placement Agent for legal fees in an amount equal to $350,000, and (iv) issued the Placement Agent, or its designees, warrants to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) equal to 5% of the total number of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock Shares and exercise of the PIPE Warrants sold in the PIPE Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants have substantially the same terms as the PIPE Warrants except that the exercise price per share of Common Stock is equal to 120% of the exercise price of the Common Warrants, or $7.20 per share.
The securities being offered and sold by the Company in the PIPE Offering and the Placement Agent Warrants have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The securities were offered only to accredited investors.
The foregoing descriptions of the Securities Purchase Agreements, PIPE Warrants, Placement Agent Agreement and the Placement Agent Warrant do not purport to be a complete description of such documents and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of each document, copies of which are filed herewith as Exhibits 4.1, 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3, respectively, and incorporated by reference herein.
Following the PIPE Offering, the Company will have the following financial attributes as of September 30, 2025:
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Common Shares Outstanding |
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| 17,552,912 |
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Common Shares in Free Float |
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| 9,659,926 |
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Shareholder Equity(1) |
| $ | 11,600,000 |
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Shares of Series C Preferred Issued and Outstanding |
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| 589,271 |
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(1) The shareholder equity information above is a pro forma amount, based on the balance as of June 30, 2025, adjusted for debt and equity transactions through and including the PIPE Offering.
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
The information set forth in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K with regard to the offer and sale of the Preferred Stock Shares and the PIPE Warrants to the Investors and the issuance of the Placement Agent Warrants is incorporated herein by reference. The Preferred Stock Shares, the PIPE Warrants, and the Placement Agent Warrants were issued and sold by the Company and the future issuance of Common Stock pursuant to conversions of the Preferred Stock Shares and the exercise of the PIPE Warrants and the Placement Agent Warrants in reliance upon an exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Director and Officer Resignations
Effective September 15, 2025, John Costa resigned as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. This resignation was not a result of any disagreements with the Company, its Board of Directors or its management regarding any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies, or practices.
Effective as of October 1, 2025, Thedore Ralston resigned as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company. This resignation was not a result of any disagreements with the Company, its Board of Directors or its management regarding any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies, or practices.
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Director and Officer Appointments
Effective as of September 15, 2025, Wesley J. Bolsen was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Costa’s resignation, Effective October 1, 2025, Mr. Bolsen was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Mr. Bolsen obtained a degree in electrical engineering with a minor in economics from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and thereafter obtained a masters’ degree in business administration from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. In 2018, Mr. Bolsen was the founding executive and chief executive officer of LaderaTech Inc., which was sold to Perimeter Solutions, Inc. in 2020 at a time when LaderaTech Inc. distributed the world’s leading wildfire prevention and protection product. Following the transaction with Perimeter Solutions, Inc., Mr. Bolsen was employed by Perimeter Solutions, Inc. to lead global wildfire prevention and protection until September 2022. He became an advisor to startup executives until April of 2024, when Mr. Bolsen was named chief executive officer of Imidex Inc., an FDA cleared AI solution for the early detection of lung cancer, which sold in April of 2025 to a public healthcare company.
There are no arrangements between Mr. Bolsen and any other person pursuant to which he was selected to become the Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company. Mr. Bolsen does not have any family relationship with any executive officer or director of the Company, or with any person selected to become an officer or director of the Company. Neither Mr. Bolsen nor any member of his immediate family has any direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Employment Agreements with Officers
Effective October 1, 2025, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Wesley J. Bolsen (the Company’s Chief Executive Officer) (the “Employment Agreement”).
Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Bolsen will receive an annual base salary in the amount of Three Hundred Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($300,000.00) per year, a signing bonus of 6,250 shares of the Series C Preferred Stock, and ability to receive additional Series C Preferred Stock in connection with the Company achieving certain market capitalization milestones. The foregoing description of the Employment Agreement does not purport to be a complete description and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Employment Agreement, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.4, and incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
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Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding, the formation of the Corporation, the expected benefits from the Corporation, and the investments related to the Corporation. You can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions.
We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. |
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Date: October 6, 2025 | By: | /s/ Wesley J. Bolsen |
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EXHIBIT 4.1
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS EXERCISABLE HAS BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
This Warrant is issued pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement by and between the Company and the purchaser signatories thereto (the “Subscription Agreement”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth for such terms in the Subscription Agreement. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance and agreement to all of the terms contained herein.
No. [•]
GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC.
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (together with any corporation which shall succeed to or assume the obligations of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. hereunder, the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for value received, [•] (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company at any time during the Exercise Period (as defined in Section 1) up to [•] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (as defined in Section 1), at a purchase price per share equal to the Exercise Price (as defined in Section 1). The number of shares of Common Stock for which this Common Stock Purchase Warrant (this “Warrant”) is exercisable and the Exercise Price are subject to adjustment as provided herein.
1. DEFINITIONS. As used herein the following terms, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following respective meanings:
“Affiliate” means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Aggregate Exercise Price” means, in connection with the exercise of this Warrant at any time, an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the Exercise Price times (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is being exercised at such time.
“Articles of Incorporation” means the Company’s Articles of Incorporation.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which the Federal Reserve Bank of Houston is closed in Houston, Texas.
“Change of Control” has the meaning set forth in the (i) an acquisition by any person or “group” (within the meaning of Rule 13d of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of more than 50% of the common stock of the Company (determined on an as-converted fully diluted basis); (ii) a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company; or (iii) a sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company.
“Common Stock” means (i) the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, and (ii) any other securities into which or for which any of the securities described in clause (i) above have been converted or exchanged pursuant to a plan of recapitalization, reorganization, merger, sale of assets or otherwise.
“Convertible Securities” means any debt, equity or other securities that are, directly or indirectly, convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock.
“Customary Antidilution Adjustments” means customary anti-dilution protection for stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations, recapitalizations and similar transactions.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.
“Exercise Period” means the period commencing on the Issue Date and ending 11:59 P.M. (New York City time) on the five-year anniversary of the Issue Date.
“Exercise Price” means $1.00 per share.
“Exercise Shares” means the shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is then being exercised.
“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any security or other property, the fair market value of such security or other property as determined by the Board of Directors, acting in good faith.
“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).
“Issue Date” means [•], 2025.
“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.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.
“Subsidiary” means, as of any time of determination and with respect to any Person, any United States corporation, partnership, limited liability company or limited liability partnership, all of the stock (or other equity interest) of every class of which, except directors’ qualifying shares (or any equivalent), shall, at such time, be owned by such Person either directly or through Subsidiaries and of which such Person or a Subsidiary shall have 100% control thereof, except directors’ qualifying shares. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company.
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“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock (or any other common stock of any other Person that references the Trading Market for its common stock) is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the OTC Bulletin Board, The NASDAQ Global Market, The NASDAQ Global Select Market, The NASDAQ Capital Market, the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Arca, the NYSE MKT, CBOE, or the OTCQX Marketplace, the OTCQB Marketplace, the OTC Pink Marketplace or any other tier operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (or any successor to any of the foregoing)
“VWAP” means, for or as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Trading Market (or, if the Trading Market is not the principal trading market for such security, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which such security is then traded) during the period beginning at 9:30 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:02 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “HP” function (set to weighted average) or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:02 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by OTC Markets Group Inc. (formerly Pink Sheets LLC). If the VWAP cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the VWAP of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as determined by the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, recapitalization or other similar transaction during such period.
“Warrant Shares” means collectively the shares of Common Stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with its terms, as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions thereof.
2. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.
2.1. Exercise. This Warrant may be exercised prior to its expiration pursuant to Section 2.5 hereof by the Holder at any time or from time to time during the Exercise Period, by submitting the form of subscription attached hereto (the “Exercise Notice”) duly executed by the Holder, to the Company at its principal office, indicating whether the Holder is electing to purchase a specified number of shares by paying the Aggregate Exercise Price as provided in Section 2.2 or is electing to exercise this Warrant as to a specified number of shares pursuant to the net exercise provisions of Section 2.3. On or before the first Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received the Exercise Notice, the Company shall transmit by electronic mail an acknowledgement of confirmation of receipt of the Exercise Notice. Subject to Section 2.4, this Warrant shall be deemed exercised for all purposes as of the close of business on the day on which the Holder has delivered the Exercise Notice to the Company. The Aggregate Exercise Price, shall be paid by wire transfer to the Company within five (5) Business Days of the date of exercise and prior to the time the Company issues the certificates evidencing the shares issuable upon such exercise. In the event this Warrant is not exercised in full, the Company may, at its expense, require the Holder, after such partial exercise, to promptly return this Warrant to the Company and the Company will forthwith issue and deliver to or upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant or Warrants of like tenor, in the name of the Holder or as the Holder (upon payment by the Holder of any applicable transfer taxes) may request, calling in the aggregate on the face or faces thereof for the number of shares of Common Stock equal (without giving effect to any adjustment therein) to the number of such shares called for on the face of this Warrant minus the number of such shares (without giving effect to any adjustment therein) for which this Warrant shall have been exercised.
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2.2. Payment of Exercise Price by Wire Transfer. If the Holder elects to purchase a specified number of shares by paying the Aggregate Exercise Price, the Holder shall pay such amount by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account designated by the Company in its acknowledgement of receipt of such Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 2.1.
2.3. Net Exercise. If a registration statement covering the shares of Common Stock that are the subject of the Notice of Exercise (the “Unavailable Warrant Shares”) is not available for the resale of such Unavailable Warrant Shares to the public or upon exercise of this Warrant in connection with a Fundamental Transaction, the Holder may elect to exercise this Warrant by receiving shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares determined pursuant to the following formula:
X = Y (A - B)
A
where,
X = the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to Holder;
Y = the number of shares of Common Stock as to which this Warrant is to be exercised (as indicated on the Exercise Notice);
A = VWAP for the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of exercise; and
B = the Exercise Price.
2.4. Antitrust Notification. If the Holder determines, in its sole judgment upon the advice of counsel, that the issuance of any Warrant Shares pursuant to the terms hereof would be subject to the provisions of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”), the Company shall file as soon as practicable after the date on which the Company receives notice from the Holder of the applicability of the HSR Act and a request to so file with the United States Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Justice the notification and report form required to be filed by it pursuant to the HSR Act in connection with such issuance.
2.5. Termination. This Warrant shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) exercise in full or (ii) the expiration of the Exercise Period.
3. INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.
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4. DELIVERY OF STOCK CERTIFICATES ON EXERCISE.
4.1. Delivery of Exercise Shares. As soon as practicable after any exercise of this Warrant and in any event within one (1) Trading Day thereafter (such date, the “Exercise Share Delivery Date”), the Company shall, at its expense (including the payment by it of any applicable issue or stamp taxes), cause to be issued in the name of and delivered to the Holder, or as the Holder may direct, a certificate or certificates evidencing the number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (which number shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share in the event any fractional share may otherwise be issuable upon such exercise and the Company shall pay a cash adjustment to the Holder in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price) to which the Holder shall be entitled on such exercise, in such denominations as may be requested by the Holder, which certificate or certificates shall be free of restrictive and trading legends (except for any such legends as may be required under the Securities Act). In lieu of delivering physical certificates for the shares of Common Stock issuable upon any exercise of this Warrant, provided the Warrant Shares are not restricted securities and the Company’s transfer agent is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer program or a similar program, upon request of the Holder, the Company shall cause its transfer agent to electronically transmit such shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant to the Holder (or its designee), by crediting the account of the Holder’s (or such designee’s) broker with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system (provided that the same time periods herein as for stock certificates shall apply) as instructed by the Holder (or its designee). 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.
4.2. [Reserved.]
4.3. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Exercise 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 Exercise Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Exercise 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 Exercise 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 (the “Assignment Form”) 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.
5. CERTAIN ADJUSTMENT.
5.1. Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (a) 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), (b) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (c) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (d) 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 5.1 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.
5.2 [Reserved.]
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5.3 Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (a) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (b) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (c) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property, or (d) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (each, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon the closing of a Fundamental Transaction and payment of the exercise price therefore (including at the election of the Holder by cashless exercise), the Holder shall receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such merger, consolidation or disposition of assets by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon exercise of this Warrant upon the closing of such Fundamental Transaction. The foregoing notwithstanding, if the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange, in each case, into another security of the Company, this Warrant shall remain outstanding and the Holder shall be entitled to receive the Alternative Consideration upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant and the payment of the exercise price therefor. The terms of any agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 5.3.
5.4 Adjustment to Exercise Price Upon Issuance of Common Stock. If the Company shall, at any time after the Issue Date, other than pursuant to a Qualified Financing, issue or sell any shares of Common Stock (other than Exempted Securities), whether directly or indirectly by way of Convertible Securities or any rights or warrants or options to purchase any such Convertible Securities (“Additional Shares of Common Stock”), with any term that the Holder reasonably believes is more favorable to the holder of such security or with a term in favor of the holder of such security that the Holder reasonably believes was not similarly provided to the Holder in this Warrant, then (i) the Holder, after receipt of written notice thereof from the Company, shall notify the Company of such additional or more favorable term within five (5) Business Days of the issuance or amendment (as applicable) of the respective security or, if later, within five (5) Business Days after receipt of the previously described notice, and (ii) such term, at Holder’s option, shall become a part of this Warrant (regardless of whether the Company or Holder complied with the notification provision of this Warrant or the Subscription Agreement). The types of terms contained in another security that may be more favorable to the holder of such security include, but are not limited to, terms addressing conversion or exercise discounts, conversion or exercise lookback periods, and discounts to the effective price per share of a Qualified Financing. If Holder elects to have the term become a part of this Warrant, then the Company shall immediately deliver acknowledgment of such adjustment in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder (the “Acknowledgment”) within five (5) Business Days of Company’s receipt of request from Holder (the “Adjustment Deadline”), provided that Company’s failure to timely provide the Acknowledgement shall not affect the automatic amendments contemplated hereby.
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5.5 Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 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 5, 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 at the close of the Trading Day on or, if not applicable, most recently preceding, such given date.
5.6 Notice to Holder.
(a) Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, the Company shall promptly mail to the Holder a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
(b) Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (i) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock; (ii) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock; (iii) 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; (iv) 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 is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, of any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property; or (v) 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 mailed to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least twenty (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 mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. Subject to applicable law, the Holder is 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the delivery of the notice described in this Section 5.6 is not intended to and shall not bestow upon the Holder any voting rights whatsoever with respect to outstanding unexercised Warrants.
6. NO IMPAIRMENT. The Company will not, by amendment of the Articles 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 taking all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order to protect the rights of the Holder against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company (a) will not increase the par value of any shares of Common Stock receivable on the exercise of this Warrant above the amount payable therefor on such exercise and (b) will take all such action as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable shares of stock on the exercise of this Warrant from time to time outstanding.
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7. NOTICES OF RECORD DATE. In the event of:
7.1 any taking by the Company of a record of the holders of any class of securities for the purpose of determining the holders thereof who are entitled to receive any dividend or other distribution, or any right to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of stock of any class or any other securities or property, or to receive any other right;
7.2 any capital reorganization of the Company, any reclassification or recapitalization of the capital stock of the Company or any transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to or any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person or any other Change of Control; or
7.3 any voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company;
then, and in each such event, the Company will mail or cause to be mailed to the Holder a notice specifying (i) the date on which any such record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution or right, and stating the amount and character of such dividend, distribution or right, or (ii) the date on which any such reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, transfer, consolidation, merger, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is anticipated to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities or other property deliverable on such reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, transfer, consolidation, merger, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Such notice shall be mailed at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date specified in such notice on which any such action is to be taken.
8. RESERVATION OF STOCK ISSUABLE ON EXERCISE OF WARRANT; REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
8.1. Reservation of Stock Issuable on Exercise of Warrant. The Company shall at all times while this Warrant shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued Common Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the exercise of all or any portion of the Warrant Shares (disregarding for this purpose any and all limitations of any kind on such exercise). The Company shall, from time to time in accordance with Chapter 78 of the Wyoming Revised Statutes, increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock or take other effective action if at any time the unissued number of authorized shares shall not be sufficient to satisfy the Company’s obligations under this Section 8.
8.2. Regulatory Compliance. If any shares of Common Stock to be reserved for the purpose of exercise of the Warrant Shares require registration or listing with or approval of any Governmental Authority, stock exchange or other regulatory body under any federal or state law or regulation or otherwise before such shares may be validly issued or delivered upon exercise, the Company shall, at its sole cost and expense, in good faith and as expeditiously as possible, secure such registration, listing or approval, as the case may be.
8.3. Stockholder Approval. The Company shall not be required to issue any Warrant Shares if such issuance would cause the Company to be required to obtain the Stockholder Approval either pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Trading Market or otherwise until such Stockholder Approval has been obtained.
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9. [RESERVED.]
10. LIMITATION ON BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Holder shall not be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock or other securities (together with Common Stock, “Equity Interests”) upon exercise of this Warrant to the extent (but only to the extent) that such exercise or receipt would cause the Holder Group to become, directly or indirectly, a “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of a number of Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the Exchange Act which exceeds the Maximum Percentage (as defined below) of the Equity Interests of such class that are outstanding at such time. Any purported delivery of Equity Interests in connection with the exercise of the Warrant prior to the termination of this restriction in accordance herewith shall be void and have no effect to the extent (but only to the extent) that such delivery would result in the Holder Group becoming the beneficial owner of more than the Maximum Percentage of the Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the Exchange Act that is outstanding at such time. If any delivery of Equity Interests owed to the Holder following exercise of this Warrant is not made, in whole or in part, as a result of this limitation, the Company’s obligation to make such delivery shall not be extinguished and the Company shall deliver such Equity Interests as promptly as practicable after the Holder gives notice to the Company that such delivery would not result in such limitation being triggered or upon termination of the restriction in accordance with the terms hereof. To the extent limitations contained in this Section 10 apply, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be the sole responsibility and in the sole determination of the Holder, and the submission of an Exercise Notice shall be deemed to constitute the Holder’s determination that the issuance of the full number of Warrant Shares requested in the Exercise Notice is permitted hereunder, and neither the Company nor any Warrant agent shall have any obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. For purposes of this Section 10, (i) the term “Maximum Percentage” shall mean 4.99%; provided, that if at any time after the date hereof the Holder Group beneficially owns in excess of 4.99% of any class of Equity Interests in the Company that is registered under the Exchange Act (excluding any Equity Interests deemed beneficially owned by virtue of this Warrant or the Note), then the Maximum Percentage shall automatically increase to 9.99% so long as the Holder Group owns in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests (and shall, for the avoidance of doubt, automatically decrease to 4.99% upon the Holder Group ceasing to own in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests); and (ii) the term “Holder Group” shall mean the Holder plus any other Person with which the Holder is considered to be part of a group under Section 13 of the Exchange Act or with which the Holder otherwise files reports under Sections 13 and/or 16 of the Exchange Act. In determining the number of Equity Interests of a particular class outstanding at any point in time, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Equity Interests of such class as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) a more recent notice by the Company or its transfer agent to the Holder setting forth the number of Equity Interests of such class then outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall, within one (1) Trading Day of such request, confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Equity Interests of any class then outstanding. Anything herein to the contrary, 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 Section 10 shall be construed, corrected and implemented in a manner so as to effectuate the intended beneficial ownership limitation herein contained.
11. REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER OF WARRANT.
11.1. Registration of Warrant. The Company shall register and record transfers, exchanges, reissuances and cancellations of this Warrant, upon the records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose, in the name of the record holder hereof from time to time. The Company 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. The Company shall be entitled to rely and held harmless in acting or refraining from acting in reliance upon, any notices, instructions or documents it believes in good faith to be from an authorized representative of the Holder.
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11.2 Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in this Section 11.2 hereof and to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Subscription Agreement, 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 (the “Assignment Notice”) 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.
a) New Warrants. 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.
b) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company 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.
c) Transfer Restrictions. If, at the time of the surrender of this Warrant in connection with any transfer of this Warrant, the transfer of this Warrant shall not be either (i) registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or (ii) eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer, that the Holder or transferee of this Warrant, as the case may be, comply with the provisions of Section 5.7 of the Subscription Agreement.
d) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Warrant and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the Securities Act.
12. 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 Exercise Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of this 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.
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13. [Reserved].
14. NO RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Exercise Shares.
15. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications that are required or may be given pursuant to the terms of this Warrant shall be in writing and shall be deemed delivered (i) on the date of delivery when delivered by hand on a Business Day during normal business hours or, if delivered on a day that is not a Business Day or after normal business hours, then on the next Business Day, (ii) on the date of transmission when sent by facsimile transmission or email during normal business hours on a Business Day with telephone confirmation of receipt or, if transmitted on a day that is not a Business Day or after normal business hours, then on the next Business Day, or (iii) on the second Business Day after the date of dispatch when sent by a reputable courier service that maintains records of receipt. The addresses for notice shall be as set forth in the Subscription Agreement.
16. CONSENT TO AMENDMENTS. Any term of this Warrant may be amended, and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or compliance therewith may be waived, only if the Company shall have obtained the written consent (and not without such written consent) to such amendment, action or waiver from the Holder. No course of dealing between the Company and the Holder nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any rights of the Holder.
17. MISCELLANEOUS. In case any provision of this Warrant shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, or partially invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the extent, if any, that it may legally be enforced and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. If any provision of this Warrant is found to conflict with the Subscription Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall prevail. If any provision of this Warrant is found to conflict with the Note, the provisions of the Note shall prevail. THIS WARRANT SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, AND THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF WYOMING EXCLUDING CHOICE-OF-LAW PRINCIPLES OF THE LAW OF SUCH STATE THAT WOULD PERMIT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF A JURISDICTION OTHER THAN SUCH STATE. The headings in this Warrant are for purposes of reference only, and shall not limit or otherwise affect any of the terms hereof.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LET BLANK. SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its duly authorized officer.
Dated as of September 30, 2025
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| Name: | Theodore Ralston | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
[SIGNATURE TO WARRANT AGREEMENT OF GEVI]
FORM OF SUBSCRIPTION
(To be signed only on exercise
of attached Warrant)
TO: General Enterprise Ventures, Inc.
1. The undersigned Holder of the attached Warrant hereby elects to exercise its purchase right under such Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (the “Company”), as follows (check one or more, as applicable):
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2. In exercising this Warrant, the undersigned Holder hereby confirms and acknowledges that the shares of Common Stock are being acquired solely for the account of the undersigned and not as a nominee for any other party, and for investment, and that the undersigned shall not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any such shares of Common Stock except under circumstances that will not result in a violation of the Securities Act or any state securities laws. The undersigned hereby further confirms and acknowledges that it is an “accredited investor”, as that term is defined under the Securities Act.
3. Please issue a stock certificate or certificates representing the appropriate number of shares of Common Stock in the name of the undersigned or in such other name(s) as is specified below:
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FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be signed only on transfer of Warrant)
For value received, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns, and transfers unto ________________ the right represented by the within Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation, to which the within Warrant relates, and appoints _________________ attorney to transfer such right on the books of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., with full power of substitution in the premises.
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Signed in the presence of:
_____________________________
EXHIBIT 10.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of [●], 2025, between General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming 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 exemption from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act contained in Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Regulation D thereunder, 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 Purchased Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
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“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 Purchased Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the [●] ([●]) Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the 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.
“Common Warrants” means, collectively, the Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Common Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise equal to 5 years, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
“Common Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants.
“Company Counsel” means the Law Office of Anthony F. Newton, with offices located at 8810 Luray Court, Rosenberg, Texas 77469.
“Conversion Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Shares.
“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.
“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.
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“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 Purchased Securities issued hereunder, warrants to the Placement Agent in connection with the transactions pursuant to this Agreement and any securities upon exercise of warrants to the Placement Agent 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 anti-dilution provisions contained therein as disclosed in the SEC Reports prior to the date of this Agreement) 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 prohibition period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the 180 day anniversary of the date hereof, 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.
“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).
“Legend Removal Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.1(c).
“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 and 5% stockholders 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).
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“Per Share Purchase Price” equals $15.00, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Series C Preferred 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 Univest Securities, LLC.
“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.
“Purchased Securities” means the Shares and the Common Warrants.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“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.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares, the Common Warrants and the Underlying Shares.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Series C Preferred Stock” means the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share.
“Shares” means the shares of Series C Preferred 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).
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“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Shares and Common Warrants 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.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth in the SEC Reports.
“Sullivan” means Sullivan & Worcester LLP, with offices located at 1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020.
“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 Common Warrants, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means Colonial Stock Transfer Company, Inc., the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 7840 S. 700 E. Sandy, UT 84070 and an email address of [email protected], and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Underlying Shares” means, collectively, the Common Warrant Shares and the Conversion Shares.
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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 and Common Warrants. 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” (“DVP”) settlement with the Company or its designee. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and applicable Common Warrants 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 Sullivan or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree take place remotely by electronic transfer of the Closing documentation. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via DVP as follows: (a) with respect to the Shares, on the Closing Date, the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) shall make payment therefor by wire transfer to the Company, and upon receipt of the applicable proceeds by the Company, 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 (and upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser); provided, however, that for those Purchasers electing “Company Escrow Settlement” on the signature page hereto, at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date, the applicable Purchaser shall make payment therefor by wire transfer to the Company, and the Company shall deliver the Shares registered in the name of the applicable Purchaser through the Transfer Agent via DRS book-entry procedure or, if elected by such Purchaser, otherwise via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) for the account of the applicable Purchaser; and (b) on the Closing Date, upon receipt by the Company of the proceeds specified in (a) above, the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its accompanying Common Warrants.
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 reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent;
(iii) subject to the last 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 last 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 DWAC, Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser; provided, however, that for those Purchasers electing Company Escrow Settlement on the signature pages hereto, such Shares may be delivered via DRS book-entry procedure if DWAC instructions are not provided by such Purchaser on the signature pages hereto;
(v) a Common Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 50% of such Purchaser’s Conversion Shares issuable upon full conversion of all Shares purchased by such Purchaser, with an exercise price equal to $0.9375, subject to adjustment therein; and
(vi) on the date hereof, the duly executed Lock-Up Agreements.
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(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 DVP settlement with the Company or its designee in accordance with Section 2.1.
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 Purchased Securities at the Closing.
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ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports (as defined below), which SEC Reports shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained therein, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth in the SEC Reports. 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.
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(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.
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(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 Form D, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Underlying 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 Underlying Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Common Warrants or Shares, as applicable, 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, the Shares and the Common Warrants.
(g) Capitalization. As of the date hereof, the Company had [●] shares of Common Stock outstanding, and [●] shares of preferred stock outstanding. 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 set forth in the SEC Reports, 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). Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, 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.
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(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 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.
(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, (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 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 prior to the time that this representation is made.
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(j) Litigation. 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”), which (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) 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.
(l) 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.
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(m) 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.
(n) 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.
(o) 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.
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(p) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, 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.
(q) 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.
(r) Certain Fees. Except for fees payable by the Company to the Placement Agent, 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.
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(s) Investment Company. The Company is not, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be, 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.
(t) 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.
(u) 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.
(v) 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 SEC Reports. 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 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 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.
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(w) 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 (i) the Securities Act that would require the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, or (ii) any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(x) 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 Purchased 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. The SEC Reports set 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.
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(y) 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.
(z) Accountants. The Company’s independent registered accounting firm is WWC, P.C.. 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, 2025.
(aa) 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.
(bb) 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.
(cc) 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”).
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(dd) 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.
(ee) Additional Private Placement Representations and Warranties.
(i) Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby.
(ii) No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any Person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising. The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act.
(iii) No Disqualification Events. With respect to the Securities to be offered and sold hereunder in reliance on Rule 506 under the Securities Act, none of the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering hereunder, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale (each, an “Issuer Covered Person”) is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3). The Company has exercised reasonable care to determine whether any Issuer Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event. The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with its disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e), and has furnished to the Purchasers a copy of any disclosures provided thereunder.
(iv) Other Covered Persons. Other than the Placement Agent, the Company is not aware of any person (other than any Issuer Covered Person) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of any Securities.
(v) Notice of Disqualification Events. The Company will notify the Purchasers in writing, prior to the Closing Date of (i) any Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person and (ii) any event that would, with the passage of time, reasonably be expected to become a Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person, in each case of which it is aware.
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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 in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Purchaser understands that the Securities are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring such securities as principal for his, her or its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such securities or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, has no present intention of distributing any of such securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell such Securities pursuant to a registration statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Purchased Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Common Warrants or converts and Shares, 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.
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(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.
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(g) General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or, to the knowledge of such Purchaser, any other general solicitation or general advertisement.
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 Legends.
(a) The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of Securities other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to the Company or to an Affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(c), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Common Warrant under the Securities Act.
(b) The Purchasers agree to the imprinting, so long as is required by this Section 4.1, of a legend on any of the Securities in the following form:
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS EXERCISABLE HAS BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
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The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities to a financial institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and, if required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties. Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection therewith. Further, no notice shall be required of such pledge. At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities.
(c) Certificates evidencing the Underlying Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(c) hereof): (i) while a registration statement covering the resale of such security is effective under the Securities Act, or (ii) following any sale of such Underlying Shares pursuant to Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the Common Warrants), or (iii) if such Underlying Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the Common Warrants), or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission). The Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the Transfer Agent or the Purchaser promptly if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder, or if requested by a Purchaser, respectively. If all or any portion of a Common Warrant or the Shares are exercised or converted, as applicable, at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Underlying Shares, or if such Underlying Shares may be sold under Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the Common Warrants) or if such legend is not otherwise required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission) then such Underlying Shares shall be issued free of all legends. The Company agrees that following such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1(d), the Company will, no later than the earlier of (i) one (1) Trading Day and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing Underlying Shares, as applicable, issued with a restrictive legend (such date, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to such Purchaser a certificate representing such shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to the Transfer Agent that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 4. Underlying Shares subject to legend removal hereunder shall be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Purchaser by crediting the account of the Purchaser’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System as directed by such Purchaser. 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 a certificate representing Underlying Shares issued with a restrictive legend.
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(d) In addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, (i) as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Underlying Shares (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such Securities are submitted to the Transfer Agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend and subject to Section 4.1(d), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day three (3) Trading Days after the Legend Removal Date) for each Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date until such certificate is delivered without a legend and (ii) if the Company fails to (a) issue and deliver (or cause to be delivered) to a Purchaser by the Legend Removal Date a certificate representing the Securities so delivered to the Company by such Purchaser that is free from all restrictive and other legends and (b) if after the Legend Removal Date such Purchaser purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Purchaser of all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock, or a sale of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock, that such Purchaser anticipated receiving from the Company without any restrictive legend, then an amount equal to the excess of such Purchaser’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) (the “Buy-In Price”) over the product of (A) such number of Underlying Shares that the Company was required to deliver to such Purchaser by the Legend Removal Date multiplied by (B) the lowest closing sale price of the Common Stock on any Trading Day during the period commencing on the date of the delivery by such Purchaser to the Company of the applicable Underlying Shares (as the case may be) and ending on the date of such delivery and payment under this Section 4.1(e).
4.2 Furnishing of Information. Until 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. In addition, at any time during the period commencing from the six (6) month anniversary of the date hereof and ending at such time that all of the Underlying Shares (assuming cashless exercise) may be sold without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with Rule 144(c)(1) and otherwise without restriction or limitation pursuant to Rule 144, if the Company (i) shall fail for any reason to satisfy the current public information requirement under Rule 144(c) or (ii) has ever been an issuer described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i) or becomes an issuer in the future, and the Company shall fail to satisfy any condition set forth in Rule 144(i)(2) (a “Public Information Failure”) then, in addition to such Purchaser’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, by reason of any such delay in or reduction of its ability to sell the Common Warrant Shares, an amount in cash equal to two percent (2.0%) of the sum of (i) the aggregate Exercise Price of such Purchaser’s Common Warrants and (ii) the aggregate conversion price of such Purchaser’s Shares on the day of a Public Information Failure and on every thirtieth (30th) day (pro rated for periods totaling less than thirty days) thereafter until the earlier of (a) the date such Public Information Failure is cured and (b) such time that such public information is no longer required for the Purchasers to transfer the Underlying Shares pursuant to Rule 144. The payments to which a Purchaser shall be entitled pursuant to this Section 4.2 are referred to herein as “Public Information Failure Payments.” Public Information Failure Payments shall be paid on the earlier of (i) the last day of the calendar month during which such Public Information Failure Payments are incurred and (ii) the third (3rd) Business Day after the event or failure giving rise to the Public Information Failure Payments is cured. In the event the Company fails to make Public Information Failure Payments in a timely manner, such Public Information Failure Payments shall bear interest at the rate of 1.5% per month (prorated for partial months) until paid in full. Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser’s right to pursue actual damages for the Public Information Failure, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.
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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 and sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Securities or 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.
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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, and any additional material, non-public information that is contained in the Transaction Documents or contained in the SEC Reports, 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. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for general corporate and working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.
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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, 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.
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4.9 Reservation of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has 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 Underlying Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Common Warrants or conversion of the Shares.
4.10 Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use reasonable 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 Securities on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Securities 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 Securities, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Securities 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 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.
4.12 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 (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.
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4.13 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Common Warrants set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Common Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Common 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 Common Warrants. The Company shall honor exercises of the Common Warrants and shall deliver Common Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.14 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 reasonable best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
4.15 Form D; Blue Sky Filings. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Securiites for, sale to the Purchasers at the Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of any Purchaser.
4.16 Registration Statement. As soon as practicable (and in any event within 30 calendar days of the date of this Agreement), the Company shall file a registration statement on Form S-1 (or other appropriate form if the Company is not then S-1 eligible) providing for the resale by the Purchasers of the Underlying Shares issued and issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants or conversion of the Shares. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 days following the Closing Date and to keep such registration statement effective at all times until no Purchaser owns any Common Warrants or Shares, or Underlying Shares issuable upon exercise or conversion thereof, as applicable.
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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, 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% of the Purchased Securities 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.
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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.
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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, 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 Common 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 Purchaser’s Common Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).
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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 Sullivan. Sullivan 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.
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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)
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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.
| GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC. | Address for Notice: |
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| Name: Theodore Ralston |
| E-Mail: [email protected] |
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| Title: President |
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With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Anthony F. Newton
Email: [email protected]
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
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[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO 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: _________________
☐ Check this box if the purchaser desires to settle the Shares via “Company Escrow Settlement”. If Company Escrow Settlement is selected and the purchaser desires for the Shares to be delivered via DWAC, input Purchaser DTC Account Information here: _________________
Common Warrant Shares: __________________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%
EIN Number: ____________________
☐ 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.
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EXHIBIT 10.2
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
September 30, 2025
Univest Securities, LLC
75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1838
New York, New York 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Subject to the terms and conditions herein (this “Agreement”) and the Transaction Documents (defined below), General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (the “Company”), has agreed to issue and sell (i) shares of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series C Preferred Stock”) of the Company, and (ii) common stock purchase warrants (“Common Warrants”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), directly to one or more investors (each, an “Investor” and, collectively, the “Investors”) through Univest Securities, LLC (the “Placement Agent”), as placement agent. The Securities (as defined below) shall be offered and sold pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). 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”) and the Common Warrants and all other agreements executed in connection therewith, shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” 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 (as defined below). The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants and conversion of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock are hereafter collectively referred to as the “Underlying Securities.” The Common Warrants, shares of Series C Preferred Stock, and Underlying Securities are hereafter collectively referred to as the “Securities.”
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 Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act, 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”). 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 8% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities at such Closing to Investors (the “Cash Fee”).
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(ii) A non-accountable expense fee equal to 1% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities at such Closing to Investors (the “Non- Accountable Expense Fee”).
(iii) The Company also agrees to pay to the Placement Agent $350,000 for out- of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and expenses of Placement Agent’s counsel and due diligence analysis; provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated prior to any Closing, the Company agrees to reimburse the Placement Agent pursuant to Section 1(a)(ii) hereof.
(b) The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Placement Agent (and/or its designees) on each Closing Date, warrants (“Placement Agent’s Warrants”) to purchase that number of shares of Common Stock equal to 5% of the aggregate number of Underlying Securities placed at such Closing with an exercise price equal to 120% of the exercise price of the Common Warrants. The Placement Agent’s Warrants shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, commencing on the issuance date and shall be exercisable for a period of five years. In the event that there is not an effective registration statement permitting for the resale of the shares underlying the Placement Agent’s Warrants, the Placement Agent’s Warrants shall be exercisable on a cashless basis. The Placement Agent’s Warrants and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise thereof (the “PA Warrant Shares”) are hereinafter referred to together as the “Placement Agent’s Securities.”
(c) The term of the Placement Agent’s exclusive engagement will be until the completion of the Offering (the “Exclusive Term”). 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 Rules, 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 herein) 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.
(d) The Placement Agent shall have an irrevocable preferential right for a period of 12 months from the date hereof to purchase for its account or to sell for the account of the Company, or any subsidiary of or successor to the Company any securities (whether debt or equity or any combination thereof) of the Company or any such subsidiary or successor which the Company or any such subsidiary or successor may seek to sell whether with or without or through an underwriter, placement agent or broker-dealer and whether pursuant to registration under the Securities Act or otherwise. The Company and any such subsidiary or successor will consult the Placement Agent with regard to any such proposed financing and will offer the Placement Agent the opportunity to purchase or sell any such securities on terms not more favorable to the Company or any such subsidiary or successor, as the case may be, than it or they can secure elsewhere. If the Placement Agent fails to accept such offer within 10 business days after the mailing of a notice containing the material terms of the proposed financing proposal by registered mail or overnight courier service addressed to the Placement Agent, then the Placement Agent shall have no further claim or right with respect to the financing proposal contained in such notice. If, however, the terms of such financing proposal are subsequently modified in any material respect, the preferential right referred to herein shall apply to such modified proposal as if the original proposal had not been made. The Placement Agent’s failure to exercise its preferential right with respect to any particular proposal shall not affect its preferential rights relative to future proposals.
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Section 2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent, as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date, all of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company that were made by the Company to the Investors in Section 3 of the Purchase Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date as if made on the date hereof and each Closing Date, and that such representations and warranties set forth in Section 3 thereof are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The Company agrees to all of the agreements and covenants with respect to the Company in Article 3 of the Purchase Agreement and that such agreements and covenants set forth in Article 4 thereof are incorporated by reference herein. In addition to the foregoing, the Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent that:
(a) (i) the Company has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, to issue the Placement Agent’s Securities and to perform all of its obligations hereunder and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby; (ii) this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and this Agreement constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms; (iii) the Placement Agent’s Warrants have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will and constitutes valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms; (iv) the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Placement Agent’s Warrants and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including without limitation, the issuance of the Placement Agent’s Warrants and the issuance of the PA Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise thereof) have been duly authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors and no further consent or authorization of the Company, its Board of Directors, or its shareholders is required; and (v) the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Placement Agent’s Warrants and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby does not conflict with or result in a breach of (x) the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other charter documents, or (y) any agreement to which the Company is a party or by which any of its property or assets is bound.
(b) All disclosure provided by the Company to the Placement Agent regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, taken together with all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act (all of the foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits included therein and financial statements and schedules thereto and documents (other than exhibits to such documents) incorporated by reference therein, being hereinafter referred to herein as the “SEC Filings”), is true and correct in all material aspects 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. To the best of the Company's knowledge and belief, other than the current capital raising (of which this Agreement forms part), no event or circumstance has occurred or information exists with respect to the Company or its business, properties, prospects, operations or financial conditions, which, under the applicable laws, rules or regulations of the Commission, requires public disclosure or announcement by the Company but which has not been so publicly announced or disclosed.
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(c) The Company has not taken and will not take any action, directly or indirectly, so as to cause the Offering to fail to be entitled to rely upon the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. In effecting the Offering, the Company agrees to comply in all material respects with applicable provisions of the Securities Act and any regulations thereunder and any applicable laws, rules, regulations and requirements (including, without limitation, all U.S. state law and all national, provincial, city or other legal requirements).
(d) Issuance of Placement Agent’s Warrant and PA Warrant Shares. The PA Warrant Shares are, or at the consummation of the Offering will be, duly authorized for issuance and, upon exercise of the Placement Agent’s Warrants in accordance with their respective terms, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock, and free from all taxes, liens, claims and encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof and shall not be subject to preemptive rights or other similar rights of shareholders of the Company and will not impose personal liability upon the holder thereof.
Section 3. Delivery and Payment. Each Closing shall occur at the offices of Sullivan & Worcester LLP, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 19th Floor New York, New York 10020 (or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company) (“Placement Agent Counsel”). 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 (1) Business Day before the time of purchase.
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) 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 other than the Transaction Documents. 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.
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(b) Amendments and Supplements to the Transaction Documents and Other Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (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 and the Transaction Documents. If, prior to the termination of the Offering, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or Placement Agent Counsel, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Transaction Documents 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 Transaction Documents, the Company will promptly prepare and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment or supplement to the Transaction Documents that is necessary in order to make the statements therein 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 Transaction Documents, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable laws related to the Offering. Before amending or supplementing Transaction Documents in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not disseminate any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section 4(b), the Company and its counsel shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate why such amendment or supplement may not be necessary or advisable.
(c) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Transaction Documents. 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 the Transaction Documents and any amendments and supplements thereto as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
(d) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.
(e) Registration of Securities; Exchange Approval. The Common Stock is registered under the Exchange Act and, as of the Closing Date, the Underlying Securities shall be listed and admitted and authorized for trading (subject to any restrictions or conditions that may be imposed by the Trading Market in accordance with any Nasdaq rule that may be applicable to the Company as a Foreign Private Issuer) on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Trading Market”) or other applicable U.S. national exchange and satisfactory evidence of such action shall have been provided to the Placement Agent. For a period of three (3) years, the Company shall take no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the Trading Market or other applicable U.S. national exchange and the Company has not received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market or other U.S. applicable national exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
(f) Additional Documents. The Company will enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the Placement Agent or the Investors reasonably 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.
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(g) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(h) 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.
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) No Untrue Statements. The Placement Agent shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the SEC Filings contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of Placement Agent’s Counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(b) Compliance with Regulatory Requirements. 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.
(c) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Transaction Documents, and the registration or exemption therefrom, sale and delivery of the Securities, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent 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 the Closing Date (if there shall be more than one Closing Date then 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 (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).
(e) 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 Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the 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.
(f) Placement Agent’s Warrants. On or before each Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received executed copies of the Placement Agent’s Warrants with respect to such Closing, provided the Company has received the Placement Agent’s designees for such Placement Agent’s Warrant at least one (1) Business Day prior to such Closing Date.
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(g) 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.
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 Transaction Documents, 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; (vii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Securities on the Trading Market; and (viii) the fees and expenses of out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and expenses of Placement Agent’s counsel and due diligence analysis not to exceed $350,000.
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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 any Transaction Document 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 Transaction 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, 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 (as defined herein), 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. “Action” means any action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation 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).
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(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 the 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.
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Section 9. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Placement Agent to:
Univest Securities, LLC
75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1838
New York, NY 10019
Attention Edric Yi Guo
Chief Executive Officer
Email: [email protected]
With a copy to:
Sullivan & Worcester LLP
1251 Avenue of the Americas, 19th Floor
New York, New York 10020
Attention: David Danovitch, Esq.
Email: [email protected]
If to the Company:
General Enterprise Ventures, Inc.
1740H Del Range Blvd, Suite 166
Cheyenne, WY 82009
Attention: Anthony F. Newton
Email: [email protected]
with a copy (for informational purposes only) to:
Law Office of Anthony F. Newton
8810 Luray Court
Rosenberg, Texas 77469
Attn: Anthony F. Newton
Email: [email protected]
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 10. [Reserved].
Section 11. 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.
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Section 12. 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 13. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and delivered in New York City and both this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity, interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or proceeding. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its Affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives of the Placement Agent, its Affiliates and each other person, if any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its Affiliates, shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by us that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of such individuals or entities. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
Section 14. 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. 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.
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(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Placement Agent has acted at arms’ length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
Section 15. Fee Tail. The Placement Agent shall be entitled to the Cash Fee, Non-Accountable Expense Fee and Placement Agent’s Warrants calculated in the manner described in Section 1 hereto with respect to any private or public offering or other financing or capital raising transaction of any kind consummated within 12 months of the termination or expiration of this Agreement with an investor whom the Placement Agent has, directly or indirectly, introduced to the Company during the term of this Agreement.
[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]
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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,
GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC. | |||
| By: |
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| Name: Theodore Ralston | |
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | |||
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| Address for notice: General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. 1740H Del Range Blvd, Suite 166 Cheyenne, WY 82009 Attention: Anthony F. Newton Email: [email protected] |
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Accepted and Agreed to as of the date first written above:
| UNIVEST SECURITIES, LLC |
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| By: |
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| Name: Edric Yi Guo |
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| Title: Chief Executive Officer |
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| Address for notice: 75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1838 New York, New York 10019 Attention: Edric Yi Guo Email: yguo@univest |
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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,
GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC. | |||
| By: | |||
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| Name: Theodore Ralston | |
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | |||
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| Address for notice: General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. 1740H Del Range Blvd, Suite 166 Cheyenne, WY 82009 Attention: Anthony F. Newton Email: [email protected] |
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Accepted and Agreed to as of the date first written above:
| UNIVEST SECURITIES, LLC |
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| By: |
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| Name: Bradley Richmond |
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| Title: Chief Operating Officer |
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| Address for notice: 75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1838 New York, New York 10019 Attention: Edric Yi Guo Email: yguo@univest |
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EXHIBIT 10.3
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS EXERCISABLE HAS BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
This Warrant is issued pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement by and between the Company and the purchaser signatories thereto (the “Subscription Agreement”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth for such terms in the Subscription Agreement. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance and agreement to all of the terms contained herein.
No. [•]
GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC.
PLACEMENT AGENT COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (together with any corporation which shall succeed to or assume the obligations of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. hereunder, the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for value received, [•] (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company at any time during the Exercise Period (as defined in Section 1) up to [•] fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (as defined in Section 1), at a purchase price per share equal to the Exercise Price (as defined in Section 1). The number of shares of Common Stock for which this Placement Agent Common Stock Purchase Warrant (this “Warrant”) is exercisable and the Exercise Price are subject to adjustment as provided herein.
1. DEFINITIONS. As used herein the following terms, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following respective meanings:
“Affiliate” means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Aggregate Exercise Price” means, in connection with the exercise of this Warrant at any time, an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the Exercise Price times (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is being exercised at such time.
“Articles of Incorporation” means the Company’s Articles of Incorporation.
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“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which the Federal Reserve Bank of Houston is closed in Houston, Texas.
“Change of Control” has the meaning set forth in the (i) an acquisition by any person or “group” (within the meaning of Rule 13d of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of more than 50% of the common stock of the Company (determined on an as-converted fully diluted basis); (ii) a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company; or (iii) a sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company.
“Common Stock” means (i) the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, and (ii) any other securities into which or for which any of the securities described in clause (i) above have been converted or exchanged pursuant to a plan of recapitalization, reorganization, merger, sale of assets or otherwise.
“Convertible Securities” means any debt, equity or other securities that are, directly or indirectly, convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock.
“Customary Antidilution Adjustments” means customary anti-dilution protection for stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations, recapitalizations and similar transactions.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.
“Exercise Period” means the period commencing on the Issue Date and ending 11:59 P.M. (New York City time) on the five-year anniversary of the Issue Date.
“Exercise Price” means $5.625 per share.
“Exercise Shares” means the shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is then being exercised.
“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any security or other property, the fair market value of such security or other property as determined by the Board of Directors, acting in good faith.
“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).
“Issue Date” means [•], 2025.
“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.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.
“Subsidiary” means, as of any time of determination and with respect to any Person, any United States corporation, partnership, limited liability company or limited liability partnership, all of the stock (or other equity interest) of every class of which, except directors’ qualifying shares (or any equivalent), shall, at such time, be owned by such Person either directly or through Subsidiaries and of which such Person or a Subsidiary shall have 100% control thereof, except directors’ qualifying shares. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company.
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“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock (or any other common stock of any other Person that references the Trading Market for its common stock) is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the OTC Bulletin Board, The NASDAQ Global Market, The NASDAQ Global Select Market, The NASDAQ Capital Market, the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Arca, the NYSE MKT, CBOE, or the OTCQX Marketplace, the OTCQB Marketplace, the OTC Pink Marketplace or any other tier operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (or any successor to any of the foregoing)
“VWAP” means, for or as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Trading Market (or, if the Trading Market is not the principal trading market for such security, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which such security is then traded) during the period beginning at 9:30 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:02 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “HP” function (set to weighted average) or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:02 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by OTC Markets Group Inc. (formerly Pink Sheets LLC). If the VWAP cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the VWAP of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as determined by the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, recapitalization or other similar transaction during such period.
“Warrant Shares” means collectively the shares of Common Stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with its terms, as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions thereof.
2. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.
2.1. Exercise. This Warrant may be exercised prior to its expiration pursuant to Section 2.5 hereof by the Holder at any time or from time to time during the Exercise Period, by submitting the form of subscription attached hereto (the “Exercise Notice”) duly executed by the Holder, to the Company at its principal office, indicating whether the Holder is electing to purchase a specified number of shares by paying the Aggregate Exercise Price as provided in Section 2.2 or is electing to exercise this Warrant as to a specified number of shares pursuant to the net exercise provisions of Section 2.3. On or before the first Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received the Exercise Notice, the Company shall transmit by electronic mail an acknowledgement of confirmation of receipt of the Exercise Notice. Subject to Section 2.4, this Warrant shall be deemed exercised for all purposes as of the close of business on the day on which the Holder has delivered the Exercise Notice to the Company. The Aggregate Exercise Price, shall be paid by wire transfer to the Company within five (5) Business Days of the date of exercise and prior to the time the Company issues the certificates evidencing the shares issuable upon such exercise. In the event this Warrant is not exercised in full, the Company may, at its expense, require the Holder, after such partial exercise, to promptly return this Warrant to the Company and the Company will forthwith issue and deliver to or upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant or Warrants of like tenor, in the name of the Holder or as the Holder (upon payment by the Holder of any applicable transfer taxes) may request, calling in the aggregate on the face or faces thereof for the number of shares of Common Stock equal (without giving effect to any adjustment therein) to the number of such shares called for on the face of this Warrant minus the number of such shares (without giving effect to any adjustment therein) for which this Warrant shall have been exercised.
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2.2. Payment of Exercise Price by Wire Transfer. If the Holder elects to purchase a specified number of shares by paying the Aggregate Exercise Price, the Holder shall pay such amount by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account designated by the Company in its acknowledgement of receipt of such Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 2.1.
2.3. Net Exercise. If a registration statement covering the shares of Common Stock that are the subject of the Notice of Exercise (the “Unavailable Warrant Shares”) is not available for the resale of such Unavailable Warrant Shares to the public or upon exercise of this Warrant in connection with a Fundamental Transaction, the Holder may elect to exercise this Warrant by receiving shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares determined pursuant to the following formula:
X = Y (A - B)
A
where,
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| X = | the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to Holder; |
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| Y = | the number of shares of Common Stock as to which this Warrant is to be exercised (as indicated on the Exercise Notice); |
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|
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| A = | VWAP for the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of exercise; and |
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|
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| B = | the Exercise Price. |
2.4. Antitrust Notification. If the Holder determines, in its sole judgment upon the advice of counsel, that the issuance of any Warrant Shares pursuant to the terms hereof would be subject to the provisions of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”), the Company shall file as soon as practicable after the date on which the Company receives notice from the Holder of the applicability of the HSR Act and a request to so file with the United States Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Justice the notification and report form required to be filed by it pursuant to the HSR Act in connection with such issuance.
2.5. Termination. This Warrant shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) exercise in full or (ii) the expiration of the Exercise Period.
3. INTENTIONALLY OMITTED.
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4. DELIVERY OF STOCK CERTIFICATES ON EXERCISE.
4.1. Delivery of Exercise Shares. As soon as practicable after any exercise of this Warrant and in any event within one (1) Trading Day thereafter (such date, the “Exercise Share Delivery Date”), the Company shall, at its expense (including the payment by it of any applicable issue or stamp taxes), cause to be issued in the name of and delivered to the Holder, or as the Holder may direct, a certificate or certificates evidencing the number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (which number shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share in the event any fractional share may otherwise be issuable upon such exercise and the Company shall pay a cash adjustment to the Holder in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price) to which the Holder shall be entitled on such exercise, in such denominations as may be requested by the Holder, which certificate or certificates shall be free of restrictive and trading legends (except for any such legends as may be required under the Securities Act). In lieu of delivering physical certificates for the shares of Common Stock issuable upon any exercise of this Warrant, provided the Warrant Shares are not restricted securities and the Company’s transfer agent is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer program or a similar program, upon request of the Holder, the Company shall cause its transfer agent to electronically transmit such shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant to the Holder (or its designee), by crediting the account of the Holder’s (or such designee’s) broker with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system (provided that the same time periods herein as for stock certificates shall apply) as instructed by the Holder (or its designee). 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.
4.2. [Reserved.]
4.3. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Exercise 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 Exercise Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Exercise 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 Exercise 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 (the “Assignment Form”) 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.
5. CERTAIN ADJUSTMENT.
5.1. Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (a) 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), (b) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (c) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (d) 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 5.1 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.
5.2 [Reserved.]
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5.3 Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (a) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (b) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (c) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property, or (d) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (each, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon the closing of a Fundamental Transaction and payment of the exercise price therefore (including at the election of the Holder by cashless exercise), the Holder shall receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such merger, consolidation or disposition of assets by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event. For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon exercise of this Warrant upon the closing of such Fundamental Transaction. The foregoing notwithstanding, if the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange, in each case, into another security of the Company, this Warrant shall remain outstanding and the Holder shall be entitled to receive the Alternative Consideration upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant and the payment of the exercise price therefor. The terms of any agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 5.3.
5.4 Adjustment to Exercise Price Upon Issuance of Common Stock. If the Company shall, at any time after the Issue Date, other than pursuant to a Qualified Financing, issue or sell any shares of Common Stock (other than Exempted Securities), whether directly or indirectly by way of Convertible Securities or any rights or warrants or options to purchase any such Convertible Securities (“Additional Shares of Common Stock”), with any term that the Holder reasonably believes is more favorable to the holder of such security or with a term in favor of the holder of such security that the Holder reasonably believes was not similarly provided to the Holder in this Warrant, then (i) the Holder, after receipt of written notice thereof from the Company, shall notify the Company of such additional or more favorable term within five (5) Business Days of the issuance or amendment (as applicable) of the respective security or, if later, within five (5) Business Days after receipt of the previously described notice, and (ii) such term, at Holder’s option, shall become a part of this Warrant (regardless of whether the Company or Holder complied with the notification provision of this Warrant or the Subscription Agreement). The types of terms contained in another security that may be more favorable to the holder of such security include, but are not limited to, terms addressing conversion or exercise discounts, conversion or exercise lookback periods, and discounts to the effective price per share of a Qualified Financing. If Holder elects to have the term become a part of this Warrant, then the Company shall immediately deliver acknowledgment of such adjustment in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder (the “Acknowledgment”) within five (5) Business Days of Company’s receipt of request from Holder (the “Adjustment Deadline”), provided that Company’s failure to timely provide the Acknowledgement shall not affect the automatic amendments contemplated hereby.
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5.5 Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 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 5, 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 at the close of the Trading Day on or, if not applicable, most recently preceding, such given date.
5.6 Notice to Holder.
(a) Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, the Company shall promptly mail to the Holder a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
(b) Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (i) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock; (ii) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock; (iii) 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; (iv) 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 is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, of any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property; or (v) 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 mailed to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least twenty (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 mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. Subject to applicable law, the Holder is 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the delivery of the notice described in this Section 5.6 is not intended to and shall not bestow upon the Holder any voting rights whatsoever with respect to outstanding unexercised Warrants.
6. NO IMPAIRMENT. The Company will not, by amendment of the Articles 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 taking all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order to protect the rights of the Holder against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company (a) will not increase the par value of any shares of Common Stock receivable on the exercise of this Warrant above the amount payable therefor on such exercise and (b) will take all such action as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable shares of stock on the exercise of this Warrant from time to time outstanding.
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7. NOTICES OF RECORD DATE. In the event of:
7.1 any taking by the Company of a record of the holders of any class of securities for the purpose of determining the holders thereof who are entitled to receive any dividend or other distribution, or any right to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of stock of any class or any other securities or property, or to receive any other right;
7.2 any capital reorganization of the Company, any reclassification or recapitalization of the capital stock of the Company or any transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to or any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person or any other Change of Control; or
7.3 any voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company;
then, and in each such event, the Company will mail or cause to be mailed to the Holder a notice specifying (i) the date on which any such record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution or right, and stating the amount and character of such dividend, distribution or right, or (ii) the date on which any such reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, transfer, consolidation, merger, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is anticipated to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities or other property deliverable on such reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, transfer, consolidation, merger, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Such notice shall be mailed at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date specified in such notice on which any such action is to be taken.
8. RESERVATION OF STOCK ISSUABLE ON EXERCISE OF WARRANT; REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
8.1. Reservation of Stock Issuable on Exercise of Warrant. The Company shall at all times while this Warrant shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued Common Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the exercise of all or any portion of the Warrant Shares (disregarding for this purpose any and all limitations of any kind on such exercise). The Company shall, from time to time in accordance with Chapter 78 of the Wyoming Revised Statutes, increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock or take other effective action if at any time the unissued number of authorized shares shall not be sufficient to satisfy the Company’s obligations under this Section 8.
8.2. Regulatory Compliance. If any shares of Common Stock to be reserved for the purpose of exercise of the Warrant Shares require registration or listing with or approval of any Governmental Authority, stock exchange or other regulatory body under any federal or state law or regulation or otherwise before such shares may be validly issued or delivered upon exercise, the Company shall, at its sole cost and expense, in good faith and as expeditiously as possible, secure such registration, listing or approval, as the case may be.
8.3. Stockholder Approval. The Company shall not be required to issue any Warrant Shares if such issuance would cause the Company to be required to obtain the Stockholder Approval either pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Trading Market or otherwise until such Stockholder Approval has been obtained.
9. [RESERVED.]
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10. LIMITATION ON BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Holder shall not be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock or other securities (together with Common Stock, “Equity Interests”) upon exercise of this Warrant to the extent (but only to the extent) that such exercise or receipt would cause the Holder Group to become, directly or indirectly, a “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of a number of Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the Exchange Act which exceeds the Maximum Percentage (as defined below) of the Equity Interests of such class that are outstanding at such time. Any purported delivery of Equity Interests in connection with the exercise of the Warrant prior to the termination of this restriction in accordance herewith shall be void and have no effect to the extent (but only to the extent) that such delivery would result in the Holder Group becoming the beneficial owner of more than the Maximum Percentage of the Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the Exchange Act that is outstanding at such time. If any delivery of Equity Interests owed to the Holder following exercise of this Warrant is not made, in whole or in part, as a result of this limitation, the Company’s obligation to make such delivery shall not be extinguished and the Company shall deliver such Equity Interests as promptly as practicable after the Holder gives notice to the Company that such delivery would not result in such limitation being triggered or upon termination of the restriction in accordance with the terms hereof. To the extent limitations contained in this Section 10 apply, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be the sole responsibility and in the sole determination of the Holder, and the submission of an Exercise Notice shall be deemed to constitute the Holder’s determination that the issuance of the full number of Warrant Shares requested in the Exercise Notice is permitted hereunder, and neither the Company nor any Warrant agent shall have any obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. For purposes of this Section 10, (i) the term “Maximum Percentage” shall mean 4.99%; provided, that if at any time after the date hereof the Holder Group beneficially owns in excess of 4.99% of any class of Equity Interests in the Company that is registered under the Exchange Act (excluding any Equity Interests deemed beneficially owned by virtue of this Warrant or the Note), then the Maximum Percentage shall automatically increase to 9.99% so long as the Holder Group owns in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests (and shall, for the avoidance of doubt, automatically decrease to 4.99% upon the Holder Group ceasing to own in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests); and (ii) the term “Holder Group” shall mean the Holder plus any other Person with which the Holder is considered to be part of a group under Section 13 of the Exchange Act or with which the Holder otherwise files reports under Sections 13 and/or 16 of the Exchange Act. In determining the number of Equity Interests of a particular class outstanding at any point in time, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Equity Interests of such class as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) a more recent notice by the Company or its transfer agent to the Holder setting forth the number of Equity Interests of such class then outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall, within one (1) Trading Day of such request, confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Equity Interests of any class then outstanding. Anything herein to the contrary, 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 Section 10 shall be construed, corrected and implemented in a manner so as to effectuate the intended beneficial ownership limitation herein contained.
11. REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER OF WARRANT.
11.1. Registration of Warrant. The Company shall register and record transfers, exchanges, reissuances and cancellations of this Warrant, upon the records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose, in the name of the record holder hereof from time to time. The Company 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. The Company shall be entitled to rely and held harmless in acting or refraining from acting in reliance upon, any notices, instructions or documents it believes in good faith to be from an authorized representative of the Holder.
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11.2 Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in this Section 11.2 hereof and to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Subscription Agreement, 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 (the “Assignment Notice”) 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.
a) New Warrants. 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.
b) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company 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.
c) Transfer Restrictions. If, at the time of the surrender of this Warrant in connection with any transfer of this Warrant, the transfer of this Warrant shall not be either (i) registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or (ii) eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer, that the Holder or transferee of this Warrant, as the case may be, comply with the provisions of Section 5.7 of the Subscription Agreement.
d) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Warrant and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the Securities Act.
12. 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 Exercise Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of this 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.
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13. [Reserved].
14. NO RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Exercise Shares.
15. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications that are required or may be given pursuant to the terms of this Warrant shall be in writing and shall be deemed delivered (i) on the date of delivery when delivered by hand on a Business Day during normal business hours or, if delivered on a day that is not a Business Day or after normal business hours, then on the next Business Day, (ii) on the date of transmission when sent by facsimile transmission or email during normal business hours on a Business Day with telephone confirmation of receipt or, if transmitted on a day that is not a Business Day or after normal business hours, then on the next Business Day, or (iii) on the second Business Day after the date of dispatch when sent by a reputable courier service that maintains records of receipt. The addresses for notice shall be as set forth in the Subscription Agreement.
16. CONSENT TO AMENDMENTS. Any term of this Warrant may be amended, and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or compliance therewith may be waived, only if the Company shall have obtained the written consent (and not without such written consent) to such amendment, action or waiver from the Holder. No course of dealing between the Company and the Holder nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any rights of the Holder.
17. MISCELLANEOUS. In case any provision of this Warrant shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, or partially invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the extent, if any, that it may legally be enforced and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. If any provision of this Warrant is found to conflict with the Subscription Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall prevail. If any provision of this Warrant is found to conflict with the Note, the provisions of the Note shall prevail. THIS WARRANT SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, AND THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF WYOMING EXCLUDING CHOICE-OF-LAW PRINCIPLES OF THE LAW OF SUCH STATE THAT WOULD PERMIT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF A JURISDICTION OTHER THAN SUCH STATE. The headings in this Warrant are for purposes of reference only, and shall not limit or otherwise affect any of the terms hereof.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LET BLANK. SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its duly authorized officer.
Dated as of [•], 2025
| GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC. | |||
| By: | |||
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| Name: | Joshua Ralston | |
| Title: | President | ||
[SIGNATURE TO WARRANT AGREEMENT OF GEVI]
FORM OF SUBSCRIPTION
(To be signed only on exercise
of attached Warrant)
TO: General Enterprise Ventures, Inc.
1. The undersigned Holder of the attached Warrant hereby elects to exercise its purchase right under such Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation (the “Company”), as follows (check one or more, as applicable):
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| ☐ | to exercise the Warrant to purchase __________ shares of Common Stock and to pay the Aggregate Exercise Price therefor by wire transfer of United States funds to the account of the Company, which transfer has been made prior to or as of the date of delivery of this Form of Subscription pursuant to the instructions of the Company; |
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| ☐ | to exercise the Warrant with respect to ____________ shares of Common Stock pursuant to the net exercise provisions specified in Section 2.3 of the Warrant. |
2. In exercising this Warrant, the undersigned Holder hereby confirms and acknowledges that the shares of Common Stock are being acquired solely for the account of the undersigned and not as a nominee for any other party, and for investment, and that the undersigned shall not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any such shares of Common Stock except under circumstances that will not result in a violation of the Securities Act or any state securities laws. The undersigned hereby further confirms and acknowledges that it is an “accredited investor”, as that term is defined under the Securities Act.
3. Please issue a stock certificate or certificates representing the appropriate number of shares of Common Stock in the name of the undersigned or in such other name(s) as is specified below:
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| Dated: |
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| (Signature must conform exactly to name of Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant) |
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FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be signed only on transfer of Warrant)
For value received, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns, and transfers unto ________________ the right represented by the within Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., a Wyoming corporation, to which the within Warrant relates, and appoints _________________ attorney to transfer such right on the books of General Enterprise Ventures, Inc., with full power of substitution in the premises.
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| Dated:______________________ | By: | ||
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Signed in the presence of:
______________________________________
EXHIBIT 10.4
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), executed on the 22nd day of September 2025 (the “Signing Date”), to be effective as of the 1st day of October 2025 (the “Effective Date”), is entered into by and between GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC., a Wyoming corporation (the “Employer”), and Wesley J. Bolsen, an individual residing in Colorado (the “Employee”). The Employer and the Employee may be referred to singularly as “Party” or collectively as “Parties”.
W I T N E S S E T H:
1. Employment Term. The Employer hereby employs the Employee commencing on October 1, 2025, and ending on September 30, 2029 (the “Term”). Termination of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever by any Party shall have no effect on the continued enforceability of Sections 8 and 11 through 32 of this Agreement, which shall survive according to the terms of each provision. The Employee accepts such employment and agrees to perform the services specified herein, all upon the terms and conditions hereinafter stated.
2. Duties. The Employee shall serve in the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Employer and shall report to and be subject to the general direction and control of the Board of Directors of the Employer (the “Board”). The Employee shall perform such duties consistent with the Employee’s position, as well as other duties from time to time assigned to the Employee by the Board. The Employee further agrees to perform, without additional compensation, such other services for the Employer, and for any parent, subsidiary or affiliate corporations of the Employer and any partnerships in which the Employer may from time to time have an interest (collectively, the “Affiliates”), as the Board shall from time to time specify, if such services are of the nature commonly associated with or similar to that of the Employee’s position with a company engaged in activities similar to the activities engaged in by the Employer. The term “Employer” as used in this Agreement shall be deemed to include and refer to all such Affiliates.
3. Extent of Service. The Employee shall devote his full time, attention, and energy to the business of the Employer, and shall not be engaged in any other business activity that competes with the Business of the Employer (as defined in Section 12) during the Term of this Agreement. The foregoing shall not be construed as preventing the Employee from making passive investments in other businesses or enterprises, if (i) such investments will not require services on the part of the Employee which would in any material way impair the performance of his duties under this Agreement, (ii) such other businesses or enterprises are not engaged in any business competitive with the business of the Employer, and (iii) the Employee has complied with Section 12 and Section 13 of this Agreement with respect to such passive investment. It is also explicitly recognized that Employee will continue in the role of Sellers Representative (“Seller Representative”) of the former shareholders of LaderaTech as part of the applicable Stock Purchase Agreement through the Term; provided, however, that if the disinterested members of the Board of Directors of Employer determine that Employee’s role as Seller Representative is detrimental to Employer, the disinterested Board of Directors may direct Employee to resign as Sellers Representative.
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4. Compensation. As payment for the services to be rendered by the Employee hereunder during the Term of this Agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to receive the following:
(a) an annual base salary in the amount of Three Hundred Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($300,000.00), payable in accordance with the Employer’s standard payroll practices;
(b) a signing bonus of 6,250 shares of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock of Employer to be issued as soon as reasonably practicable following the Signing Date; and
(c) a performance bonus as more fully set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Bonus”).
5. Expenses. During the Term of this Agreement, the Employer shall pay or reimburse the Employee for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel (for air travel, up to the level of standard coach only unless flights over 6 hours in length), meals, hotel accommodations, and similar items incurred by him in connection with the Business of the Employer or incurred in accordance with the travel and reimbursement policies of the Employer as the same shall be in effect from time to time, upon submission by him of an appropriate statement documenting such expenses as required by the Internal Revenue Code, as amended from time to time.
6. Employee Benefits. During the Term of this Agreement, and for 6 months after Termination for reasons contained in Section 10, Company will maintain at least $5 million in directors and officers insurance under which Employee is an insured. During the Term of this Agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans that are from time to time made generally available to the other executives of the Employer, including any retirement plan, profit-sharing plan, group life plan, health or accident insurance, or other employee benefit plans as the same shall be maintained in effect, as determined by the executive officers from time to time; provided, however, the foregoing shall not require the Employer to continue or put into effect any plan, practice, policy, or program.
7. Vacation. During the Term of this Agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to vacation time equal to twenty (20) days per annum. Employee shall be required to obtain approval from the Employer before scheduling any vacation and shall only be entitled to take up to a maximum of ten (10) consecutive business days at any one time.
8. Covenants of Employee. For and in consideration of the employment herein contemplated and the consideration paid or promised to be paid by the Employer, the Employee does hereby covenant, agree, and promise that during the Term hereof and for a period thereafter as set forth in Section 12 hereunder, as follows:
(a) Employee will not actively engage, directly or indirectly, in any other business if such involvement would (i) interfere with his duties as set forth herein, or (ii) violate the provisions of Section 12 hereunder.
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(b) Employee will not engage, directly or indirectly, in any activity that is directly competitive with the business of the Employer. This prohibition shall include the ownership, management, operation, control of, employment by, participation in, in any manner, any business of the type that is competitive with the business of Employer.
(c) Employee will truthfully and accurately make, maintain, and preserve all records and reports that the Employer may from time to time request or require.
(d) Employee will fully account for all money, records, goods, wares and merchandise, or other property belonging to the Employer of which the Employee has custody, and will promptly pay over and deliver the same whenever and however the Employee may be reasonably directed to do so.
(e) Employee will obey all rules, regulations, and special instructions applicable to him, including but not limited to, those set forth in any employee manual of Employer, which may be amended from time to time, and will be loyal and faithful to the Employer at all times, constantly endeavoring to improve his ability and knowledge of the business in an effort to increase the value of his services for the mutual benefit of the Parties.
(f) Employee will make available to the Employer any and all of the information of which the Employee has knowledge relating to the business of the Employer, and will make all suggestions and recommendations which the Employee feels will be mutually beneficial to the Parties.
(g) Employee agrees that upon termination of his employment hereunder, he will as soon as practicable, but in no event later than five (5) business days following termination, surrender and turn over to the Employer all books, records, forms, specifications, formulae, data, processes, papers and writings related to the business of the Employer and all other property belonging to the Employer, together with all copies of the foregoing, it being understood and agreed that the same are the sole property of the Employer.
(h) Employee agrees that all ideas, concepts, processes, discoveries, devices, machines, tools, materials, designs, improvements, inventions, and other things of value (collectively, “Intangible Rights”), whether patentable or not, which are conceived, made, invented, or suggested either by the Employee alone or in collaboration with others during the Term of his employment which pertain to the Business (as defined in Section 12 hereunder), and whether or not during regular working hours, shall be promptly disclosed in writing to the Employer and shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Employer. The Employee hereby assigns all of his right, title, and interest in and to all such Intangible Rights to the Employer, and the Employer’s successors or assignees. In the event that any of said Intangible Rights are deemed by the Employer to be patentable or otherwise registerable under any federal, state, or foreign law, the Employee further agrees that at the expense of Employer, he will execute all documents and do all things necessary, advisable, or proper to obtain patents therefor or registration thereof, and to vest in the Employer full title thereto.
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(i) The Employer, at its sole option and expense, may obtain and maintain in force Key Man Life insurance on the life of Employee. Employee hereby agrees to reasonably cooperate with the Employer by furnishing such medical information, submitting to physical examinations, and preparing and filing such applications for insurance as may be reasonably required by the Employer and which shall be at the Employer’s expense.
9. Mutual Covenants of Employer and Employee. For and in consideration of the employment herein contemplated and the compensation, covenants, conditions, and promises herein recited, the Employer and the Employee do hereby mutually agree to the following:
(a) Employee shall not, by reason of this Agreement, have any vested interest in, or right, title or claim to, any land, buildings, equipment, machinery, processes, systems, products, contracts, goods, wares, merchandise, business assets, or other things of value belonging to or which may hereafter be acquired, owned or leased from Employee by the Employer, without the prior written consent of Employer.
(b) Complete control of the Employer, including, but not limited to, their plans, properties, contracts, methods, and policies, shall be established by the executive officers and the Employee shall not, by reason of anything contained in this Agreement, either express or implied, have any control over such matters, and the Employer may, in their sole and absolute discretion, give, sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of their assets or business in whole or in part, to any person, firm, or corporation, whether or not such person, firm, or corporation is in any manner owned by, associated with, or affiliated with the Employer.
(c) Employee acknowledges that the nature of his position with the Employer may mandate that the Employee perform such duties and render such services as are required of him hereunder.
10. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated as follows:
(a) Termination by Employer for Cause. The Employer may terminate the employment of the Employee if the Employee engages in any of the following conduct (termination for “Cause”):
(i) breaching any material provision of this Agreement so long as Employer provides written notice to Employee and 10 days to cure the alleged breach;
(ii) misappropriating funds or property of the Employer;
(iii) securing any personal profit not disclosed to and approved by the Employer in connection with any transaction entered into on behalf of the Employer;
(iv) engaging in conduct, even if not in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder, which might result in any effect materially adverse to the interests of the Employer, such as fraud, dishonesty, conviction for (or pleading nolo contendere to) any felony, or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, or the indictment for any felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;
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(v) alcohol or substance abuse as determined in the discretion of the Board of Directors, or admission as an inpatient or outpatient for alcohol or substance abuse treatment, on the part of the Employee;
(vi) failing to fulfill and perform the duties assigned to the Employee in accordance with the terms hereof, so long as Employer provides written notice to Employee and 10 days to cure the alleged failures; or
(vii) failing to comply with corporate policies of the Employer that are promulgated from time to time by the executive officers, including, but not limited to, those policies set forth in Section 29, so long as Employer provides written notice to Employee and 10 days to cure the alleged failures.
(b) Termination by Employer Without Cause.
(i) The Employer may terminate this Agreement without Cause at any time upon written notice to the Employee.
(ii) Employee becoming and remaining “Disabled,” as defined below (either physically, mentally, or otherwise) for a period of ninety (90) days during any consecutive six (6) month period, or the death of the Employee, shall also be considered termination without Cause under this Agreement. “Disabled” shall mean the continuous inability, whether mental or physical, of the Employee to perform his normal job functions as determined by a medical physician. For purposes of such determination, the Employee or his designee and the Employer shall mutually agree (i) upon one (1) physician for determination of Employee’s disability status, or (ii) that Employee is Disabled within the meaning of this Agreement.
11. Payment Upon Termination.
(a) In the event this Agreement is terminated by Employer for Cause, or by Employee for any reason whatsoever, Employee shall be entitled to receive his base salary earned and accrued through the effective date of termination and no other compensation or benefits whatsoever except as may be required by law. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, in the event this Agreement is terminated by Employer for Cause or by Employee for any reason whatsoever, at any time following the completion of a calendar year, during which Employee has accrued a Bonus (the “Earned Bonus”), Employee shall be entitled to receive such Earned Bonus, if any, in accordance with the terms set forth herein and on Exhibit A. The foregoing payments shall constitute the full and total amount of liquidated damages that the Employee shall be entitled to receive from the Employer and its Affiliates.
(b) In the event this Agreement is terminated by Employer without Cause, Employee shall be entitled to receive (i) his base salary for the lesser of twelve (12) months, or (y) the remainder of the then existing Term of this Agreement, and (ii) any Earned Bonus to which the Employee may be entitled, if any, pursuant to and in accordance with the terms set forth herein and on Exhibit A, all of which shall constitute the full and total amount of liquidated damages that the Employee shall be entitled to receive from the Employer and its Affiliates, and Employee releases any and all other contract or tort claims arising out of his employment relationship with the Employer.
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(c) In the event this Agreement is terminated by Employer without Cause as provided in Section 10(b)(ii), Employee shall be entitled to receive: (i) his base salary earned and accrued through the effective date of termination, and (ii) any Earned Bonus to which the Employee may be entitled through the termination date, if any, pursuant to and in accordance with the terms set forth herein and on Exhibit A, all of which shall constitute the full and total amount of liquidated damages that the Employee shall be entitled to receive from the Employer and its Affiliates, and Employee releases any and all other contract or tort claims arising out of his employment relationship with the Employer.
(d) All amounts due and owing to either Employee or Employer under this Agreement shall be subject to applicable federal, state and local tax withholdings.
12. Covenant Not to Compete. The Employee recognizes that the Employer has business goodwill and other legitimate business interests which must be protected in connection with and in addition to the “Confidential Information” as defined in Section 14 below, and therefore, in exchange for access to the Confidential Information, the Employer’s agreement to employ the Employee for the amount of Three Hundred Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($300,000.00) per year on the terms and conditions set forth within this Agreement, the eligibility to receive a Bonus, and the promotion and advertisement by the Employer of Employee’s skills, abilities, and value in the Employer’s Business, the Employee agrees and covenants that during the Term hereof and for twelve (12) months following the termination of this Agreement for any reason, subject to the provisions contained in Section 12(d) below, as follows:
(a) Agreement Not to Compete. Employee will not, either directly or indirectly, (a) for himself, or (b) as a shareholder, owner, partner, joint venturer, promoter, consultant, manager, independent contractor, agent, or in some similar capacity, participate in a Competing Business (as defined below) within the Territory (as defined below); and
(b) Agreement Not to Solicit Customers. Employee will not, either directly or indirectly, on his own behalf or in the service of or on behalf of others, solicit or attempt to divert to a Competing Business or to any third party any person, concern, or entity who is or was, or in the future will be (at the time of solicitation), a Customer of the Business (each term as defined below) or of Employer (or any Customer of any of the foregoing) whether within or without the Territory, and further, Employee will not, either directly or indirectly, on his own behalf or in the service of or on behalf of others, initiate a call upon any person, concern or entity who is, or was, or in the future will be (at the time of solicitation), a Customer of the Business or of Employer for the purpose of diverting or appropriating business to a Competing Business or to any third party, and further, if any such Customers initiate a call upon Employee, then Employee shall not entertain any such call without first referring such person to Employer.
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(c) Agreement Not to Solicit Employees. Employee will not, either directly or indirectly, on his own behalf or in the service of or on behalf of others, solicit, divert, or recruit any employee of Employer to leave such employment or otherwise terminate his or her employment, whether or not such employment is pursuant to a written contract or at will.
Business means the (i) fire retardant, fire suppression, fire inhibition and fire dispersion business; (ii) installation of defense systems associated with the fire retardant, fire suppression, fire inhibition and fire dispersion business; and (iii) products and services not described in subsection (i) or (ii) relating to the fire retardant, fire suppression, fire inhibition and fire dispersion business.
Competing Business means any person, concern or entity which is engaged in, and to the extent engaged in, a business that is wholly or partially the same as the Business.
Customer means a person or entity which sells to, and/or buys from, the Company.
Territory means (i) the United States of America, (ii) Canada, and (iii) anywhere the Employer is or has conducted the Business within one (1) year prior to the date of termination.
In the event the Employer ceases operation of the Business other than in a merger, consolidation, or similar transaction, or upon the filing of a bankruptcy or receivership proceeding against the Employer, or upon the appointment of a liquidator for the Employer, the provisions of this Section 12 of the Agreement shall not be applicable to the conduct of the Employee following such event.
It is mutually understood and agreed that if any of the provisions relating to the scope, time, or territory of this Section 12 of the Agreement are more extensive than is enforceable under applicable laws or are broader than necessary to protect the goodwill and legitimate business interests of the Employer, then the Parties agree that they will reduce the degree and extent of such provisions by whatever minimal amount is necessary to bring such provisions within the ambit of enforceability under applicable law.
13. Business Opportunities. For as long as the Employee shall be employed by the Employer and thereafter with respect to any business opportunities learned about during the time of the Employee’s employment by the Employer, the Employee agrees that with respect to any future business opportunity or other new and future business proposal which is offered to, or comes to the attention of, the Employee during the Term of this Agreement or any renewal term thereof, and which is specifically related to, or connected with, the Business, the Employer shall have the right to take advantage of such business opportunity or other business proposal for its own benefit. The Employee agrees to promptly deliver notice to the executive officers in writing of the existence of such opportunity or proposal, and the Employee may take advantage of such opportunity only if the Employer does not elect to exercise its right to take advantage of such opportunity.
14. Confidential Information. The Employee acknowledges that in the course of his employment with the Employer, he may receive certain trade secrets, know-how, lists of customers, employee records and other confidential information and knowledge concerning the Business (“Confidential Information”), which the Employer desires to protect. The Employee understands that such Confidential Information is confidential and agrees not reveal such Confidential Information to anyone outside the Employer. The Employee further agrees not to use such Confidential Information during the term of this Agreement and thereafter to compete with the Employer. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Employee shall surrender to the Employer all papers, documents, writings, and other property produced by him or coming into his possession by or through this Agreement and relating to the information referred to in this Section 14, which are not general knowledge in the industry, and the Employee agrees that all such materials will at all times remain the property of the Employer.
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15. Notices. All notices, requests, consents, demands, or other communications required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed sufficiently given when delivered either (i) by hand, (ii) by confirmed email, and (iii) one (1) business day following deposit with an international overnight courier (charges prepaid) and addressed to the following:
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| If to Employer | General Enterprise Ventures, Inc. |
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| Email: [email protected] |
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| Attn: Anthony F. Newton, General Counsel |
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| If to Employee: | Wesley J. Bolsen |
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| 12470 Bradford Dr. |
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| Parker, CO 80134 |
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| Email: [email protected] |
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Any Party, at any time, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communication by furnishing notice to the other Party in the manner described above.
16. Specific Performance. The Employee and Employer acknowledges that a remedy at law for any breach or threatened breach of Section 12, Section 13 or Section 14 of this Agreement will be inadequate and that each Party may be entitled to specific performance, injunctive relief, and any other remedies available to it for such breach or threatened breach. If a bond is required to be posted for either Party to secure an injunction, then the Parties stipulate that a bond in the amount of One Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($1,000.00) will be sufficient and reasonable in all circumstances to protect the rights of the Parties.
17. Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provisions shall be ineffective to the extent of such provision or invalidity only, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or any remaining provisions of this Agreement.
18. Assignment. This Agreement may not be assigned by the Employee. Neither the Employee, his spouse, nor their estates shall have any right to encumber or dispose of any right to receive payments under this Agreement, it being understood that such payments and the right thereto are nonassignable and nontransferable.
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19. Binding Effect. Subject to the provisions of Section 18 above, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto, the Employee’s heirs and personal representatives, and the successors and assignees of the Employer.
20. Prior Employment Agreements. Employee represents and warrants to the Employer that he has fulfilled all of the terms and conditions of all prior employment agreements to which he may be a party or have been a party, and that at the time of execution of this Agreement, the Employee is not a party to any other employment agreement, non-solicitation agreement, non-competition covenant or confidentiality agreement that has not already been shared with Company’s General Counsel. Employee represents and warrants that nothing contained in any agreement that he has with any parties shall preclude Employee from performing all of his duties, obligations and covenants as contained in this Agreement.
21. Parole Evidence. This Agreement constitutes the sole and complete agreement between the Parties hereto, and no verbal or other statements, inducements or representations have been made to or relied upon by either Party, and no modification hereof shall be effective unless in writing, signed, and executed in the same manner as this Agreement; provided, however, that the amount of compensation to be paid to the Employee for services to be performed for the Employer may be changed from time to time by the Parties hereto by written agreement without in any other way modifying, changing, or affecting this Agreement and the performance by the Employee of any of the duties of his employment with the Employer.
22. Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing and signed by each Party hereto. Failure by either Party hereto to enforce at any time or for any period of time any provision or right hereunder shall not constitute a waiver of such provision or of the right of such Party thereafter to enforce each and every such provision. Any waiver to be enforceable must be in writing and executed by each Party hereto.
23. Governing Law. ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, ENFORCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS (WHETHER OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION) THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION OTHER THAN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THE PARTIES AGREE THAT ALL DISPUTES, LEGAL ACTIONS, SUITS AND PROCEEDINGS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT MUST BE BROUGHT EXCLUSIVELY IN A FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT LOCATED IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA OR THE CALIFORNIA STATE COURT IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (COLLECTIVELY THE “DESIGNATED COURTS”). EACH PARTY HEREBY CONSENTS AND SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE DESIGNATED COURTS. NO LEGAL ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE BROUGHT IN ANY OTHER FORUM. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL CLAIMS OF IMMUNITY FROM JURISDICTION AND ANY RIGHT TO OBJECT ON THE BASIS THAT ANY DISPUTE, ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN THE DESIGNATED COURTS HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN AN IMPROPER OR INCONVENIENT FORUM OR VENUE.
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24. Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial. THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE EACH WAIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR OTHER LITIGATION OF ANY TYPE BROUGHT BY ANY OF THE PARTIES AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY OR ANY AFFILIATE OF ANY OTHER SUCH PARTY, WHETHER WITH RESPECT TO CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS OR OTHERWISE. THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE EACH AGREE THAT ANY SUCH CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION SHALL BE TRIED BY A COURT TRIAL WITHOUT A JURY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE PARTIES FURTHER AGREE THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IS WAIVED BY OPERATION OF THIS SECTION AS TO ANY ACTION, COUNTERCLAIM OR OTHER PROCEEDING WHICH SEEKS, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, TO CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY PROVISION HEREOF. THIS WAIVER SHALL APPLY TO ANY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS, RENEWALS, SUPPLEMENTS OR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS AGREEMENT.
25. Attorneys’ Fees. If any litigation is instituted to enforce or interpret the provisions of this Agreement or the transactions described herein, the prevailing Party in such action shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees from the other Party hereto.
26. Drafting. Each of the Parties hereto acknowledges that each Party was actively involved in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement and that no law or rule of construction shall be raised or used in which the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed in favor or against any Party hereto because one is deemed to be the author thereof.
27. Multiple Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, including by electronic means and by email in portable document format, each of which shall have the force and effect of an original, and all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement.
28. Headings. Section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
29. Conflict of Interest Policy. It is the express policy of the Employer to conduct their affairs in strict compliance with the letter and spirit of the law and to adhere to the highest principles of business ethics. Employee must avoid activities that are in conflict, or give the appearance of being in conflict, with these principles and with the interests of the Employer.
The following are potentially compromising situations that must be avoided. Any exceptions must be reported to the President and written approval for continuation must be obtained.
(a) Revealing or misusing Confidential Information. Unauthorized divulging of Confidential Information is a violation of this policy whether or not for personal gain and whether or not harm to the Employer is intended.
(b) Accepting or offering substantial gifts, excessive entertainment, favors, or payments which may be deemed to constitute undue influence or otherwise be improper or embarrassing to the Employer.
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(c) Accepting or offering consulting or freelance employment for any outside firm or entity, unless otherwise set forth herein.
(d) Engaging in the purchase of any products or equipment relating to the Business for brokerage or sale to a third party.
(e) Initiating or approving any form of personal or sexual harassment of the employees of the Employer or its Affiliates.
(f) Investing or holding outside directorships in suppliers, customers, or competing companies, including financial speculation, where such investment or directorship might influence in any manner a decision or course of action by the Employer.
(g) Borrowing from or lending to employees, customers, or suppliers.
(h) Acquiring real estate of interest or that might be reasonably expected to be of interest to the Employer within San Diego County, California.
(i) Improperly using or disclosing to the Employer any proprietary information or trade secrets of any former or concurrent employer or other person or entity with whom obligations of confidentiality exist.
(j) Unlawfully discussing prices, costs, customers, sales, or markets with competing companies or their employees.
(k) Making unlawful agreements with competitors with respect to prices.
(l) Engaging in any conduct which is not in the best interest of the Employer.
30. Acknowledgment of Enforceability. Employee acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement contains reasonable limitations as to time, geographical area, and scope of activity to be restrained that do not impose a greater restraint than is necessary to protect the goodwill or other business interest of Employer. Therefore, Employee agrees that all restrictions are fairly compensated for and that no unreasonable restrictions exist.
31. Reconstruction of Agreement. Should a court of competent jurisdiction declare any of the provisions of this Agreement unenforceable due to any unreasonable restriction of time, geographical area, scope of activity, or otherwise, in lieu of declaring such provision unenforceable, the court, to the extent permissible by law, shall, at the Employer’s request, revise or reconstruct such provisions in a manner sufficient to cause them to be enforceable.
32. COUNSEL. EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE IS EXECUTING A LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT CONTAINS CERTAIN DUTIES, OBLIGATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS AS SPECIFIED HEREIN. EMPLOYEE FURTHERMORE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF HIS RIGHT TO RETAIN LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THAT HE HAS EITHER BEEN REPRESENTED BY LEGAL COUNSEL PRIOR TO HIS EXECUTION HEREOF OR HAS KNOWINGLY ELECTED NOT TO BE SO REPRESENTED.
By signing below, the Employee acknowledges that he has received, read, and agrees to adhere to the terms and conditions contained within this Agreement for confidentiality requirements, assignment of inventions, and conflict of interest guidelines.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| THE EMPLOYER:
GENERAL ENTERPRISE VENTURES, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Ted Ralston | ||
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| Name: | Ted Ralston | |
| Title: | CEO | ||
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| THE EMPLOYEE: |
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| /s/ Wesley J. Bolsen |
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| WESLEY J. BOLSEN |
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[SIGNATURE PAGE TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN GEVI AND WESLEY BOLSEN]
EXHIBIT A
BONUS
1. Target Cash Bonus: $200,000 per year, with up to two (2) times target cash bonus to be paid annually based upon achievement of key performance indicators (“KPIs”) mutually agreed by the end of the year between Employer and Employee. Prorated 2025 bonus based on continued employment on January 1, 2026.
2. Stock Bonuses:
As more fully described below, Employee may earn stock bonuses based on time, achievement of key performance indicators and market capitalization. Stock awards may be issuable in two forms: (i) restricted shares of the Common Stock of the Employer (“Restricted Shares”); and (ii) non-qualified stock options (“NSOs”). Following issuance, the restrictive legend on the Restricted Shares may be removed following delivery of documents requested by Employer’s transfer agent. NSOs may be exercised under a net share settlement (i.e., Employer withholds shares to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations upon each vesting event). The exercise price of all NSOs will be calculated based on closing price of Employer’s Common Stock on the Effective Date.
Upon the occurrence of an Ownership Change Event (as defined herein) or Change of Control (as defined herein), any Restricted Shares or NSOs that have not vested in Employee shall accelerate and vest as if all time, achievement of key performance indicators and market capitalization hurdles set forth in this Exhibit A have been achieved.
For purposes of this Exhibit A, an “Ownership Change Event” shall be deemed to have occurred if any of the following occurs with respect to Employer: (i) the direct or indirect sale or exchange in a single or series of related transactions by the equity holders of Employer of more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting equity of Employer; (ii) an unaffiliated merger or consolidation in which Employer is a party; or (iii) the sale, exchange, or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Employer.
For purposes of this Exhibit A, a “Change in Control” means an Ownership Change Event or a series of related Ownership Change Events (collectively, a “Transaction”) wherein the equity holders of Employer immediately before the Transaction do not retain immediately after the Transaction, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of Employer’s equity immediately before the Transaction, direct or indirect beneficial ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the outstanding equity of Employer or, in the case of a Transaction described in subsection (iii) above, the entity to which the assets of Employer were transferred (the “Transferee”), as the case may be.
(a) Time Based Shares. So long as the Employee’s employment with Employer has not terminated for any reason whatsoever, up to 90,000 Restricted Shares and up to 210,000 NSOs of Employer may be issuable to Employee, with one-fourth of each of the Restricted Shares and the NSOs vesting on the first anniversary of the Effective Date and the remaining three-fourths of each of the Restricted Shares and NSOs vesting ratably on monthly basis over the following 36 months. For the avoidance of doubt any by way of example, assuming Employee is employed by Employer on the first anniversary of the Effective Date, Employee shall vest in 22,500 Restricted Shares and 52,500 NSOs to acquire shares of the Common Stock of Employer.
[EXHIBIT A TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN GEVI AND WESLEY BOLSEN]
(b) KPI Shares. So long as the Employee’s employment with Employer has not terminated for any reason whatsoever, up to 90,000 Restricted Shares and up to 210,000 NSOs of Employer may be issuable to Employee upon achievement of annual KPIs mutually agreed between Employer and Employee. Employee shall be eligible to receive up to one-fourth of the Restricted Shares and NSOs contemplated under this Section 2(b) on each anniversary of the Effective Date upon achievement of mutually agreed KPIs for that annual period.
(c) Market Capitalization Shares. So long as the Employee’s employment with Employer has not terminated for any reason whatsoever, up to 90,000 Restricted Shares and up to 210,000 NSOs of Employer may be issuable to Employee, contingent on the following Employer market capitalization targets, as follows:
(i) 22,500 of the Restricted Shares and 52,500 of the NSOs shall be issuable to Employee when the Company's market capitalization reaches and sustains a market capitalization for 30 consecutive days above $150,000,000;
(ii) 22,500 of the Restricted Shares and 52,500 of the NSOs shall be issuable to Employee when the Company's market capitalization reaches and sustains a market capitalization for 30 consecutive days above $200,000,000;
(iii) 22,500 of the Restricted Shares and 52,500 of the NSOs shall be issuable to Employee when the Company's market capitalization reaches and sustains a market capitalization for 30 consecutive days above $250,000,000; and
(iv) 22,500 of the Restricted Shares and 52,500 of the NSOs shall be issuable to Employee when the Company's market capitalization reaches and sustains a market capitalization for 30 consecutive days above $300,000,000.
[EXHIBIT A TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN GEVI AND WESLEY BOLSEN]