Edible Garden AG Inc S-1/A, filed Apr 6, 2022
Edible Garden AG Inc (EDBL)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 6, 2022
Registration No. 333-260655
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1/A
(Amendment No. 4)
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
| EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED |
| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
| Delaware |
| 100 |
| 85-0558704 |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
| (Primary standard industrial classification code number) |
| (I.R.S. employer identification number) |
283 County Road 519
Belvidere, NJ 07823
(908) 750-3953
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
James E. Kras
Chief Executive Officer
283 County Road 519
Belvidere, NJ 07823
(908) 750-3953
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
| Alexander R. McClean, Esq. Margaret K. Rhoda, Esq. Harter Secrest & Emery LLP 1600 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel: (585) 232-6500 Fax: (585) 232-2152 |
| Mitchell Nussbaum, Esq. Angela M. Dowd, Esq. Loeb & Loeb LLP 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 Tel: (212) 407-4000 Fax: (212) 407-4990 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ |
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| Emerging growth company | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS |
| SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED APRIL 6, 2022 |
1,363,636 Units
Each Unit Consisting of
One Share of
Common Stock and
One Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
This is a firm commitment initial public offering of units (“Units”), each consisting of one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“common stock”) and one warrant (“warrant”) to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.00 per share, constituting 100% of the price of each Unit sold in this offering based on an assumed offering price of $11.00 per Unit. The initial public offering price per Unit is expected to be between $10.00 and $12.00 per Unit, with an assumed offering price of $11.00 per Unit (assuming a reverse stock split of 1 for 5). The Units have no stand-alone rights and will not be certificated or issued as stand-alone securities. The shares of common stock and the warrants comprising the Units are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. Each warrant offered hereby is immediately exercisable on the date of issuance and will expire five years from the date of issuance.
Unless otherwise noted, the share and per share information in this prospectus reflects a proposed reverse stock split of the outstanding common stock at an assumed 1-for-5 ratio to occur immediately prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. We have applied to list our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “EDBL” and “EDBLW,” respectively. No assurance can be given that our application will be approved. If our application is not approved or we otherwise determine that we will not be able to secure the listing of our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we will not complete this offering.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company.”
Investing in our securities is speculative and involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors beginning on page 8 of this prospectus before purchasing our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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| (1) | We have also agreed to issue warrants to purchase shares of common stock to the representative of the underwriters and reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses in connection with this offering. See “Underwriting” for additional information regarding total underwriting compensation, including information on underwriting discounts and offering expenses. |
We have granted the representative of underwriters an option exercisable within 45 days of the date of this prospectus to purchase from us up to 204,545 additional shares of common stock at an assumed purchase price of $10.99 per share and/or up to 204,545 additional warrants at a purchase price of $0.01 per warrant, less, in each case, the underwriting discounts and commissions to cover over-allotments, if any. If the representative of the underwriters exercises the option in full, the total underwriting discounts and commissions payable will be $ , and the total proceeds to us, before expenses, will be $ .
The underwriters expect to deliver the securities to purchasers on or about ________, 2022.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Maxim Group LLC
The date of this prospectus is _________, 2022
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| MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
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You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and in any free writing prospectus. We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus. We and the underwriters are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, our securities only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our securities.
Neither we nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of our securities and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.
We own or have rights to trademarks or trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business, including our corporate names, logos and website names. In addition, we own or have the rights to copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights that protect the content of our products. This prospectus may also contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Our use or display of third parties’ trademarks, service marks, trade names or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and should not be read to, imply a relationship with or endorsement or sponsorship of us. Solely for convenience, some of the copyrights, trade names and trademarks referred to in this prospectus are listed without their ©, ® and ™ symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to our copyrights, trade names and trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The following summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information and financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. Before you decide to invest in our securities, you should read and carefully consider the following summary together with the entire prospectus, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto and the matters discussed in the sections in this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and “Business.” Some of the statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those discussed in the “Risk Factors” and other sections of this prospectus. In this prospectus, unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “Edible Garden,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references mean Edible Garden AG Incorporated and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
Our Company
Edible Garden is a controlled environment agriculture (“CEA”) farming company. We use traditional agricultural growing techniques together with technology to grow fresh, organic food, sustainably and safely while improving traceability. We use the controlled environment of traditional greenhouse structures, such as glass greenhouses, together with hydroponic and vertical greenhouses to sustainably grow organic herbs and lettuces. In our hydroponic greenhouse, we grow plants without soil. Instead of planting one row of lettuce in the ground, by using a vertical greenhouse, we can grow many towers of lettuce in the same area by planting up instead of planting across. Growing these products sustainably means that we avoid depleting natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance, such as by renewing, reusing and recycling materials in order to lower the overall one-time use of materials.
Our controlled greenhouse facilities allow us to grow consistent quality herbs and lettuces year-round, first by eliminating some of the variability of outdoor farming with our CEA techniques, and second by leveraging our proprietary software, GreenThumb. In addition to using hydroponic and vertical greenhouse systems, we use a “closed loop” system in our greenhouses. Generally, in a “closed loop” system, drain water is recollected and reused for irrigation. In our closed loop system, we also cycle water back into the system that has been collected through reverse osmosis. When compared to conventional agriculture, our closed looped systems and hydroponic methods use less land, less energy and less water (than legacy farms), thus conserving some of the planet’s limited natural resources. Our advanced systems are also designed to help mitigate contamination from harmful pathogens, including salmonella, e-coli and others.
We have also developed patented software called GreenThumb that assists in tracking plants through our supply chain. Utilizing our GreenThumb software to track the status of our plants as they grow and move throughout the greenhouse allows us to add a layer of quality control due to the frequent monitoring of the growing process, leading to improved traceability. In this context, traceability means being able to track a plant through all stages of production and distribution. In addition to improving traceability, GreenThumb helps us better manage the day-to-day operations of our business. GreenThumb is a web-based greenhouse management and demand planning system that does the following:
· integrates in real-time with our cloud business software suite for monitoring daily sales data;
· generates reports by category, product, customer, and farm to allow us to analyze sales, trends, margins and retail shrink (spoiled product);
· provides dynamic pallet mapping for packout, which enables us to more efficiently ship our products;
· utilizes a proprietary algorithm that uses year-over-year and trending sales data to develop customer specific and aggregate product specific forecasting for our greenhouses;
· aggregates all greenhouse activity input to provide real-time inventory and availability reports of all products in our greenhouses;
· manages our online ordering system with user controlled product availability based upon greenhouse inventory;
· provides a route management system for coordinating the logistics of our direct store delivery program; and
· tracks all production activities at greenhouses, including sowing, spacing, dumping, spraying, picking and packing, using hand held devices.
We also use our GreenThumb software to help monitor the quality of our products, and we have dedicated quality assurance and quality control personnel that check and monitor our products. We have customer service personnel that answer any questions the consumers of our products may have, and we regularly ask for feedback from our customers on the quality of our products. The combination of the GreenThumb software, quality assurance and control processes (including compliance with food safety standards), and feedback from consumers and purchasers holds us accountable for maintaining the quality of our herbs and lettuce. |
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| Table of Contents |
| We focus our efforts on producing our herbs and vegetables in a sustainable manner that will reduce consumption of natural resources, by recycling water in our closed loop system and using LED lights instead of conventional lightbulbs to accelerate crop growth and yield, when necessary. In addition, the inventory management component of GreenThumb allows us to manage inventory levels, order quantities and fill rates while maximizing truck loads. This means that we are better able to control shipping our products in full truck loads, thus eliminating multiple deliveries and decreasing the excess emission of greenhouse gases that would result from many partially full trucks delivering our products. Together, these elements of our production and distribution process are intended to reduce our carbon footprint, or the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by our actions, as compared to a legacy farm business.
We believe our focus on our brand “Edible Garden” is a significant differentiator. The brand not only lends itself to our current portfolio of products but allows us to develop other products in the “Consumer Brands” category. Our focus on sustainability, traceability, and social contribution, which we define as an ongoing effort to improve employee relations, working conditions, and local communities, presents our value proposition to our customers and supermarket partners and distributors.
We believe that Edible Garden’s facilities comply with food safety and handling standards. We have food safety certifications from Primus GFS (“Primus”), a Global Food Safety Initiative (“GFSI”) certification program, the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) for organic products (“USDA Organic”), and some of our products are verified as non-genetically modified (“non-GMO”) by the non-GMO Project. We are licensed under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”) to operate our business. We voluntarily comply with the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (“HACCP”) principles established by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). See “Business — Overview” for more information about our certifications, license and the standards we follow.
We intend to use our approach to expand in key strategic markets across the country while supporting our existing operations. Our priority in the near term is to strengthen our existing business in part with the proceeds from this offering. We have a history of operating losses since inception and expect to incur additional near-term losses. As discussed further in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis — Liquidity and Capital Resources,” our auditors have issued an opinion that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern if we are unable to complete this offering. However, we are pursuing this offering because we believe that we have the potential to take advantage of strategic growth opportunities. Our model of growing local produce near high population density centers and being able to provide fresh produce to our existing supermarket partners, who have a wider network than us, is intended to create organic growth in our business through those existing relationships. If we complete this offering, we intend to use part of the proceeds to either build or acquire greenhouses near population centers and distribution centers to be able to grow more produce close to where it is in demand and to deepen our relationships with regional and national supermarkets. Our model allows us to reduce transportation food miles, reduce fuel costs, and lower emissions related to food transportation.
We believe that the power of our brand together with the quality, innovative packaging and traceability of our products allow all of our customers to associate Edible Garden with locally grown and sustainably sourced packaged herbs and vegetables. Our tag line “Simply Local, Simply Fresh” is intended to describe our business plan: growing herbs and lettuce in local farms in the regional communities where our customers sell our products so that the products stay fresher for longer. We believe this strategy allows us to drive local grass roots brand awareness while we grow our business to support our plan to become a national brand. |
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| Table of Contents |
| We currently offer 31 stock keeping units “SKU’s” and expect to further cross sell products across our supermarket partners to meet their demand. These products include: | ||
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| · | 10 types of individually potted, live herbs; |
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| · | 10 types of cut single-herb clamshells; |
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| · | 2 specialty herb items; |
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| · | 6 different types of lettuce; |
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| · | hydro basil; |
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| · | bulk basil; and |
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| · | vegan protein powder. |
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| We currently sell our products to a number of regional and national supermarkets. Since inception, a few of our customers constitute a majority of our total revenue. For example, during the year ended December 31, 2021, we earned approximately 76% of our revenue from three customers, and we earned approximately 34% of our revenue from one customer in the period from our inception through December 31, 2020. While we value our strong relationship with these major customers, we face the risk of losing a significant source of revenue if our major customers do not continue to purchase our products. If that were to occur and we were unable to replace the revenue by selling our products to additional customers, our ability to earn revenue would be significantly negatively impacted. Part of our growth strategy is to reduce this customer concentration by expanding our production capacity, which would allow us to sell our products to more supermarket partners.
Corporate History and Structure
Our business is a successor business of Terra Tech Corp. (now known as Unrivaled Brands, Inc.)(“Terra Tech”). We purchased substantially all of the assets of Edible Garden Corp., a subsidiary of Terra Tech, from Terra Tech as of March 30, 2020.
Our company was incorporated on March 28, 2020 in the State of Wyoming as Edible Garden Inc. We subsequently changed our name to Edible Garden AG Incorporated on July 20, 2020. Effective July 7, 2021, our parent company, Edible Garden Holdings Inc., merged with and into us with us as the surviving entity. We converted into a Delaware corporation effective July 12, 2021. We have one wholly-owned subsidiary, EG Transportation, LLC, through which we manage the distribution of our products. Our current corporate structure is as shown below:
The outstanding common stock of our company is currently held by only a few individuals and one entity. An affiliate of Terra Tech, Sament Capital Investments, Inc. (“Sament”) owns 19.7% of our outstanding shares of common stock and is one of our creditors. Our executive officers collectively own 71.7% of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, our executive officers are able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval. Our executive officers and Sament have significant influence over our business strategies and would have the ability to delay or prevent a change of control of our company or other significant corporate transactions.
Our principal address is 283 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 07823. Our telephone number is (908) 750-3953. We maintain a website at www.ediblegarden.com. The information contained on our website is not, and should not be interpreted to be, incorporated into this prospectus. | ||
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| Recent Developments
Private Placement
From October 7, 2021 through March 30, 2022, we have raised $3.2 million in a private placement with Evergreen Capital Management LLC (“Evergreen”) to support our working capital requirements. The private placement consists of 15% original issue discount secured promissory notes issued to Evergreen with a warrant to purchase shares of our common stock exercisable for five years from the date of the applicable closing. The notes incur interest at a rate of 5.0% per annum. We have closed on multiple tranches of this private placement on the following terms: | ||||||||||
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| Closing Date |
| Maturity Date of Note |
| Principal Amount of Note |
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| Shares Underlying Warrant |
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| 10/7/2021 |
| 7/7/2022 |
| $ | 1,150,000 |
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| 150,327 |
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| 11/8/2021 |
| 8/8/2022 |
| $ | 402,500 |
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| 19,398 |
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| 11/22/2021 |
| 8/22/2022 |
| $ | 402,500 |
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| 19,398 |
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| 12/20/2021 |
| 9/20/2022 |
| $ | 345,000 |
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| 16,627 |
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| 1/14/2022 |
| 10/14/2022 |
| $ | 460,000 |
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| 22,169 |
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| 2/11/2022 |
| 11/11/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 2/18/2022 |
| 11/18/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 3/2/2022 |
| 12/2/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 3/9/2022 |
| 12/9/2022 |
| $ | 345,000 |
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| 16,627 |
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| 3/18/2022 |
| 12/18/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 3/30/2022 |
| 12/30/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| The promissory note we issued to Evergreen in the first closing of the private placement may be converted, at Evergreen’s option, into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $7.65 per share (the “First Evergreen Note”). The warrant we issued to Evergreen in the first closing of the private placement may be exercised for the underlying shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.65 per share (the “First Evergreen Warrant”).
In each of the subsequent closings of the private placement, the promissory notes may be converted at a conversion price of $20.75 per share (the “Subsequent Evergreen Notes,” and together with the First Evergreen Note, the “Evergreen Notes”), and the warrants may be exercised for the underlying shares of common stock at an exercise price of $20.75 per share (the “Subsequent Evergreen Warrants,” and together with the First Evergreen Warrant, the “Evergreen Warrants”).
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| The Evergreen Notes are secured and subordinated to the notes held by Sament. If the Evergreen Notes are not converted into shares of common stock prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to repay the amount due under the Evergreen Notes with some of the proceeds of this offering.
As part of the private placement, Maxim Group LLC, the representative of the underwriters in this offering, received a cash fee equal to 6% of the private placement proceeds. The offering was conducted pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) in reliance upon Rule 506(b) promulgated under the Securities Act.
Reverse Stock Split
We will effect a reverse stock split of our common stock at a ratio of 1 for 5 immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Our board of directors and stockholders have approved the reverse stock split and authorized our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to effect the reverse stock split immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split and all such fractional interests will be rounded up to the nearest whole number of shares of common stock. The conversion or exercise prices of our issued and outstanding convertible notes and warrants will be adjusted accordingly. All information presented in this prospectus assumes a 1 for 5 reverse stock split of our outstanding shares of common stock, and unless otherwise indicated, all such amounts and corresponding conversion price or exercise price data set forth in this prospectus have been adjusted to give effect to such assumed reverse stock split.
Listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market
There is currently no public trading market for our shares of common stock or warrants. In connection with this offering, we have applied to list our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbols “EDBL” and “EDBLW,” respectively. If our listing application is approved, we expect to list our common stock and warrants on Nasdaq upon consummation of the offering. No assurance can be given that our listing application will be approved or that our common stock and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq. This offering will occur only if Nasdaq approves the listing of our common stock and warrants.
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that you should understand before making an investment decision. These risks are discussed more fully in the section entitled “Risk Factors” following this prospectus summary. These include: | ||
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| · | our history of losses and the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which could cause our stockholders to lose some or all of their investment in us; |
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| · | our ability to continue to access and operate our Belvidere, New Jersey facility, since we are operating the property through an informal arrangement with our predecessor and the lessor instead of a lease; |
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| · | our ability to raise additional capital in this offering or through additional offerings, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and without which we may not be able to continue as a going concern; |
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| · | our relatively short operating history; |
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| · | the concentration of our revenue among a few customers and the risks of losing one of those customers; |
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| · | our use of purchase orders with customers and suppliers rather than long-term purchase commitments; |
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| · | our reliance on contract growers as suppliers for fulfilling our customers’ purchase orders; |
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| · | the existence of a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting; |
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| · | the impact of any general and regional economic volatility or economic downturn; |
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| · | our reliance on our management team and our ability to attract, train and retain qualified personnel; |
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| · | the impact of any labor shortage or external price increases; |
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| · | implementing any new lines of business or offering new products; |
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| · | the impact of reputational damage; |
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| · | the impact of product contamination or product liability claims; |
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| · | our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; |
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| Table of Contents |
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| · | the impact of cyber-attacks or security breaches; |
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| · | our ability to maintain the necessary permits and compliance with regulations and requirements as a producer and distributor of food products; |
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| · | our ability to properly use hydroponic farming methods; |
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| · | fluctuation in the market price and demand for agricultural products; |
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| · | seasonality; |
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| · | increases in the cost of commodities or raw product inputs; |
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| · | our ability to comply with government policies and regulations specifically affecting the agricultural sector; |
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| · | our ability to compete in our industry; |
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| · | the immediate and substantial dilution investors in this offering will experience; |
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| · | the broad discretion of our management team to apply the net proceeds of this offering; |
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| · | the concentration of ownership among related parties, including existing executive officers and directors; |
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| · | our status as an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company; |
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| · | our expectation that we will not declare dividends to our stockholders in the foreseeable future; |
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| · | the potentially dilutive impact of seeking additional funds; |
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| · | the public offering price in this offering was determined between us and the underwriter; |
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| · | the speculative nature of warrants being offered as part of the Unit in this offering and no public market existing for the warrants; |
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| · | holders of warrants having no rights as stockholders until they acquire our common stock; |
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| · | the potential impact of shares of common stock available for future sale after this offering; |
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| · | a possible “short squeeze” due to a sudden increase in demand of our shares of common stock leading to price volatility; |
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| · | the possibility that the proposed reverse stock split could decrease the liquidity in our common stock; |
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| · | our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and terms of the warrants could discourage a change in control or acquisition of us by a third party or limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum to bring claims against us; and |
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| · | the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business. |
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| Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other companies that are not emerging growth companies. Accordingly, we have included detailed compensation information for only our three most highly compensated executive officers and have not included a compensation discussion and analysis of our executive compensation programs in this prospectus. In addition, for so long as we are an “emerging growth company,” we will not be required to: | ||
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| · | engage an auditor to report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”); |
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| · | comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements; |
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| · | comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies as quickly as other public companies; |
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| · | submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay,” “say-on-frequency,” and “say-on-golden parachutes;” or |
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| · | disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparison of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. |
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| In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest to occur of: | ||
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| · | our reporting $1.07 billion or more in annual gross revenues; |
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| · | our issuance, in a three-year period, of more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; |
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| · | the end of the fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter; and |
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| · | December 31, 2027. |
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| We cannot predict if investors will find our securities less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions, which could result in a less active trading market for our securities and increased volatility in the price of our securities.
Finally, we are a “smaller reporting company” (and may continue to qualify as such even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company) and accordingly may provide less public disclosure than larger public companies, including the inclusion of only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests. | ||
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| 5 |
| Table of Contents |
| THE OFFERING | ||
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| Issuer:
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| Edible Garden AG Incorporated
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| Securities offered by us: |
| 1,363,636 Units, each Unit consisting of one share of our common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of our common stock. Each warrant will have an assumed exercise price of $11.00 per share (100% of the assumed public offering price of one Unit), is exercisable immediately and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The Units will not be certificated or issued in stand-alone form. The shares of our common stock and the warrants comprising the Units are immediately separable upon issuance and will be issued separately in this offering. |
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| Number of shares of common stock being offered by us: |
| 1,363,636 shares (or 1,568,181 shares of common stock if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option for shares in full). |
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| Number of warrants being offered by us: |
| Warrants to purchase 1,363,636 shares of common stock (or warrants to purchase 1,568,181 shares of common stock if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option for warrants in full). |
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| Assumed public offering price:
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| $11.00 per Unit, which is the mid-point of the price range indicated on the cover page of this prospectus.
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| Common stock to be outstanding immediately prior to this offering:
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| 5,080,000 shares |
| Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering:
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| 7,156,108 shares(1) (or 7,360,653 shares of common stock if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option for shares in full), including shares issuable upon conversion of our Series 2020 Crowd SAFEs, the Evergreen Notes and convertible notes held by our Messrs. Kras and James, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and assuming none of the warrants issued in this offering are exercised.
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| Over-allotment option:
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| We have granted the underwriters an option, exercisable for 45 days after the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to an additional 204,545 shares of common stock and/or warrants to purchase up to an additional 204,545 shares of common stock at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts payable by us, solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
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| Use of proceeds:
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| We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for the construction and/or acquisition of existing greenhouses, working capital, organizational build out, including the hiring of a chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, head of sales, and support and operational staff, transaction bonuses for our executive officers, completion of a packhouse at our New Jersey facility, debt repayment and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds.”
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| Description of warrants: |
| Each warrant will have an exercise price per share of 100% of the public offering price per Unit, will be exercisable immediately and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the original issuance date. Each warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock, subject to adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock as described herein. Each holder of warrants will be prohibited from exercising its warrant for shares of our common stock if, as a result of such exercise, the holder, together with its affiliates, would own more than 4.99% of the total number of shares of our common stock then issued and outstanding. However, any holder may increase such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99%. The terms of the warrants will be governed by a Warrant Agent Agreement, dated as of the effective date of this offering, between us and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as the warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”). This offering also relates to the offering of the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants. For more information regarding the Warrants, you should carefully read the section titled “Description of Securities—Warrants” in this prospectus. |
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| Representative’s warrants:
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| Upon the closing of this offering, we will issue to Maxim Group LLC or its designee, as the representative of the underwriters in this offering, warrants entitling it to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal to 4.0% of the shares of common stock sold in this offering at an exercise price equal to 125% of the public offering price in this offering (the “Representative’s Warrants”). The Representative’s Warrants shall be exercisable commencing six months after the closing of this offering and will expire five years after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants.
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| Underwriter compensation:
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| The underwriter will receive an underwriting discount equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds from the sale of securities in the offering. We will also reimburse the underwriter for certain out-of-pocket actual expenses related to the offering. See “Underwriting.”
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| Proposed Nasdaq trading symbol:
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| We have applied to have our common stock and warrants listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “EDBL” and “EDBLW,” respectively. No assurance can be given that the listing will be approved or that a trading market will develop for the common stock or warrants. We will not complete this offering unless we receive approval for listing on Nasdaq.
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| Lock-up agreements:
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| We and our directors, officers and the holders of 1.0% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock have agreed with the representative not to offer for sale, issue, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of any of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock for a period of 180 days after the closing of this offering. See “Underwriting—Lock-Up Agreements.”
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| Transfer agent, warrant agent and registrar: |
| The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock and the warrant agent for the warrants is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. |
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| Risk factors: |
| The securities offered by this prospectus are speculative and involve a high degree of risk. Investors purchasing securities should not purchase the securities unless they can afford the loss of their entire investment. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 8. |
| 6 |
| Table of Contents |
| (1) | The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding following this offering is based on 5,080,000 outstanding shares of common stock as of March 31, 2022, and excludes: | |
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| · | 150,327 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $7.65 per share; |
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| · | 121,934 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $20.75 per share; |
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| · | 1,500,000 shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards under our 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”); |
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| · | 1,363,636 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be issued in this offering; and |
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| · | 54,545 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrants to be issued in this offering. |
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| Unless otherwise indicated, this prospectus reflects and assumes that the following are not converted into or exercised for shares of our common stock: | ||
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| · | 150,327 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $7.65 per share; |
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| · | 121,934 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $20.75 per share; |
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| · | 271,718 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of the Evergreen Notes, as of March 31, 2022; |
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| · | 1,363,636 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be issued in this offering; |
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| · | 54,545 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrants to be issued in this offering; and |
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| · | no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to additional shares of our common stock from us to cover over-allotments, if any. |
| 7 |
| Table of Contents |
Investing in our common stock and warrants is highly speculative and involves a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below and elsewhere in this prospectus, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. Our business faces significant risks and the risks described below may not be the only risks we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may materially affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition. If any of these risks occur, the trading price of our common stock and warrants could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have a history of losses, expect to continue to incur losses in the near term and may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future, and as a result, our management has identified and our auditors agreed that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
We have incurred significant losses since our inception. We have experienced net losses of approximately $2.081 million for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and $5.538 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. We expect our capital expenses and operational expenses to increase in the future due to expected increased sales and marketing expenses, operational costs, and general and administrative costs and, therefore, our operating losses will continue or even increase at least through the near term. Furthermore, to the extent that we are successful in increasing our customer base, we will also incur increased expenses because costs associated with generating and supporting customer agreements are generally incurred up front, while revenue is generally recognized ratably over the term of the relationship. You should not rely upon our recent revenue growth as indicative of future performance. We may not reach profitability in the near future or at any specific time in the future. If and when our operations do become profitable, we may not sustain profitability.
The report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our audited consolidated financial statements contains a going concern qualification in which such firm expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result if we are unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, holders of our securities might lose their entire investment. Although we plan to attempt to raise additional capital through one or more private placements or public offerings, the doubts raised relating to our ability to continue as a going concern may make our shares an unattractive investment for potential investors. These factors, among others, may make it difficult to raise any additional capital and may cause us to be unable to continue to operate our business.
We currently operate our flagship facility pursuant to an informal arrangement with our predecessor and the lessor of the land instead of a lease.
We currently do not have a formal lease to the land on which our flagship facility, in Belvidere, New Jersey, is built. We are currently party to an ongoing, informal arrangement with our predecessor company, Edible Garden Corp., whereby we make lease payments of approximately $15,500 per month to the lessor of the land on which our flagship facility is built, Whitetown Realty, LLC (the “Landlord”), and for which our predecessor company is the lessee. We effectively rent the property on a month-to-month basis with no set term. We do not have a lease in place directly with the lessor of the property that gives us the right to operate the property, and there is no written agreement between us and our predecessor company or us and the Landlord describing this arrangement. We have not entered into a sub-lease or assignment of the agreement between our predecessor company and the Landlord, and we are not a party to or a beneficiary of the original lease between our predecessor company and the Landlord. Accordingly, we are subject to the risk that we will lose access to the property if the lessor were to evict us from the facility and property. If we were unable to access the property and continue operations in Belvidere, New Jersey, we may:
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| · | lose the ability to continue growing as great a quantity of herbs and lettuce; |
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| · | incur costs in locating and leasing or purchasing a substitute for the New Jersey facility; |
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| · | incur costs in purchasing new equipment or improving equipment at a new leased facility; |
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| · | incur increased costs in filling purchase orders from our customers from contract growers; |
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| · | lose access to the management team and skilled employees that operate the New Jersey facility, if we were to relocate those operations; |
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| · | risk our earned reputation with customers if there is a disruption in our business; and |
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| · | harm our reputation in our community. |
If those risks occur, we may be unable to continue our business and you could lose the entire value of your investment in us.
We may need to raise capital in addition to this offering, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and which may cause dilution to holders of our common stock, restrict our operations or adversely affect our ability to operate and continue our business.
If we need to raise additional funds, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, if at all, and any additional financings could result in additional dilution to holders of our common stock. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring additional debt, expending capital, or declaring dividends, or which impose financial covenants on us that limit our ability to achieve our business objectives. If we need additional capital and cannot raise it on acceptable terms, we may not be able to meet our business objectives, our stock price may fall and you may lose some or all of your investment.
We have a relatively short operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects.
We have a relatively short operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects. While the predecessor business has existed since 2013, our company has been in existence only since March 2020. We have encountered, and will continue to encounter, risks and difficulties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, including those related to:
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| · | market acceptance of our current and future products and services; |
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| · | changing regulatory environments and costs associated with compliance; |
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| · | our ability to compete with other companies offering similar products and services; |
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| · | our ability to effectively market our products and services and attract new customers; |
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| · | the amount and timing of expenses, particularly sales and marketing expenses, related to the maintenance and expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure; |
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| · | our ability to control costs, including our expenses; |
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| · | our ability to manage organic growth; and |
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| · | general economic conditions and events. |
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If we do not manage these risks successfully, our business and financial performance will be adversely affected.
We earned approximately 76% of our revenue from three customers during the year ended December 31, 2021 and approximately 34% of our revenue from one customer in the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and if we lose any of these customers or if we are unable to replace the revenue through the sale of our products to additional customers, our financial condition and results from operations would be materially and adversely affected.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, three customers accounted for approximately 76% of our total revenue, and during the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, one of our customers accounted for approximately 34% of our total revenue. This concentration of customers leaves us exposed to the risks associated with the loss of one or more of these significant customers, which would materially and adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. If these customers were to significantly reduce their relationship with us, or in the event that we are unable to replace the revenue through the sale of our products to additional customers, our financial condition and results from operations could be negatively impacted, and such impact would likely be significant.
The loss of one or more of the Company’s customers, or a reduction in the level of purchases made by these customers, could negatively impact the sales and profits of the Company.
The Company sells its products to national and local supermarket chains. If sales to one or more of the Company’s largest customers are reduced, this reduction may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and financial condition. These customers make purchase decisions based on a combination of price, product quality, consumer demand, customer service performance, desired inventory levels and other factors that may be important to them at the time the purchase decisions are made. Changes in these customers’ strategies or purchasing patterns may adversely affect the sales of the Company. For example, the customers may face financial or other difficulties, which may impact their operations and cause them to reduce their level of purchases, which could then adversely affect the Company’s results of operations. Any bankruptcy or other business disruption involving one of the Company’s significant customers also could adversely affect the results of operations as well.
Our relationships with customers and suppliers are based on purchase orders rather than long-term purchase commitments.
We are subject to uncertainty because our relationships with customers and suppliers are based on purchase orders rather than long-term purchase commitments. Our produce is grown both at our New Jersey facility and by contract growers. Based on forecasts derived from our GreenThumb software, to ensure availability of products, we or our contract growers start sowing products in advance of receiving purchase orders for those products. Inaccuracies in our forecasts of customer demand and product mix could negatively affect our ability to supply product to our customers and operating results. Our customers can cancel purchase orders or defer the shipments of our products under certain circumstances with little or no advance notice to us. If we grow more products than we are able to sell to our customers, we will incur losses and our results of operations and financial condition will be harmed. If we or the contract grower have not grown enough of a specific product to fulfill a purchase order, our customers typically find another source of the product and we do not incur any additional costs. However, if we are unable to fill orders over time, we may harm our reputation with the customer and may be unable to maintain our relationship with the customer. Similarly, we may terminate the purchase orders we submit to contract growers at any time and for any reason, but if we do so, we risk jeopardizing the relationship with the contract grower and they may be less likely to accept purchase orders we submit, which would limit the potential growing capacity we can access and may limit our ability to supply products to our customers.
We depend on contract growers as suppliers for fulfilling our customers’ purchase orders, and the loss of significant potential growing capacity would negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.
We depend, in part, on contract growers to grow the herbs and lettuce we sell to our customers. By using contract growers, we are able to increase the potential growing capacity for our products because we are limited in the amount of products we can grow in the New Jersey facility and in its location relative to our customers. If the contract growers were to significantly increase their prices, we may earn less per unit than we anticipate and may suffer losses if we are not able to pass those costs on to our customers. If we lost a relationship with a contract grower whose location was near to an important customer, we may not be able to deliver product to that customer as quickly as we would prefer and may have to transport the product over a longer distance, which would negatively impact our goals of delivering product as quickly as possible and using less “food miles.” If we were to lose a relationship with a significant number of our contract growers and were not able to find suitable alternatives for growing the affected products, we would be unable to fulfill purchase orders from our customers. If that were to occur, our reputation with our customers could suffer, and we may ultimately lose those customers and be unable to continue our business.
Our secured indebtedness could have important consequences to you.
Our secured indebtedness could have important consequences to you. For example, it could:
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| · | limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate requirements; |
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| · | require us to dedicate a portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow for operations and other purposes; |
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| · | limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate; and |
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| · | place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors that may have proportionately less debt and greater financial resources. |
Our secured indebtedness, held by Sament and Evergreen, is secured by a security interest in all of our assets. If we were to default on our obligations under the Sament Notes and Evergreen Notes, Sament first, and then Evergreen, would have the right to our assets. We could be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations, and the value realized on such assets or operations will depend on market conditions and the availability of buyers. Accordingly, any such sale may not, among other things, be for a sufficient dollar amount. If we were to otherwise attempt to sell material assets or operations, the foregoing encumbrances may limit our ability to dispose of material assets or operations. In the event that Sament and Evergreen enforced their rights to our assets, we may have to discontinue our business, and our investors could lose all or a part of their investment in us.
We have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, which if left unremediated could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, we did not maintain effective controls over the control environment, including our internal control over financial reporting. Because we are a small company with few employees in our finance department, we lacked the ability to have adequate segregation of duties in the financial statement preparation process. Further, our Board of Directors does not currently have any independent members and no director qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K. Since these entity level controls have a pervasive effect across the organization, management has determined that these circumstances constitute a material weakness. If we are unable to remediate this material weakness as a newly public company, our financial reporting may not be reliable and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected.
The Company’s performance may be impacted by general and regional economic volatility or an economic downturn.
An overall decline in economic activity could adversely impact the Company’s business and financial results. Economic uncertainty may reduce consumer spending as consumers make decisions on what to include in their food budgets. Economic uncertainty could also result in changing consumer preference. Shifts in consumer spending could result in increased pressure from competitors or customers that may require the Company to increase promotional spending or reduce the prices of some products, which could then lower revenue and profitability.
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Additionally, the Company is subject to regional economic volatilities since the Company’s potential growing capacity is located in a few areas, including Belvidere, New Jersey; Half Moon Bay, California; Hilliard, Florida; Francesville, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Berlin, New York; and Hixton, Wisconsin. The Company’s use of hydroponic farming requires that it rely on local disease-free water sources and growing materials. Accordingly, any change in the availability of these local raw materials could adversely affect the Company’s operating results.
Our business would be adversely affected by the departure of members of our management team.
Our success depends, in large part, on the continued contributions of James E. Kras and Michael James. Although we have employment agreements in place for each of these executives, we cannot assure you that each will remain with us for a specified period. Although we have additional personnel that contribute to our business, the loss of either of these executives could harm our ability to implement our business strategy and respond to the rapidly changing market conditions in which we operate.
If we are unable to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, especially our management and sales personnel, we may not be able to effectively execute our business strategy.
Our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including our management, sales and marketing, operational, transportation, finance and administration personnel. For example, we currently have a limited number of personnel for our picking, packing and shipping group and greenhouse floor operations. We do not know whether we will be able to hire sufficient workers for these positions to meet our production goals or, if hired, retain all of these personnel as we continue to pursue our business strategy. The loss of the services of one or more of our key employees, or our inability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
The costs of our operations may exceed our estimates due to factors outside of our control, such as labor shortages or external price increases, and we may be unable to pass those costs to our customers, which would negatively impact our financial results.
We depend on our employees and contracted grow operations teams to grow and distribute our products to our customers. We rely on access to competitive, local labor supply, including skilled and unskilled positions, to operate our business consistently and reliably. Any labor shortage, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors, and any disruption in our ability to hire workers would negatively affect our operations and financial condition. If we experience a sustained labor shortage, we may need to increase wages to attract workers, which would increase our costs of growing our products. Furthermore, if the prices of our raw materials, utilities or distributing our products were to increase, including due to inflationary pressures, we may be unable to pass those increased costs on to our customers. If we are unable to do so, our gross margin would decline, and our financial results would be negatively impacted.
We may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business.
As an early-stage company, we may implement new lines of business at any time. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved, and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. We may not be successful in introducing new products and services in response to industry trends or developments in technology, or those new products may not achieve market acceptance. As a result, we could lose business, be forced to price products and services on less advantageous terms to retain or attract clients, or be subject to cost increases. As a result, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.
Damage to our reputation could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reputation and the quality of our brand are critical to our business and success in existing markets, and will be critical to our success as we enter new markets. Any incident that erodes consumer loyalty for our brand could significantly reduce its value and damage our business. We may be adversely affected by any negative publicity, regardless of its accuracy. Also, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms and similar devices, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications that provide individuals with access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The availability of information on social media platforms is virtually immediate as is its impact. Information posted may be adverse to our interests or may be inaccurate, each of which may harm our performance, prospects or business. The harm may be immediate and may disseminate rapidly and broadly, without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction.
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The Company is subject to risk of product contamination and product liability claims.
The sales of our products involve the risk of injury to consumers. Such injuries may result from tampering by unauthorized personnel, product contamination or spoilage, including the presence of foreign objects, substances, chemicals, or residues introduced during the growing, packing, storage, handling or transportation phases. The Company cannot be sure that consumption of its products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that it will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that the Company’s products caused illness or injury could adversely affect the Company’s reputation with existing and potential customers and its brand image.
We may incur substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third-party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings.
We may incur substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third-party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings. In connection with the enforcement of our own intellectual property rights, the acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights or disputes related to the validity or alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, including patent rights, we may be subject to claims, negotiations or complex, protracted litigation. Intellectual property disputes and litigation may be costly and can be disruptive to our business operations by diverting attention and energies of management and key technical personnel, and by increasing our costs of doing business. If we fail to prevail in any future litigation and disputes, it could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Third-party intellectual property claims asserted against us could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to enter into royalty and licensing arrangements on unfavorable terms, prevent us from assembling or licensing certain of our products, subject us to injunctions restricting our sale of products, cause severe disruptions to our operations or the marketplaces in which we compete or require us to satisfy indemnification commitments with our customers, including contractual provisions under various license arrangements. In addition, we may incur significant costs in acquiring the necessary third-party intellectual property rights for use in our products. Any of these could seriously harm our business.
If we are unable to obtain patent protection for our products or otherwise protect our intellectual property rights, our business could suffer.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain patent protection for or maintain as trade secrets our proprietary products, technologies and inventions and to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets and know‑how, operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others and prevent others from infringing upon our business proprietary rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, it is possible that competitors or other unauthorized third parties may obtain, copy, use or disclose our technologies, inventions, processes or improvements. We cannot assure you that any of our existing or future patents or other intellectual property rights will be enforceable, will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or will otherwise provide us with meaningful protection or any competitive advantage. In addition, our four pending patent applications may not be granted. If our patents do not adequately protect our technology, our competitors may be able to offer products similar to ours. Our competitors may also be able to develop similar technology independently or design around our patents, and we may not be able to detect the unauthorized use of our proprietary technology or take appropriate steps to prevent such use. We may need to enter into intellectual property license agreements in the future, and if we are unable to obtain these licenses, our business could be harmed. Any of the foregoing events would lead to increased competition and lower revenues or gross margins, which could adversely affect our operating results.
Confidentiality agreements with employees and third parties may not prevent unauthorized disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information, and our inability to maintain the confidentiality of that information, due to unauthorized disclosure or use, or other event, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we seek to rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent, processes for which patents are difficult to enforce, and any other elements of our product discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information, or technology that is not covered by patents. Trade secrets, however, may be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, advisors, contractors and collaborators. Although we use reasonable efforts to protect our trade secrets, our employees, consultants, advisors, contractors, and collaborators might intentionally or inadvertently disclose our trade secret information to competitors. In addition, competitors may otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. Furthermore, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. If we are unable to prevent unauthorized material disclosure of our intellectual property to third parties, or misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties, we will not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could materially adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
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Our business could be negatively impacted by cyber security threats, attacks and other disruptions.
We face advanced and persistent attacks on our information infrastructure where we manage and store various proprietary information and sensitive/confidential data relating to our operations. These attacks may include sophisticated malware (viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs) and phishing emails that attack our products or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities. These intrusions sometimes may be zero-day malware that are difficult to identify because they are not included in the signature set of commercially available antivirus scanning programs. Experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to penetrate our network security and misappropriate or compromise our confidential information or that of our customers or other third-parties, create system disruptions, or cause shutdowns. Additionally, sophisticated software and applications that we produce or procure from third-parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of the information infrastructure. A disruption, infiltration or failure of our information infrastructure systems or any of our data centers as a result of software or hardware malfunctions, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, employee theft or misuse, power disruptions, natural disasters or accidents could cause breaches of data security, loss of critical data and performance delays, which in turn could adversely affect our business.
Security breaches of confidential customer information or confidential employee information may adversely affect our business.
Our business requires the collection, transmission and retention of large volumes of customer and employee data, and other personally identifiable information, in various information technology systems that we maintain and in those maintained by third parties with whom we contract to provide services. The integrity and protection of that customer and employee data is critical to us. The information, security and privacy requirements imposed by governmental regulation are increasingly demanding. Our systems may not be able to satisfy these changing requirements and customer and employee expectations, or may require significant additional investments or time in order to do so. A breach in the security of our information technology systems or those of our service providers could lead to an interruption in the operation of our systems, resulting in operational inefficiencies and a loss of profits. Additionally, a significant theft, loss or misappropriation of, or access to, customers’ or other proprietary data or other breach of our information technology systems could result in fines, legal claims or proceedings.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Failure to obtain necessary permits or otherwise comply with USDA regulations and requirements could result in a ban or temporary suspension of our ability to grow, manufacture or market our products as organic, and thus could materially adversely affect our business.
As a producer and distributor of food products, we are subject to the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where our facilities are located and where our products are distributed. In particular we are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011 (the “FSM Act”), which is enforced by the FDA. The FDA has the authority to regulate the growing, harvesting manufacture, including composition and ingredients, processing, labeling, packaging import, distribution and marketing and safety of food in the United States. The FSM Act significantly enhances the FDA’s authority over various aspects of food regulation. For example, the FSM Act granted the FDA mandatory recall authority when the FDA determines there is a reasonable probability that a food is adulterated or misbranded and that the use of, or exposure to, the food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. While the FDA has been active in implementing the requirements of the FSM Act through issuance of regulations designed to result in a reduction of the risk of contamination in food manufacturing, the full impact of the FSM Act is not yet known, and we cannot assure you that it will not materially impact our business. Regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions have similar authority to address the risk of contamination or adulteration, and to require that contaminated products be removed from the market. The failure to comply with these laws and regulations in any jurisdiction, or to obtain required approvals, could result in a ban or temporary suspension on the production of our products or limit or bar their distribution, and affect our development of new products, and thus could materially adversely affect our business and operating results. In addition, the United States Department of Agriculture (the “USDA”), regulates the import and export of certain fruits and vegetables into and from the United States, and the USDA also imposes growing, manufacturing and certification requirements for certain products labeled with organic claims. Failure to obtain necessary permits or otherwise comply with USDA regulations and requirements could result in a ban or temporary suspension of our ability to grow, manufacture or market our products as organic, and thus could materially adversely affect our business.
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The Company’s improper use of hydroponic farming methods may significantly impact the Company’s ability to maintain its operations and may adversely affect its financial results.
The Company’s improper use of indoor hydroponic farming techniques may adversely impact its operating results. For example, hydroponic farming commingles the use of water and electricity in close proximity which, if combined, may cause an electric shock or a power outage. As the nutrients supply in a hydroponic garden is powered by electricity, an outage could be detrimental to the garden. If an outage occurs, and lasts for a considerable period of time, the plants may die out if a supplementary system of nutrition is not implemented.
Hydroponic farming also necessitates proactive disease management practices to protect against pests and other natural conditions, outside of the control of the Company, from spreading through water sources. If the Company fails to properly manage its hydroponic farms, its operations and financial results may be adversely affected.
The Company is subject to fluctuations in market price and demand for agricultural products.
Fresh produce is highly perishable and generally must be brought to market and sold soon after harvest. The selling price received for the Company’s products may depend on a variety of factors, including timing of the sale, the availability and quality of the produce item in the market, and the availability and quality of competing produce.
In addition, general public perceptions regarding the quality, safety, or health risks associated with particular food products could reduce demand for some of the Company’s products. Food safety warnings, advisories, notices, and recalls, such as those administered by the FDA, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, other federal/state government agencies, could also reduce demand. To the extent that consumers evolve away from products that the Company produces for health, food safety or other reasons, and the Company is unable to modify the product or to develop products that satisfy new consumer preferences, there will be a decreased demand for the Company’s products.
The Company’s results may vary from quarter to quarter depending on seasonal fluctuations related to the sale of the Company’s products.
Earnings may be affected by seasonal factors, including the availability, quality, and price of raw materials, the timing and effects of ripening and perishability, the ability to process perishable raw materials in a timely manner, the leveraging of certain fixed overhead costs during off-season months, and the slight impacts on consumer demand based on seasonal and holiday timing. Because our products are grown, the expenses incurred to meet consumer demand are often incurred in advance of the revenue earned by selling the herbs and lettuce. For example, in our New Jersey facility, we begin sowing our longest-growing crop 13 to 14 weeks in advance of delivery. The impact of seasonal demand and the sales cycle for our products may cause our results to vary from quarter to quarter, which may make an investment in us less attractive to some investors.
Increases in commodity or raw product input costs, such as fuel, packaging materials, could increase costs significantly.
The Company’s costs are determined in part by the prices of fuel and packaging materials. The Company may be adversely affected if sufficient quantities of these materials are not available. Additionally any significant increase in the cost of these items could also materially and adversely affect the Company’s operating results.
Specifically, the Company requires significant quantities of fuel for delivery vehicles and thus is exposed to the risks associated with fluctuations in the price for fuel. The price and supply of fuel can fluctuate significantly based on international, political, and economic circumstances, as well as other factors outside of the Company’s control.
Government policies and regulations specifically affecting the agricultural sector and related industries could adversely affect the Company’s operating results.
As a manufacturer of consumable products, the Company’s operations are subject to extensive regulation by various federal government agencies, including the FDA, the USDA and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), as well as state and local agencies, such as the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, with respect to production processes, product attributes, packaging, labeling, storage, and distribution. Under various statutes and regulations, these agencies prescribe requirements and establish standards for safety, purity, and labeling. In addition, the advertising for the Company’s products is subject to regulation by the FTC, and the Company’s operations are subject to certain health and safety regulations, including those issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Failure to comply with existing or modified regulations promulgated by these agencies may adversely affect the Company’s operating results.
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We face intense competition that could prohibit us from developing or increasing our customer base.
The indoor agriculture industry is highly competitive. We may compete with companies that have greater capital resources and facilities. More established companies with much greater financial resources which do not currently compete with us may be able to more easily adapt their existing operations to our line of business. Our competitors may also introduce new and improved products, and manufacturers may sell equipment direct to consumers. We may not be able to successfully compete with larger enterprises devoting significant resources to compete in our target market. Due to this competition, there is no assurance that we will not encounter difficulties in increasing revenues and maintaining and/or increasing market share. In addition, increased competition may lead to reduced prices and/or margins for products we sell.
Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of our Securities
Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of their investment.
The public offering price will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, investors in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $9.49 per share based on the assumed public offering price of $11.00 per Unit. Investors in this offering will pay a price per Unit that substantially exceeds the book value of our assets after subtracting our liabilities. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.
The public offering price of our common stock and warrants may have little or no relationship to the historical book value of our common stock or the implied value of our common stock in prior financing transactions.
Prior to the listing of our common stock and warrants, our shares and warrants have not been listed on any stock exchange or other public trading market, but we have issued options, SAFEs, warrants and convertible notes that are exercisable for or convertible into shares of our common stock. However, our historical book value and the exercise or conversion prices of the options, SAFEs, warrants and convertible notes may have little or no relation to broader market demand for our common stock and thus the public offering price in this offering and the public trading price of our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq once trading begins, provided that our common stock and warrants are approved for listing on Nasdaq. As a result, you should not place undue reliance on these historical prices as they may differ materially from the public offering price in this offering. The offering price per Unit has been determined through negotiation between us and the representative of the underwriters and may not be indicative of the market prices that prevail after this offering. You may not be able to sell your securities at or above the offering price per Unit.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds we receive in this offering and might not apply the proceeds in ways that increase the value of your investment.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of our net proceeds from this offering, and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. Our management might not apply our net proceeds in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering for debt repayment, the construction and/or acquisition of existing greenhouses, working capital, organizational build out, including the hiring of a chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, head of sales, and support and operational staff, transaction bonuses for our executive officers and general corporate purposes. Our management might not be able to yield a significant return, if any, on any investment of these net proceeds. You will not have the opportunity to influence our decisions on how to use our net proceeds from this offering.
Concentration of ownership among related parties, including our existing executive officers and directors, may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.
Currently, our executive officers and directors collectively own 71.7% of our outstanding shares of common stock. Sament, an affiliate of our predecessor and one of our creditors, owns 19.7% of our outstanding common stock.
Upon completion of this offering based on the assumed offering price, our executive officers and directors will beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 57.2% of our outstanding shares of common stock, with Mr. Kras owning approximately 27.7%, Mr. James owning approximately 30.7%, and Sament owning approximately 15.5%. As a result, these stockholders will be able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. These stockholders acquired their shares of common stock for substantially less than the price of the shares of common stock being sold in this offering, and these stockholders may have interests, with respect to their common stock, that are different from those of investors in this offering. The concentration of voting power among these stockholders may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. In addition, this concentration of ownership might adversely affect the market price of our common stock by:
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This concentration of ownership among related parties, including our existing executive officers and directors, will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders.
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We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including (1) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this prospectus and our periodic reports and proxy statements, (3) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved, and (4) an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. Additionally, we may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations as a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur additional management time and cost to comply with the more stringent reporting requirements applicable to companies that are deemed accelerated filers or large accelerated filers, including complying with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.
We have not and do not expect to declare any dividends to our stockholders in the foreseeable future.
We have not and do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our common stock or warrants.
We may seek to raise additional funds, finance acquisitions or develop strategic relationships by issuing securities that would dilute your ownership. Depending on the terms available to us, if these activities result in significant dilution, it may negatively impact the trading price of our shares of common stock and warrants.
Any additional financing that we secure may require the granting of rights, preferences or privileges senior to, or pari passu with, those of our common stock. Any issuances by us of equity securities may be at or below the prevailing market price of our common stock and in any event may have a dilutive impact on your ownership interest, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. We may also raise additional funds through the incurrence of debt or the issuance or sale of other securities or instruments senior to our shares of common stock, which may be highly dilutive. The holders of any securities or instruments we may issue may have rights superior to the rights of our common stockholders. If we experience dilution from the issuance of additional securities and we grant superior rights to new securities over holders of our common stock, it may negatively impact the trading price of our shares of common stock and you may lose all or part of your investment.
The price of the Units and other terms of this offering have been determined by us along with our underwriter.
If you purchase Units in this offering, you will pay a price that was not established in a competitive market. Rather, you will pay a price that was determined by us along with our underwriters. The offering price for our Units may bear no relationship to our assets, book value, historical results of operations or any other established criterion of value. The trading price, if any, of our common stock and warrants that may prevail in any market that may develop in the future, for which there can be no assurance, may be higher or lower than the price you paid for Units.
Warrants are speculative in nature.
The warrants offered in this offering do not confer any rights of common stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of our common stock at a fixed price for a limited period of time. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the warrants may exercise their right to acquire the common stock and pay an assumed exercise price of $11.00 per share (100% of the assumed public offering price of a Unit), prior to five years from the date of issuance, after which date any unexercised warrants will expire and have no further value. In addition, there is no established trading market for the warrants and, although we have applied to list the warrants on Nasdaq, there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop.
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Holders of the warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until they acquire our common stock.
Until holders of the warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of the warrants, the holders will have no rights with respect to shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. Upon exercise of the warrants, the holder will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder as to the security exercised only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise.
There is no established market for the warrants being offered as part of the Units in this offering.
There is no established trading market for the warrants. Although we have applied to list the warrants on Nasdaq there can be no assurance that there will be an active trading market for the warrants. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.
Provisions of the warrants could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.
Certain provisions of the warrants could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the warrants. These and other provisions of the warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.
Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and warrants if the shares and warrants are successfully listed on Nasdaq or other stock markets, as the future sale of a substantial number of outstanding shares of common stock in the public marketplace could reduce the price of our common stock and warrants.
The market price of our shares and warrants could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our common stock. An aggregate of 5,080,000 shares will be issued and outstanding before the consummation of this offering all of which, except those held by management and holders subject to lock-up agreements, are or will be freely tradable immediately upon effectiveness of this registration statement. All of the shares and warrants sold as part of the Units in the offering will be freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining shares will be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144. These shares may be sold without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”
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A possible “short squeeze” due to a sudden increase in demand of our shares of common stock that largely exceeds supply may lead to price volatility in our shares of common stock.
Following this offering, investors may purchase our shares of common stock to hedge existing exposure in our shares of common stock or to speculate on the price of our shares of common stock. Speculation on the price of our shares of common stock may involve long and short exposures. To the extent aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of shares of our common stock available for purchase in the open market, investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to repurchase our shares of common stock for delivery to lenders of our shares of common stock. Those repurchases may in turn, dramatically increase the price of our shares of common stock until investors with short exposure are able to purchase additional common shares to cover their short position. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in our shares of common stock that are not directly correlated to the performance or prospects of our company and once investors purchase the shares of common stock necessary to cover their short position the price of our common stock may decline.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could discourage a change in control, or an acquisition of us by a third party, even if the acquisition would be favorable to you, thereby adversely affecting existing stockholders.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of making more difficult or delaying attempts by others to obtain control of our Company, even when these attempts may be in the best interests of our stockholders. For example, our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock, which could have voting and conversion rights that adversely affect or dilute the voting power of the holders of common stock. These provisions and others that could be adopted in the future could deter unsolicited takeovers or delay or prevent changes in our control or management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices. These provisions may also limit the ability of stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests.
Our certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or increase the stockholder’s costs in bringing such a claim.
Our certificate of incorporation specifies that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or other employee to us or to our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to the Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above.
This provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, employees and agents as it may limit any stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the stockholder finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents or increase the stockholder’s costs in bringing such a claim. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any applicable action brought against us, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. If a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
General Risk Factors
Public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, have disrupted and may continue to disrupt, our business and could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic and resulting worldwide economic conditions have affected, and may continue to affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted global supply chains and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. For example, government imposed mandatory closures and restrictions across various key markets of ours resulted in volatile supply and demand conditions, primarily due to reduced demand in the food service distribution channel. As a result, product in the industry was redirected to the retail channel and in some cases this led to an increased supply and lower pricing. While demand in our retail channels for certain products has increased due to the impact of COVID-19, there is no guarantee that this increased demand will continue. While these effects were pronounced to varying degrees throughout fiscal year 2020, the future extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial performance, including our ability to execute our strategic initiatives, is still uncertain and will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic, related government restrictions and the success of vaccines and other treatments for COVID-19. Additionally, as the global economic impacts of COVID-19 continue, fluctuate and/or change, the pandemic’s impact on our operating results may change or be prolonged.
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In addition, our ability to continue to supply our products is highly dependent on our workforce, including our workers involved in the growing, harvesting, transportation, processing and distribution of our products. Our ability to maintain the safety of our workforce may be significantly impacted by individuals contracting or being exposed to COVID-19, and our operations and financial results may be negatively affected as a result. While we are following the requirements of governmental authorities and taking additional preventative and protective measures to ensure the safety of our workforce, we cannot be certain that these measures will be successful in ensuring the health of our workforce. Workforce disruptions related to COVID-19 may significantly impact our ability to maintain our operations and may adversely affect our financial results. Throughout the pandemic governments have restricted travel and transportation generally, and while these restrictions have not significantly impacted our ability to supply our products to date, there is no guarantee that future restrictions will not have a significant impact on our business. We also incurred costs in relation to safety precautions undertaken in our shipping operations and there can be no assurances that we would not be required to incur such costs or similar costs in the future.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operating results can also impact our ability to meet our financial obligations. Our operating results have been and may continue to be impacted by the pandemic, and we cannot predict whether future developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will materially adversely affect our long-term liquidity position. In the event of a continued sustained market deterioration or further delayed recovery, we may need additional liquidity which would require us to evaluate available alternative strategies such as seeking additional debt or equity capital, which may be unsuccessful.
A prolonged economic downturn, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, could adversely affect our business.
Uncertain global economic conditions, in particular in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, could adversely affect our business. Negative global and national economic trends, such as decreased consumer and business spending, high unemployment levels and declining consumer and business confidence, pose challenges to our business and could result in declining revenues, profitability and cash flow. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands, unfavorable economic conditions may negatively affect demand for our products.
Increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of raw materials could harm our business.
We may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of raw materials. For example, the tariffs currently imposed for importing goods from China has significantly increased. Any such an increase or supply interruption could materially negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. We use various raw materials in our business including aluminum. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions and global demand for these materials and could adversely affect our business and operating results. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials increase our operating costs, and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased prices for our products and services.
Litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
From time to time in the normal course of our business operations, we may become subject to litigation involving intellectual property, data privacy and security, consumer protection, food safety, commercial disputes and other matters that may negatively affect our operating results if changes to our business operation are required. We may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental impacts, or service disruptions or failures. The cost to defend such litigation may be significant and may require a diversion of our resources. There also may be adverse publicity associated with litigation that could negatively affect customer perception of our business, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable. As a result, litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, insurance may not cover existing or future claims, be sufficient to fully compensate us for one or more of such claims, or continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. A claim brought against us that is uninsured or underinsured could result in unanticipated costs, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations and resulting in a reduction in the trading price of our stock.
We are currently party to an action for an alleged breach of contract with a former contract grower. See “Business -– Legal Proceedings” for more information. If we settle this claim or the action is not resolved in our favor, we may suffer reputational damage and incur legal costs, settlements or judgments that exceed the amounts covered by our existing insurance policies. We can provide no assurances that our insurer will insure the legal costs, settlements or judgments we incur in excess of our deductible. If we are unsuccessful in defending ourselves from this claim or if our insurer does not insure us against legal costs we incur in excess of our deductible, the result may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common stock and warrants may not develop, the price of our stock and warrants may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
This is the initial public offering of our securities. Prior to this offering, and there was no public market for our common stock or warrants. We have applied to list our common stock and warrants on Nasdaq. Even if our common stock and warrants are approved for listing on Nasdaq, we cannot predict the extent to which investor interest in our company will lead to the development of an active trading market in our securities or how liquid that market might become. If such a market does not develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult for you to sell your shares of common stock and warrants at the time you wish to sell them, at a price that is attractive to you, or at all. We anticipate having a limited number of shares in our public float, and as a result, there could be extreme fluctuations in the price of our common stock.
The trading price of our common stock and warrants may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Our stock price and price of our warrants could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, which include:
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In addition, during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies, and volatility has increased following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Broad market and industry factors may seriously affect the market price of companies’ stock, including ours, regardless of actual operating performance. These fluctuations may be even more pronounced in the trading market for our stock and warrants shortly following this offering. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.
Our failure to meet the continuing listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a delisting of our securities.
If we fail to satisfy the continuing listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance, stockholders equity or minimum closing bid price requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our common stock and warrants. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and warrants and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our securities when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would likely take actions to restore our compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our common stock and warrants to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our securities, prevent our common stock from dropping below the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.
We will incur increased costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies, which could adversely affect our operating results.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting and corporate governance requirements. These requirements include compliance with Section 404 and other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and Nasdaq. In addition, our management team also has to adapt to the requirements of being a public company. We expect complying with these rules and regulations will substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
The increased costs associated with operating as a public company will decrease our net income or increase our net loss, and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business or increase the prices of our products or services. Additionally, if these requirements divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
As a public company, we also expect that it may be more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as our executive officers.
As a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting. We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the first fiscal year beginning after the effective date of the IPO. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting.
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| Table of Contents |
We are in the early stages of the costly and challenging process of compiling the system and processing documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404. We may not be able to remediate future material weaknesses, or to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would have a material adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
If our shares of common stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on Nasdaq and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
If we were to dissolve, the holders of our securities may lose all or substantial amounts of their investments.
If we were to dissolve as a corporation, as part of ceasing to do business or otherwise, we may be required to pay all amounts owed to any creditors before distributing any assets to the investors. There is a risk that in the event of such a dissolution, there will be insufficient funds to repay amounts owed to holders of any of our indebtedness and insufficient assets to distribute to our other investors, in which case investors could lose their entire investment.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our securities adversely, our stock and warrant prices and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock and warrants will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our securities adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock and warrant prices would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock and warrant prices or trading volume to decline.
In making your investment decision, you should understand that we and the underwriters have not authorized any other party to provide you with information concerning us or this offering.
You should carefully evaluate all of the information in this prospectus before investing in our company. We may receive media coverage regarding our company, including coverage that is not directly attributable to statements made by our officers, that incorrectly reports on statements made by our officers or employees, or that is misleading as a result of omitting information provided by us, our officers or employees. We and the underwriters have not authorized any other party to provide you with information concerning us or this offering, and you should not rely on this information in making an investment decision.
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| Table of Contents |
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, including the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and “Business” contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “outlook” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to:
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| · | our ability to continue as a going concern; |
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| · | our ability to continue to access and operate our Belvidere, New Jersey facility; |
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| · | our market opportunity; |
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| · | the effects of increased competition as well as innovations by new and existing competitors in our market; |
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| · | our ability to retain our existing customers and to increase our customer base; |
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| · | the future growth of the indoor agriculture industry and demands of our customers; |
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| · | our ability to effectively manage or sustain our growth; |
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| · | our ability to grow the business due to the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or any future pandemic; |
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| · | our expected use of proceeds from this offering; |
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| · | our ability to maintain, or strengthen awareness of, our brand; |
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| · | our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our intellectual property; |
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| · | future revenue, hiring plans, expenses and capital expenditures; |
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| · | our ability to comply with new or modified laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to our business; |
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| · | our ability to recruit and retain key employees and management personnel; |
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| · | our financial performance and capital requirements following this offering; |
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| · | the potential insufficiency of our disclosure controls and procedures to detect errors or acts of fraud; |
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| · | the potential lack of liquidity and trading of our securities; |
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| · | the lack of an established market for our securities; and |
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| · | our potential ability to obtain additional financing. |
We caution you that the foregoing list may not contain all of the forward-looking statements made in this prospectus. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in “Risk Factors.” Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this prospectus may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this prospectus to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed with the SEC as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances may be materially different from what we expect.
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| Table of Contents |
USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $13,250,000 after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, we estimate that our net proceeds will be approximately $15,342,500. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for the following purposes:
| Proceeds: |
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| |
| Gross Proceeds |
| $ | 15,000,000 |
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| Discounts |
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| 1,050,000 |
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| Estimated Fees and Expenses |
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| 700,000 |
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| Net Proceeds |
| $ | 13,250,000 |
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| Uses: |
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| Working capital and general corporate purposes |
| $ | 6,574,137 |
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| Construction of new greenhouses and/or acquisition of existing greenhouses(1) |
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| 3,000,000 |
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| Organizational build-out(2) |
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| 1,000,000 |
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| Transaction bonuses(3) |
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| 1,000,000 |
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| Completion of packhouse at New Jersey facility |
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| 900,000 |
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| Debt repayment(4) |
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| 775,863 |
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| Total Uses |
| $ | 13,250,000 |
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______________
| (1) | We have no current plans to acquire existing greenhouses, but we may do so as part of our growth strategy in the future. |
| (2) | Includes the hiring of a chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, head of sales, and support and operational staff. |
| (3) | Transaction bonuses of up to $500,000 each are payable to our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer under the terms of their employment agreements upon the closing of this offering. See “Executive and Director Compensation – Employment Agreements” for more information. |
| (4) | Includes repayment of the promissory and demand notes and accrued interest totaling $775,863 held by our Chief Financial Officer, as of March 31, 2022. See “Description of Securities” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.” Does not include the potential repayment of the Evergreen Notes if those notes are not converted into shares of common stock prior to the closing of this offering. |
A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $11.00 per Unit, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $1.27 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.
If the Evergreen Notes are not converted into shares of common stock prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to repay the amount due under the Evergreen Notes and accrued interest, or $3,735,999, with some of the proceeds of this offering. We intend to repay the promissory and demand notes and accrued interest held by our executive officers with part of the net proceeds of this offering, which include $775,863 payable to our Chief Financial Officer. At their election, holders of our outstanding SAFEs may elect to receive cash instead of converting their SAFE into common stock upon the effectiveness of this offering. If all SAFE holders elected to receive cash, we would be required to pay them $538 thousand.
The actual allocation of proceeds realized from this offering will depend upon our operating revenues and cash position and our working capital requirements may change. Therefore, as of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering. Accordingly, we will have discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and investors will be relying on our judgment regarding the application of the proceeds of this offering. Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never paid cash dividends on any of our capital stock, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and expansion of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors, including our results of operations, financial condition, future prospects, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant.
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| Table of Contents |
The following table sets forth our capitalization as of December 31, 2021 as follows:
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| · | on an actual basis; |
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| · | on a pro forma basis to reflect (i) the conversion of convertible notes held by Messrs. Kras and James, our CEO and CFO, respectively for 287,501 shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering, (ii) the conversion of the Series 2020 Crowd SAFEs into 147,711 shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering, (iii) the issuance of 80,000 shares of common stock to Evergreen on January 14, 2022, and (iv) the issuance of 277,260 shares of our common stock upon the conversion of the Evergreen Notes; and |
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| · | on a pro forma, as adjusted, basis to reflect the issuance and sale by us of $13.25 million in Units in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $11.00 per Unit, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us and the receipt by us of the proceeds of such sale. |
The pro forma information below is illustrative only, and our capitalization following the closing of this offering will change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read this table in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
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| As of December 31, 2021 |
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| Unaudited, |
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| Unaudited, Pro |
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| Unaudited, Pro Forma as |
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| (In thousands) |
| Actual |
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| Forma(1) |
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| Adjusted(1) |
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| Cash and Cash Equivalents |
| $ | 31 |
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| $ | 1,163 |
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| $ | 14,413 |
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| Long-term debt, net of discounts |
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| 3,882 |
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| 3,392 |
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| 3,392 |
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| Long-term lease liabilities |
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| 126 |
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| 126 |
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| 126 |
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| Stockholders' Equity |
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| Common stock ($0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 5,000,000 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021; 5,792,472 shares on a pro forma basis; 7,156,108 shares on a pro forma as adjusted basis) |
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| 1 |
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| 1 |
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| 1 |
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| Additional paid in capital |
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| 511 |
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| 6,995 |
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| 20,245 |
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| Accumulated Deficit |
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| (7,619 | ) |
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| (9,468 | ) |
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| (9,468 | ) |
| Total stockholders' (deficit) equity |
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| (7,107 | ) |
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| (2,472 | ) |
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| 10,778 |
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| Total capitalization |
| $ | (3,099 | ) |
| $ | 1,046 |
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| $ | 14,296 |
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| (1) | The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted information is illustrative only and following the completion of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. |
The number of shares of our common stock outstanding set forth in the table above excludes, as of March 31, 2022:
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| · | 150,327 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $7.65 per share; |
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| · | 121,934 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $20.75 per share; |
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| · | 1,500,000 shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards under the 2022 Plan; |
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| · | 1,363,636 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be issued in this offering; and |
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| · | 54,545 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrants to be issued in this offering. |
If you invest in our Units in this offering, your investment will be immediately and substantially diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock that is part of the Unit and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock after giving effect to the offering.
Our net tangible book value (deficit) as of December 31, 2021 was $(7.107) million, or approximately $(1.42) per share. Net tangible book value per share represents our total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding.
Our pro forma net tangible book value (deficit) as of December 31, 2021 was $(2.566) million, or approximately $(0.44) per share after taking into account the pro forma adjustments described in “Capitalization.”
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| Table of Contents |
Pro forma, as adjusted net tangible book value dilution per share of common stock to new investors represents the difference between the amount per share of common stock that is part of the Unit paid by purchasers in the offering and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of common stock immediately after completion of the offering. After giving effect to the offering and our sale of the Units in the offering at an assumed public offering price of $11.00 per Unit, and after deduction of underwriting discounts and commissions from gross proceeds raised in the offering and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma, as adjusted net tangible book value as of December 31, 2021 would have been $10.684 million, or $1.49 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of $1.93 per share of common stock to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $9.51 per share of common stock to investors of the offering, as illustrated in the following table, based on shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021.
| Assumed offering price per share of common stock (attributing no value to warrants) |
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| $ | 11.00 |
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| Actual net tangible book value per share before this offering, as of December 31, 2021(1) |
| $ | (1.42 | ) |
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| Proforma adjustments(2) |
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| 0.99 |
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| Pro forma net tangible book value per share |
| $ | (0.43 | ) |
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| Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors(3) |
| $ | 1.94 |
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| Pro forma net tangible book value per share of common stock after this offering, as of December 31, 2021(4) |
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| $ | 1.51 |
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| Dilution per share to new investors |
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| $ | 9.49 |
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| (1) | Determined by dividing (i) net tangible book value (total assets less intangible assets) less total liabilities by (ii) the total number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding prior to the offering |
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| (2) | Represents (i) the expected conversion of convertible notes held by Messrs. Kras and James, our CEO and CFO, respectively for 287,500 shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering, (ii) the conversion of the Series 2020 Crowd SAFEs into 147,711 shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering, and (iii) the issuance of 277,260 shares of our common stock upon the conversion of the Evergreen Notes. |
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|
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| (3) | Represents the difference between (i) pro forma, as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering and (ii) net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2021. |
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|
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| (4) | Determined by dividing (i) pro forma, as adjusted net tangible book value, which is our pro forma net tangible book value plus the cash proceeds of this offering, after deducting the estimated offering expenses payable by us, by (ii) the total number of shares of common stock to be outstanding following this offering. |
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $11.00 per Unit, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering by $0.18 per share and the dilution to new investors purchasing Units in this offering by $0.18 per share, assuming the number of Units offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
If the underwriters exercise their option in full to purchase an additional 204,545 shares of common stock in this offering, the pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering would be $1.75 per share, the increase in the net tangible book value per share to existing stockholders would be $2.18 per share and the dilution to new investors purchasing Units in this offering would be $9.25 per share.
The number of shares of our common stock outstanding set forth in the table above excludes, as of March 31, 2022:
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| · | 150,327 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $7.65 per share; |
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| · | 121,934 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants held by Evergreen at an exercise price of $20.75 per share; |
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| · | 1,500,000 shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards under the 2022 Plan; |
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| · | 1,363,636 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be issued in this offering; and |
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| · | 54,545 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrants to be issued in this offering. |
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| Table of Contents |
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our operations together with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations, whose actual outcomes involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those stated in or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors,” “Cautionary Statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and elsewhere in this prospectus.
Business Overview
Edible Garden is a CEA farming company. We use traditional agricultural growing techniques together with technology to grow fresh, organic food, sustainably and safely while improving traceability. We use the controlled environment of traditional greenhouse structures, such as glass greenhouses, together with hydroponic and vertical greenhouses to sustainably grow organic herbs and lettuces.
Our business is a successor business of a subsidiary of Terra Tech. We purchased substantially all of the assets of Edible Garden Corp., a subsidiary of Terra Tech which we refer to in this section as “Predecessor”, from Terra Tech as of March 30, 2020 for approximately $3.0 million. Our company was incorporated on March 28, 2020 in the State of Wyoming as Edible Garden Inc. We are now a Delaware corporation with the name “Edible Garden AG Incorporated.”
Recent Developments
Private Placement
From October 2021 through March 30, 2022, we have raised $3.2 million in a private placement with Evergreen Capital Management LLC (“Evergreen”) to support our working capital requirements. The private placement consists of 15% original issue discount secured promissory notes issued to Evergreen with a warrant to purchase shares of our common stock exercisable for five years from the date of the applicable closing. The notes incur interest at a rate of 5.0% per annum. We have closed on multiple tranches of this private placement on the following terms:
| Closing Date |
| Maturity Date of Note |
| Principal Amount of Note |
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| Shares Underlying Warrant |
| ||
| 10/7/2021 |
| 7/7/2022 |
| $ | 1,150,000 |
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| 150,327 |
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| 11/8/2021 |
| 8/8/2022 |
| $ | 402,500 |
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| 19,398 |
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| 11/22/2021 |
| 8/22/2022 |
| $ | 402,500 |
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| 19,398 |
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| 12/20/2021 |
| 9/20/2022 |
| $ | 345,000 |
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| 16,627 |
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| 1/14/2022 |
| 10/14/2022 |
| $ | 460,000 |
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| 22,169 |
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| 2/11/2022 |
| 11/11/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 2/18/2022 |
| 11/18/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 3/2/2022 |
| 12/2/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 3/9/2022 |
| 12/9/2022 |
| $ | 345,000 |
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| 16,627 |
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| 3/18/2022 |
| 12/18/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
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| 3/30/2022 |
| 12/30/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
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| 5,543 |
|
The promissory note we issued to Evergreen in the first closing of the private placement may be converted, at Evergreen’s option, into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $7.65 per share (the “First Evergreen Note”). The warrant we issued to Evergreen in the first closing of the private placement may be exercised for the underlying shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.65 per share (the “First Evergreen Warrant”).
In each of the subsequent closings of the private placement, the promissory notes may be converted at a conversion price of $20.75 per share (the “Subsequent Evergreen Notes,” and together with the First Evergreen Note, the “Evergreen Notes”), and the warrants may be exercised for the underlying shares of common stock at an exercise price of $20.75 per share (the “Subsequent Evergreen Warrants,” and together with the First Evergreen Warrant, the “Evergreen Warrants”).
The Evergreen Notes are secured and subordinated to the Sament Notes. If the Evergreen Notes are not converted into shares of common stock prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to repay the amount due under the Evergreen Notes with some of the proceeds of this offering.
As part of the private placement, Maxim received a cash fee equal to 6% of the private placement proceeds. The offering was conducted pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act in reliance upon Rule 506(b) promulgated under the Securities Act.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting worldwide economic conditions have affected, and may continue to affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted global supply chains and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. For example, government imposed mandatory closures and restrictions across various key markets of ours resulted in volatile supply and demand conditions, primarily due to reduced demand in the food service distribution channel. As a result, product in the industry was redirected to the retail channel and in some cases this led to an increased supply and lower pricing. While demand in our retail channels for certain products has increased due to the impact of COVID-19, there is no guarantee that this increased demand will continue. While these effects were pronounced to varying degrees throughout fiscal year 2020 and 2021, the future extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial performance, including our ability to execute our strategic initiatives, is still uncertain and will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic, related government restrictions and the success of vaccines and other treatments for COVID-19. Additionally, as the global economic impacts of COVID-19 continue, fluctuate and/or change, the pandemic’s impact on our operating results may change or be prolonged.
In addition, our ability to continue to supply our products is highly dependent on our workforce, including our workers involved in the growing, harvesting, transportation, processing and distribution of our products. Our ability to maintain the safety of our workforce may be significantly impacted by individuals contracting or being exposed to COVID-19, and our operations and financial results may be negatively affected as a result. We are following the requirements of governmental authorities and taking additional preventative and protective measures to ensure the safety of our workforce, we cannot be certain that these measures will be successful in ensuring the health of our workforce. Workforce disruptions related to COVID-19 may significantly impact our ability to maintain our operations and may adversely affect our financial results. Throughout the pandemic governments have restricted travel and transportation generally, and while these restrictions have not significantly impacted our ability to supply our products to date, there is no guarantee that future restrictions will not have a significant impact on our business. We also incurred costs in relation to safety precautions undertaken in our shipping operations and there can be no assurances that we would not be required to incur such costs or similar costs in the future.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operating results can also impact our ability to meet our financial obligations. Our operating results have been and may continue to be impacted by the pandemic, and we cannot predict whether future developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will materially adversely affect our long-term liquidity position. In the event of a continued sustained market deterioration or further delayed recovery, we may need additional liquidity which would require us to evaluate available alternative strategies such as seeking additional debt or equity capital, which may be unsuccessful.
Results of Operations
The comparability of our operating results in the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 includes the predecessor company, Edible Garden Corp., a subsidiary of Terra Tech (“Predecessor”) as well as the successor company, or Edible Garden AG Incorporated (us or the “Successor”). The period from January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2020 relates to the Predecessor and the period from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 relates to the Successor. The period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 relates to the Successor.
We present the information in this format to assist readers in understanding and assessing the trends and significant changes in our results of operations on a comparable basis. We believe this presentation is appropriate because it provides a meaningful comparison and relevant analysis of our results of operations for the relevant periods.
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Comparison of Results of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor) compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor)
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| Predecessor |
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| Successor |
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| Period from |
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| Successor |
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| March 28, 2020 |
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| Three |
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| (inception) |
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| Year |
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| Months Ended |
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| through |
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| Ended |
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| March 31, |
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| December 31, |
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| December 31, |
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| (in thousands) |
| 2020 |
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| 2020 |
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| 2021 |
| |||
| Revenue |
| $ | 1,750 |
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| $ | 7,691 |
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| $ | 10,507 |
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| Cost of goods sold |
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| 1,599 |
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| 6,488 |
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| 9,859 |
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| Gross Profit |
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| 151 |
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| 1,203 |
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| 648 |
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| Selling, general and administrative expenses |
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| 1,480 |
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| 3,675 |
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| 5,611 |
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| Impairment of assets |
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| — |
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|
| — |
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| — |
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| (Gain) / Loss on sale of assets |
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| 303 |
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|
| — |
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|
| — |
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| Loss from operations |
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| (1,632 | ) |
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| (2,472 | ) |
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| (4,963 | ) |
| Other income / (expense) |
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|
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| Interest expense, net |
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| — |
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|
| (112 | ) |
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| (617 | ) |
| Gain from extinguishment of debt |
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| — |
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| 503 |
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|
| 42 |
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| Total other income / (expense) |
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| — |
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|
| 391 | ) |
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| (575 | ) |
| Income / (loss) from continuing operations |
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| (1,632 | ) |
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| (2,081 | ) |
|
| (5,538 | ) |
| NET LOSS |
| $ | (1,632 | ) |
| $ | (2,081 | ) |
| $ | (5,538 | ) |
Revenues
Revenues were $1.750 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $7.691 million for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor) for a total of $9.441 million, compared to $10.507 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor). Revenues for the Successor increased by $1.066 million, or 11.29%, compared to the combined basis for the Predecessor and Successor for the year ended December 31, 2020. This represents growth from new accounts, growth from our existing customers taking in additional product lines due to the increased demand from consumers due to the impact of COVID-19 and overall category growth.
Cost of goods sold
Cost of goods sold were $1.599 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $6.488 million for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor) for a total of $8.087 million, compared to $9.859 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor). Cost of goods sold for the Successor increased $1.772 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, or 21.91%, compared to the combined basis for the Predecessor and Successor for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The increase in cost of goods sold in 2021 was primarily due to the raw material costs in the amount of $2.160 million to fulfill the orders placed by our customers and additional costs incurred due to additional supply chain pressure caused by COVID-19. The increase in raw material costs was partially offset by a $175 thousand decrease in labor costs to produce the products and a decrease of $662 thousand in delivery costs to get the products to market for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in cost of goods sold was also offset by a decrease in the cost of freight to get the products to market, of $662 thousand on a combined basis, because our own employees are delivering our products instead of us incurring this cost from third-party carriers.
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Gross margin
Gross margin was $151 thousand or 8.60% of sales for the period three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $1.203 million or 15.64% of sales for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor), compared to $648 thousand or 6.17% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021. Gross margin for the Successor was $648 thousand or 6.17% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021, a decrease of $706 thousand, or 52.07%, compared to the combined basis for the Predecessor and Successor for the year ended December 31, 2020, while gross margin as a percentage of sales declined by 8.17%. Our margins decreased due to the increased costs incurred to fulfill the demand by our customers as a result of COVID-19 for our products which we were able to produce and deliver while beginning to leverage a small part of our operating efficiencies.
Selling, general and administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $1.480 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $3.675 million for the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor), compared to $5.611 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor). Selling, general and administrative expenses for the Successor were $5.611 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $456 thousand, or 8.85%, compared to the combined basis for the Predecessor and Successor for the year ended December 31, 2020. Bad debt expense is attributable to the predecessor company for reserves established of approximately $42 thousand. For the Successor in the year ended December 31, 2021, commission expense increased by approximately $42 thousand due to brokers we retained to help increase revenue; employee benefits, increased by approximately $229 thousand due to higher rates paid for workmen’s compensation insurance due to the changes in our experience rating. Salaries, decreased by approximately $188 thousand due the reduced headcount while deploying automation in the production facility; audit and accounting fees increased by $193 thousand, legal expense, increased by approximately $90 thousand, utilities increased by $134 thousand due to increased production, advertising increased by approximately $28 thousand, and depreciation increased by approximately $70 thousand and repairs and maintenance decreased by $113 thousand.
Loss from operations
Loss from operations were $1.632 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $2.472 million for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor), compared to $4.963 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor). Loss from operations for the Successor were $4.963 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $859 thousand, or 20.93%, compared to the combined basis of the Predecessor and Successor of $4.104 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Interest expense
Interest expense was zero for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $112 thousand for the period March 28, 2020 through December 31, 2020 (Successor), compared to $617 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor). On a combined basis, interest expense for the Predecessor and Successor was $112 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020. There was an increase for the Successor of $505 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2021. The interest was incurred by the successor due to the seller financing notes for the Asset Acquisition as well as other working capital loans.
Gain from extinguishment of debt
During the first quarter of 2021, the Company purchased a total of $227,365 of goods from Arch City AG, LLC (“Arch City”), an entity partially owned by Mr. Kras, our Chief Executive Officer. In May 2021, the Company entered into an Assumption and Indemnification Agreement (the “Assumption Agreement”) with Arch City, which resulted in the Company assuming a liability of $78,976 that Arch City owed to a third-party supplier. In consideration for payment of the outstanding liability, Arch City forgave the Company’s outstanding balance of accounts payable, which totaled $121,470. The Company recognized a gain from extinguishment of debt of $42,494 during the third quarter of 2021. There was a gain from extinguishment of debt in the nine months ended December 31, 2020 (Successor) in the amount of $503 thousand due to the forgiveness of the Paycheck Protection Program loan which was approved by the Small Business Administration. There was no gain from extinguishment of debt in the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor).
Net Loss
Net Loss was $1.632 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and $2.081 million for the period March 28, 2020 through December 31, 2020 (Successor), compared to $5.538 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor). On a combined basis, the net loss for the Predecessor and Successor was $3.713 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase for the Successor of $1.825 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Management will continue its efforts to attempt to lower operating expenses and increase revenue. We continue to invest in further expanding our operations and promoting our name and products. Given the fact that most of the operating expenses are fixed or have a quasi-fixed character, management expects that, as revenue increases, those expenses, as a percentage of revenue, will significantly decrease. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that we will be able to increase our revenues in future periods.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe certain measures are useful in evaluating our operating performance. These measures constitute non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures are used by management in making operating decisions, allocating financial resources, and internal planning and forecasting, and for business strategy purposes. Non-GAAP financial measures have inherent limitations and are not uniformly utilized by issuers. Therefore, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for comparable measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation is provided below for each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin
Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, non-GAAP measures, are strong indicators of our overall operating performance and are useful to management and investors as measures of comparative operating performance from period to period. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, and as further adjusted for gain on extinguishment of debt, share-based compensation, transaction and acquisition-related charges, integration and restructuring charges, and other non-cash charges. We exclude the impact of share-based compensation because it is a non-cash expense and we believe that excluding this item provides meaningful supplemental information regarding performance and ongoing cash generation potential. We exclude gain on extinguishment of debt, transaction and acquisition related charges, integration and restructuring charges, and other charges because such expenses are episodic in nature and have no direct correlation to the cost of operating our business on an ongoing basis. We define Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenues.
Adjusted EBITDA was $(1.182) million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and represented an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of (68)%. Adjusted EBITDA was $(1.905) million for the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through September 30, 2020 (Successor) and represented an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of (25)%. On a combined basis, Adjusted EBITDA for the Predecessor and Successor was $(3.087) million for the period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 and represented an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of (33)%. Adjusted EBITDA was $(4.204) million for the year ended December 31, 2021 represented an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of (40)%.
Growth in Adjusted EBITDA was driven primarily from revenue growth attributed to new and existing customers offset by the contraction of margin due to supply chain issues during COVID-19 pandemic.
The following table presents the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin to the comparable GAAP measures for the last two fiscal years.
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| Predecessor |
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| Successor |
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| Period from |
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| Successor |
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| March 28, 2020 |
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| Three |
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| (inception) |
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| Year |
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| Months Ended |
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| through |
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| Ended |
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| March 31, |
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| December 31, |
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| December 31, |
| |||
| (in thousands) |
| 2020 |
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| 2020 |
|
| 2021 |
| |||
| Net Loss |
| $ | (1,632 | ) |
| $ | (2,081 | ) |
| $ | (5,537 | ) |
| Interest expense, net |
|
| — |
|
|
| 112 |
|
|
| 617 |
|
| Depreciation and amortization |
|
| 147 |
|
|
| 567 |
|
|
| 759 |
|
| (Gain) / Loss on sale of assets |
|
| 303 |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
| (Gain) from extinguishment of debt |
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| — |
|
|
| (503 | ) |
|
| (42 | ) |
| Adjusted EBITDA |
| $ | (1,182 | ) |
| $ | (1,905 | ) |
| $ | (4,204 | ) |
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| Predecessor |
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| Successor |
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| Period from |
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| Successor |
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| March 28, 2020 |
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| Three |
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| (inception) |
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| Year |
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| Months Ended |
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| through |
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| Ended |
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| March 31, |
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| December 31, |
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| December 31, |
| |||
| (in thousands) |
| 2020 |
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| 2020 |
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| 2021 |
| |||
| Adjusted EBITDA |
| $ | (1,182 | ) |
| $ | (1,905 | ) |
| $ | (4,204 | ) |
| Total Revenues |
|
| 1,750 |
|
|
| 7,691 |
|
|
| 10,507 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Adjusted EBITDA Margin |
|
| -68 | % |
|
| -25 | % |
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| -40 | % |
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Going Concern Considerations
We have incurred significant losses since our inception. We have experienced net losses of approximately $2.081 million for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and $5.538 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. We expect our capital expenses and operational expenses, to increase in the future due to expected increased sales and marketing expenses, operational costs, and general and administrative costs and, therefore, our operating losses will continue or even increase at least through the near term.
Our financial statements have been prepared on a “going concern” basis, which implies we may not continue to meet our obligations and continue our operations for the next twelve months. The report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our audited consolidated financial statements contains a going concern qualification in which such firm expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result if we are unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, holders of our securities might lose their entire investment. Although we plan to attempt to raise additional capital through one or more private placements or public offerings, the doubts raised relating to our ability to continue as a going concern may make our shares an unattractive investment for potential investors. These factors, among others, may make it difficult to raise any additional capital and may cause us to be unable to continue to operate our business.
There is no assurance that we will ever be profitable or that debt or equity financing will be available to us in the amounts, on terms, and at times deemed acceptable to us, if at all. The issuance of additional equity or equity-linked securities by us would result in significant dilution in the equity interests of our current stockholders. Obtaining commercial loans, assuming those loans would be available, would increase our liabilities and future cash commitments. If we are unable to obtain financing in the amounts and on terms deemed acceptable to us, we may be unable to continue our business as planned and as a result may be required to scale back or cease operations, which could cause our stockholders to lose some or all of their investment in us. The financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
Liquidity
The Company’s primary liquidity requirements are for working capital, continued investments in capital expenditures, and other strategic investments. Income taxes are currently not a significant use of funds but after the benefits of our net operating loss carryforwards are fully recognized, could become a material use of funds, depending on our future profitability and future tax rates. The Company’s liquidity needs are met primarily through cash flows from operations, as well as funds available under our term loan borrowings and related party loans. Our cash flows from operations include cash received from customers, less cash costs to provide services to our customers, which includes general and administrative costs and interest payments.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $5 thousand in cash and cash equivalents, respectively, available. As of December 31, 2021, we had $31 thousand in cash and cash equivalents available. As of December 31, 2020, we had $3.884 million of total debt outstanding. As of December 31, 2021, we had $8.091 million of total debt outstanding. We believe our cash on hand, together with the proceeds of this offering, amounts available under our factoring facility, related party loans and cash provided by (used in) operating activities are and will continue to be adequate to meet our operational and business needs in the next twelve months. To the extent additional funds are necessary to meet our long-term liquidity needs as we continue to execute our business strategy, we anticipate that they will be obtained through the incurrence of additional indebtedness, additional equity financings or a combination of these potential sources of funds. In the event that we need access to additional cash, we may not be able to access the credit markets on commercially acceptable terms or at all. Our ability to fund future operating expenses and capital expenditures and our ability to meet future debt service obligations or refinance our indebtedness will depend on our future operating performance, which will be affected by general economic, financial and other factors beyond our control, including those described under “Risk Factors.”
Long-Term Debt
Secured Promissory Note
On March 30, 2020, the Company issued a promissory note to Sament Capital Investments, Inc. (“Sament”), an affiliate of Terra Tech for $3,000,000 in connection with the acquisition of the Predecessor’s assets. The Note accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% per annum on a 360-day year basis and matures March 30, 2025. In addition, we granted a second secured promissory note to Sament as of June 3, 2020 for $653,870, which accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% until June 3, 2023 (together with the note due March 30, 2025, the “Sament Notes”). The Sament Notes are secured by all of the assets purchased in connection with the Asset Acquisition. Sament also currently owns 19.7% of our outstanding common stock.
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Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Loans
On June 22, 2020, the Company entered into a U.S. Small Business Administration Loan Authorization and Agreement pursuant to which the Company received loan proceeds of $150,000 (the “SBA Loan”). The SBA Loan was made under, and is subject to the terms and conditions of, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, which was a program expanded for COVID-19 relief under the CARES Act and is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The term of the SBA Loan is thirty (30) years with a maturity date of June 22, 2050 and the annual interest rate of the SBA Loan is a fixed rate of 3.75%. Under the terms of the CARES Act, the use of loan proceeds for the SBA Loan is limited to alleviating economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAFE Agreements
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, the Company entered into Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFEs”) with investors in a series of transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to Regulation Crowdfunding (the “Crowdfunding offering”).
Upon a future equity financing of greater than $1,000,000 (not including our initial public offering), the SAFE securities are convertible at the option of the Company into securities identical to those issued in the future equity financing (“Shadow Securities”), except (1) they do not have the right to vote except as required by law, (2) they must vote in accordance with the majority of the investors in such future equity financing with respect to any such required vote and (3) they are not entitled to any inspection or information rights. If the Company elects to convert the securities upon the closing of a future equity financing, the investors will receive the number of Shadow Securities equal to the greater the quotient obtained by dividing the amount the investor paid (the “Purchase Amount”) for the securities by:
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| (a) | the quotient of $18,500,000 divided by the aggregate number of issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, assuming full conversion or exercise of all convertible and exercisable securities then outstanding, including shares of convertible preferred stock and all outstanding vested or unvested options or warrants to purchase capital stock, but excluding (i) the issuance of all shares of capital stock reserved and available for future issuance under any of the Company’s existing equity incentive plans, (ii) convertible promissory notes issued by the Company, (iii) any SAFEs, and (iv) any equity securities that are issuable upon conversion of any outstanding convertible promissory notes or SAFEs, or |
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|
|
|
|
| (b) | the lowest price per share of the securities sold in such future equity financing. |
The price (either (a) or (b)) determined above shall be deemed the “First Financing Price” and may be used to establish the conversion price of the securities at a later date, even if the Company does not choose to convert the SAFE securities upon the first future equity financing.
Upon our initial public offering of common stock or a change of control (a “Liquidity Event”) prior to any equity financing, the SAFE holders will receive, at the option of the holder, either (i) a cash payment equal to the purchase amount or (ii) a number of shares of common stock of the Company equal to the purchase amount divided by the quotient of (a) $18,500,000 divided by (b) the number, as of immediately prior to the Liquidity Event, of shares of the Company’s capital stock (on an as-converted basis) outstanding, assuming exercise or conversion of all outstanding, vested and unvested options, warrants and other convertible securities, but excluding (i) shares of common stock reserved and available for future grant under any equity incentive or similar plan; (ii) any SAFEs; and (iii) convertible promissory notes.
In the case of a Liquidity Event following any equity financing, the investors will receive, at the option of the investors, either (i) a cash payment equal to the Purchase Amount, or (ii) a number of shares of the most recently issued preferred stock equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the First Financing Price. Shares of preferred stock granted in connection shall have the same liquidation rights and preferences as the shares of preferred stock issued in connection with the Company’s most recent Equity Financing.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, the Company raised a total of approximately $538 thousand in the Crowdfunding offering, which was made through Open Deal Portal LLC (the “Intermediary”). The Intermediary was entitled to receive a 6% commission fee and 2% of the securities issued in connection with the offering, which was closed subsequent to year-end.
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Related Party Loans
During 2020, the Company borrowed $32,000 from James E. Kras, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Director. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and do not accrue interest.
During 2020, the Company borrowed $25,000 from Jeanne Ciccone, a close relative of James E. Kras. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and do not accrue interest.
During 2020, the Company borrowed $25,000 from Michael James, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Director, of which $2,500 remained outstanding as of December 31, 2020. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and do not accrue interest.
During 2021, the Company issued Convertible Promissory Notes (the “Convertible Notes”) with principal amounts totaling $1,200,000 to Michael James, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (the “Holder”). The Convertible Notes mature on the earlier of (1) one year after issuance, (2) upon the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The principal and interest due and owed under the Notes, which bear interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum, are convertible into shares of Common Stock at any time at the election of the Holders at a conversion price equal to $4.625 (subject to adjustment for forward reverse stock splits and the like after the issuance date). The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Notes at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to the Holders.
During 2021, the Company issued Promissory Notes (the “Promissory Notes”) totaling $660,000 to Mr. James, which mature on the earlier of (1) one year after issuance, (2) upon the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The Promissory Notes bear interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum. The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Promissory Notes at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to Mr. James.
During 2021, the Company issued Demand Notes totaling $35,200 to James Kras, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Director. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and did not accrue interest. The remaining outstanding balance of $25,200 was exchanged for a Convertible Promissory Note (the “Convertible Note”), which matures on the earlier of (1) one year after issuance, (2) upon the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The principal and interest due and owed under the Note, which bears interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum, is convertible into shares of Common Stock at any time at the election of the Mr. Kras at a conversion price equal to $4.625 (subject to adjustment for forward reverse stock splits and the like after the issuance date). The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Note at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to Mr. Kras.
See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for a summary of the notes the Company has issued to Messrs. Kras and James in order to fund ongoing operations.
Vehicle Loans
During 2020, the Company entered into a financing agreement for the purchase of a vehicle. The loan, which accrues interest at a rate of 17.51%, matures on April 26, 2024. The loan is secured by the vehicle purchased.
During 2021, the Company entered into three financing agreements totaling $102,681 for the purchase of vehicles. The loans, which accrue interest at rates of 16.84% - 18.66%, mature in 2026. The loans are secured by the vehicles purchased.
Factoring Facility
On March 30, 2021, the Company entered into an accounts receivable purchasing agreement with Quasar Capital Partners, LLC (the “factoring facility”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to provide Quasar with the right to purchase the Company’s accounts receivable at book value less a discount. The Company’s Chief Financial Officer personally guaranteed the amounts payable under the factoring facility. On October 7, 2021, the Company repaid the amounts due under the factoring facility and the guarantee was released.
Evergreen Notes
From October 7, 2021 through March 30, 2022, we have raised $3.2 million in a private placement with Evergreen to support our working capital requirements. The private placement consists of 15% original issue discount secured promissory notes issued to Evergreen with a warrant to purchase shares of our common stock exercisable for five years from the date of the applicable closing. The notes incur interest at a rate of 5.0% per annum. We have closed on multiple tranches of this private placement on the following terms:
| Closing Date |
| Maturity Date of Note |
| Principal Amount of Note |
|
| Shares Underlying Warrant |
| ||
| 10/7/2021 |
| 7/7/2022 |
| $ | 1,150,000 |
|
|
| 150,327 |
|
| 11/8/2021 |
| 8/8/2022 |
| $ | 402,500 |
|
|
| 19,398 |
|
| 11/22/2021 |
| 8/22/2022 |
| $ | 402,500 |
|
|
| 19,398 |
|
| 12/20/2021 |
| 9/20/2022 |
| $ | 345,000 |
|
|
| 16,627 |
|
| 1/14/2022 |
| 10/14/2022 |
| $ | 460,000 |
|
|
| 22,169 |
|
| 2/11/2022 |
| 11/11/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
|
|
| 5,543 |
|
| 2/18/2022 |
| 11/18/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
|
|
| 5,543 |
|
| 3/2/2022 |
| 12/2/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
|
|
| 5,543 |
|
| 3/9/2022 |
| 12/9/2022 |
| $ | 345,000 |
|
|
| 16,627 |
|
| 3/18/2022 |
| 12/18/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
|
|
| 5,543 |
|
| 3/30/2022 |
| 12/30/2022 |
| $ | 115,000 |
|
|
| 5,543 |
|
The First Evergreen Note is convertible, at Evergreen’s option, into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $7.65 per share. The Subsequent Evergreen Notes are convertible, at Evergreen’s option, into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $20.75 per share. The First Evergreen Warrant and the Subsequent Evergreen Warrants may be exercised for the underlying shares of common stock at exercise prices of $7.65 and $20.75 per share, respectively. The Evergreen Notes are secured and subordinated to the Sament Notes. If the Evergreen Notes are not converted into shares of common stock prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to repay the amounts due under the Evergreen Notes with some of the proceeds of this offering.
| 31 |
Cash Flow Analysis
Comparison of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor) are compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor)
The following table is a summary of our cash flow activity for the periods presented:
|
|
| Predecessor |
|
| Successor |
|
| Successor |
| |||
|
|
|
|
| Period from |
|
|
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
| March 28, 2020 |
|
|
|
| |||
|
|
| Three Months Ended |
|
| (inception) through |
|
| Year Ended |
| |||
|
|
| March 31, 2020 |
|
| December 31, 2020 |
|
| December 31, 2021 |
| |||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
| $ | (676 | ) |
| $ | (1,351 | ) |
| $ | (4,078 | ) |
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
| $ | (79 | ) |
| $ | 48 |
|
| $ | (151 | ) |
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
| $ | 750 |
|
| $ | 1,404 |
|
| $ | 4,255 |
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
For the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor), the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor), and the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor), net cash provided by (used in) operating activities was $(676) thousand, $(1.351) million, and $(4.078) million, respectively. The cash flows used by operating activities were driven primarily by working capital needs offset by revenue growth from existing customers and new customers.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
For the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor), the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor), and the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor), net cash used in investing activities was $(79) thousand, $48 thousand, and $(151) thousand, respectively. Investing cash flows are driven primarily by capitalized purchases of property and equipment.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor), the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor), and the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor), net cash provided by financing activities was $750 thousand, $1.404 million and $4.255 million, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor), net cash provided was for contributions from the parent company. Net cash provided by financing activities for the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 (Successor) and the year ended December 31, 2021 (Successor) were driven by proceeds of debt issued.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
There were no material off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2021.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to use judgment in making estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. The following accounting policies are based on, among other things, judgments and assumptions made by management that include inherent risks and uncertainties. Management’s estimates are based on historical experience, the relevant information available at the end of each period, and their judgment. Although management believes the judgment applied in preparing estimates is reasonable based on circumstances and information known at the time, actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or market conditions.
The most significant accounting estimates involve a high degree of judgment or complexity. Management believes the estimates and judgments most critical to the preparation of our consolidated financial statements and to the understanding of our reported financial results include allowance for doubtful accounts. The following are the accounting policies most critical to the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the Company’s customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The Company does not offer returns, discounts, loyalty programs or other sales incentive programs that are material to revenue recognition. Payments from our customers are due upon delivery or within a short period after delivery.
Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Our fixed assets, which are comprised of leasehold improvements, equipment and vehicles, have useful lives of five years. Expenditures for major renewals and improvements are capitalized, while minor replacements, maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the asset lives, are charged to operations as incurred. Upon sale or disposition, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in operations.
The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying balances of its property, equipment and leasehold improvements may not be recoverable in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment.” When such events or changes in circumstances are present, the Company assesses the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets will be recovered through undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the total of the future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of those assets, the Company recognizes an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets continue to be subject to amortization, and any impairment is determined in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment,” intangible assets are stated at historical cost and amortized over their estimated useful lives. The Company uses a straight-line method of amortization, unless a method that better reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or otherwise used up can be reliably determined. As of December 31, 2020, Edible Garden held one intangible asset related to a non-compete agreement, which has a useful life of two years. The Company reviews intangible assets subject to amortization quarterly to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life. Conditions that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, a product recall, or an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. If an impairment indicator exists, we test the intangible asset for recoverability. For purposes of the recoverability test, we group our amortizable intangible assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows if the intangible asset does not generate cash flows independent of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of the intangible asset (asset group) exceeds the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the intangible asset (asset group), the Company will write the carrying value down to the fair value in the period identified.
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Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes is determined in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” The Company files a consolidated United States federal income tax return. The Company provides for income taxes based on enacted tax law and statutory tax rates at which items of income and expense are expected to be settled in our income tax return. Certain items of revenue and expense are reported for Federal income tax purposes in different periods than for financial reporting purposes, thereby resulting in deferred income taxes. Deferred taxes are also recognized for operating losses that are available to offset future taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. The Company has incurred net operating losses for financial-reporting and tax-reporting purposes. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, such net operating losses were offset entirely by a valuation allowance.
The Company recognizes uncertain tax positions based on a benefit recognition model. Provided that the tax position is deemed more likely than not of being sustained, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50.0% likely of being ultimately realized upon settlement. The tax position is derecognized when it is no longer more likely than not of being sustained. The Company classifies income tax related interest and penalties as interest expense and selling, general and administrative expense, respectively, on the consolidated statements of operations.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 of the consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus for information about recent accounting pronouncements.
Internal Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are therefore not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. Upon becoming a public company, we will be required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, which will require our management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Though we will be required to disclose material changes made to our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis, we will not be required to make our first annual assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC. We will not be required to have our independent registered public accounting firm attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until our first annual report subsequent to our ceasing to be an “emerging growth company.”
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Overview
Edible Garden is a controlled environment agriculture (“CEA”) farming company. We use traditional agricultural growing techniques together with technology to grow fresh, organic food, sustainably and safely while improving traceability. We use the controlled environment of traditional greenhouse structures, such as glass greenhouses, together with hydroponic and vertical greenhouses to sustainably grow organic herbs and lettuces. In our hydroponic greenhouse, we grow plants without soil. Instead of planting one row of lettuce in the ground, by using a vertical greenhouse, we can grow many towers of lettuce in the same area by planting up instead of planting across. Growing these products sustainably means that we avoid depleting natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance, such as by renewing, reusing and recycling materials in order to lower the overall one-time use of materials.
Our controlled greenhouse facilities allow us to grow consistent quality herbs and lettuces year-round, first by eliminating some of the variability of outdoor farming with our CEA techniques, and second by leveraging our proprietary software, GreenThumb. In addition to using hydroponic and vertical greenhouse systems, we use a “closed loop” system in our greenhouses. Generally, in a “closed loop” system, drain water is recollected and reused for irrigation. In our closed loop system, we also cycle water back into the system that has been collected through reverse osmosis. When compared to conventional agriculture, our closed looped systems and hydroponic methods use less land, less energy and less water (than legacy farms), thus conserving some of the planet’s limited natural resources. Our advanced systems are also designed to help mitigate contamination from harmful pathogens, including salmonella, e-coli and others.
We have also developed patented software called GreenThumb that assists in tracking plants through our supply chain. Utilizing our GreenThumb software to track the status of our plants as they grow and move throughout the greenhouse allows us to add a layer of quality control due to the frequent monitoring of the growing process, leading to improved traceability. In this context, traceability means being able to track a plant through all stages of production and distribution. In addition to improving traceability, GreenThumb helps us better manage the day-to-day operations of our business. GreenThumb is a web-based greenhouse management and demand planning system that does the following:
|
| · | integrates in real-time with our cloud business software suite for monitoring daily sales data; |
|
| · | generates reports by category, product, customer, and farm to allow us to analyze sales, trends, margins and retail shrink (spoiled product); |
|
| · | provides dynamic pallet mapping for packout, which enables us to more efficiently ship our products; |
|
| · | utilizes a proprietary algorithm that uses year-over-year and trending sales data to develop customer specific and aggregate product specific forecasting for our greenhouses; |
|
| · | aggregates all greenhouse activity input to provide real-time inventory and availability reports of all products in our greenhouses; |
|
| · | manages our online ordering system with user controlled product availability based upon greenhouse inventory; |
|
| · | provides a route management system for coordinating the logistics of our direct store delivery program; and |
|
| · | tracks all production activities at greenhouses, including sowing, spacing, dumping, spraying, picking and packing, using hand held devices. |
We also use our GreenThumb software to help monitor the quality of our products, and we have dedicated quality assurance and quality control personnel that check and monitor our products. We have customer service personnel that answer any questions the consumers of our products may have, and we regularly ask for feedback from our customers on the quality of our products. The combination of the GreenThumb software, quality assurance and control processes (including compliance with food safety standards), and feedback from consumers and purchasers holds us accountable for maintaining the quality of our herbs and lettuce.
We focus our efforts on producing our herbs and vegetables in a sustainable manner that will reduce consumption of natural resources, by recycling water in our closed loop system and using LED lights instead of conventional lightbulbs to accelerate crop growth and yield, when necessary. In addition, the inventory management component of GreenThumb allows us to manage inventory levels, order quantities and fill rates while maximizing truck loads. This means that we are better able to control shipping our products in full truck loads, thus eliminating multiple deliveries and decreasing the excess emission of greenhouse gases that would result from many partially full trucks delivering our products. Together, these elements of our production and distribution process are intended to reduce our carbon footprint, or the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by our actions, as compared to a legacy farm business.
We believe our focus on our brand “Edible Garden” is a significant differentiator. The brand not only lends itself to our current portfolio of products but allows us to develop other products in the “Consumer Brands” category. Our focus on sustainability, traceability, and social contribution, which we define as an ongoing effort to improve employee relations, working conditions, and local communities, presents our value proposition to our customers and supermarket partners and distributors.
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We believe that Edible Garden’s facilities comply with food safety and handling standards.
We have food safety certifications from Primus, a GFSI certification program, the USDA for organic products, and some of our products are verified as non-GMO by the non-GMO Project. We are licensed under PACA to operate our business. We voluntarily comply with the HACCP principles established by the FDA.
Primus annually audits our growing process and entire food safety management system to ensure that our process and products meet the standards established by the GFSI. We value this certification because our customers require purchasing products from producers who are GFSI certified. When we undergo the GFSI audit, Primus audits the following:
|
| · | standard operating procedures and their documentation; |
|
| · | food safety testing (biological hazards) by an ISO 17025 accredited lab; |
|
| · | water testing by an ISO 17025 accredited lab; |
|
| · | quality control processes; |
|
| · | personnel health, hygiene and safety; |
|
| · | sanitation programs; |
|
| · | mock recalls/products on-hold process; |
|
| · | internal auditing system for organic, GFSI, non-GMO and HACCP certifications and verifications; |
|
| · | records retention; |
|
| · | food defense/food fraud; |
|
| · | supplier approval program; |
|
| · | pest management program; and |
|
| · | visual inspection of growing and packing processes. |
To maintain our USDA Organic certification, we must submit:
|
| · | our farm and handling plans annually; |
|
| · | to an annual inspection and audit of our greenhouse and how we handle aspects of our business; |
|
| · | to review of our organic documentation and records retention; and |
|
| · | to review and testing of our water usage and irrigation systems, harvest and post-harvest processing, and supplier monitoring and control. |
In addition, we must:
|
| · | use Organic Materials Review Institute (“OMRI”)-approved inputs, such as fertilizer, pesticides, disease management and media; |
|
| · | use organic in-house seedling production; |
|
| · | use organic pest management practices; |
|
| · | use organic crop management techniques; |
|
| · | perform nutritional deficiencies testing; |
|
| · | perform microbiological water testing; |
|
| · | conserve natural resources and promote biodiversity; and |
|
| · | maintain organic integrity (prevent conventional crops from contaminating organic crops). |
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Some of our products are verified as non-GMO by the non-GMO Project. To have a product verified by the non-GMO Project, we submit to an annual review process of the relevant products. We must source seeds and cuts from reputable and safe suppliers, not use bio-engineered products or ingredients during the growing process, and not include bio-engineered ingredients or products in the final goods sold to customers.
To maintain our PACA license, we submit to an annual review of our business, including our history and principles, to ensure we are meeting our contractual obligations under the law. This includes abiding by fair trading practices, meeting our contractual agreements and specifications, promptly paying all contracts, and maintaining trust assets.
The HACCP principles require that we submit to USDA audits annually. We must also identify the various chemical, physical, and biological hazards that exist in crop production and manage and control those hazards so that they do not contaminate our products or packaging. We must also implement and document critical control points, and implement and document corrective actions taken when those critical control points do not adequately control a hazard.
We intend to use our approach to expand in key strategic markets across the country while supporting our existing operations. Our priority in the near term is to strengthen our existing business in part with the proceeds from this offering. We have a history of operating losses since inception and expect to incur additional near-term losses. As discussed further in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis — Liquidity and Capital Resources,” our auditors have issued an opinion that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern if we are unable to complete this offering. However, we are pursuing this offering because we believe that we have the potential to take advantage of strategic growth opportunities. Our model of growing local produce near high population density centers and being able to provide fresh produce to our existing supermarket partners, who have a wider network than us, is intended to create organic growth in our business through those existing relationships. If we complete this offering, we intend to use part of the proceeds to either build or acquire greenhouses near population centers and distribution centers to be able to grow more produce close to where it is in demand and to deepen our relationships with regional and national supermarkets. Our model allows us to reduce transportation food miles, reduce fuel costs, and lower emissions related to food transportation.
We believe that the power of our brand together with the quality, innovative packaging and traceability of our products allow all of our customers to associate Edible Garden with locally grown and sustainably sourced packaged herbs and vegetables. Our tag line “Simply Local, Simply Fresh” is intended to describe our business plan: growing herbs and lettuce in local farms in the regional communities where our customers sell our products so that the products stay fresher for longer. We believe this strategy allows us to drive local grass roots brand awareness while we grow our business to support our plan to become a national brand.
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We currently offer 31 stock keeping units “SKUs” and expect to further cross sell products across our supermarket partners to meet their demand. These products include:
|
| · | 10 types of individually potted, live herbs; |
|
| · | 10 types of cut single-herb clamshells; |
|
| · | 2 specialty herb items; |
|
| · | 6 different types of lettuce; |
|
| · | hydro basil; |
|
| · | bulk basil; and |
|
| · | vegan protein powder. |
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These products are currently sold at over 4000 supermarket stores and food distributors across the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the country. Some of the supermarkets that sell our products include Walmart, Target, Meijer, Wakefern Food Corporation/ShopRite, King Kullen, D’Agostino’s, and Kroger.
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| Table of Contents |
We also service a large number of food distributors. This market segment allows us greater penetration with smaller local and regional supermarkets and the food services business.
Since inception, a few of our customers constitute a majority of our total revenue. For example, during the year ended December 31, 2021, we earned approximately 76% of our revenue from three customers, and we earned approximately 34% of our revenue from one customer in the period from our inception through December 31, 2020. While we value our strong relationship with these major customers, we face the risk of losing a significant source of revenue if our major customers do not continue to purchase our products. If that were to occur and we were unable to replace the revenue by selling our products to additional customers, our ability to earn revenue would be significantly negatively impacted. Part of our growth strategy is to reduce this customer concentration by expanding our production capacity, which would allow us to sell our products to more supermarket partners.
We sell products to our customers on a purchase order basis, with no spend or purchase commitments, in the ordinary course of business. We and our customers enter into purchase orders on a daily basis. To date, no purchase order has exceeded 2.0% of our revenue for the particular quarter in which the products were delivered to the customer.
The packaging we use leverages the latest technology to reduce plastics, extend the shelf life of our products, and reduce retail shrink - all leading to a reduced carbon footprint by reducing waste. The packaging we use features bio-based (sugar cane) sleeves. Using this material, we are able to reduce our use of plastic in our business. Generally, retail shrink is a loss of inventory. For our supermarket customers, one source of this shrinkage is spoiled product, such as herbs that have been in packaging for so long that they become poor quality. We use herb bags that have micro-perforations that allow ethylene gas to escape from the product packaging. Ethylene gas accelerates spoilage of herbs and lettuce. By allowing this gas to escape, we are able to extend the shelf life of the product while reducing the likelihood that our customers experience retail shrink because they have to throw our products in the garbage. Using this technology, cilantro, for example, is in good quality after 11 days, while it would be in poor quality after seven days in other packaging, according to the developer of this bag material1. The CO2 laser perforation creates well-defined holes which allow for a controllable and consistent environment in the bag, while other typical bagged herbs are perforated with a cold needle, which produce inconsistent holes and, therefore, an uncontrollable atmosphere. Less product spoilage means less waste, and less shrinkage means that we will not have to produce as many lettuce and herbs to achieve the same level of retail sales. Altogether, we should be able to produce less carbon and minimize the size of our carbon footprint by using these packaging innovations.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting worldwide economic conditions have affected, and may continue to affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted global supply chains and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. For example, government imposed mandatory closures and restrictions across various key markets of ours resulted in volatile supply and demand conditions, primarily due to reduced demand in the food service distribution channel. As a result, product in the industry was redirected to the retail channel and in some cases this led to an increased supply and lower pricing. While demand in our retail channels for certain products has increased due to the impact of COVID-19, there is no guarantee that this increased demand will continue. While these effects were pronounced to varying degrees throughout fiscal year 2020 and 2021, the future extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial performance, including our ability to execute our strategic initiatives, is still uncertain and will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic, related government restrictions and the success of vaccines and other treatments for COVID-19. Additionally, as the global economic impacts of COVID-19 continue, fluctuate and/or change, the pandemic’s impact on our operating results may change or be prolonged.
In addition, our ability to continue to supply our products is highly dependent on our workforce, including our workers involved in the growing, harvesting, transportation, processing and distribution of our products. Our ability to maintain the safety of our workforce may be significantly impacted by individuals contracting or being exposed to COVID-19, and our operations and financial results may be negatively affected as a result. We are following the requirements of governmental authorities and taking additional preventative and protective measures to ensure the safety of our workforce, but we cannot be certain that these measures will be successful in ensuring the health of our workforce. Workforce disruptions related to COVID-19 may significantly impact our ability to maintain our operations and may adversely affect our financial results. Throughout the pandemic governments have restricted travel and transportation generally, and while these restrictions have not significantly impacted our ability to supply our products to date, there is no guarantee that future restrictions will not have a significant impact on our business. We also incurred costs in relation to safety precautions undertaken in our shipping operations and there can be no assurances that we would not be required to incur such costs or similar costs in the future.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operating results can also impact our ability to meet our financial obligations. Our operating results have been and may continue to be impacted by the pandemic, and we cannot predict whether future developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will materially adversely affect our long-term liquidity position. In the event of a continued sustained market deterioration or further delayed recovery, we may need additional liquidity which would require us to evaluate available alternative strategies such as seeking additional debt or equity capital, which may be unsuccessful.
____________
1“Shelf Life Studies: Herbs,” Windham Packaging, LLC.
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| Table of Contents |
Production and Properties
We utilize prime greenhouse locations in the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the country, allowing us to provide local fresh and organic products to these local communities. Our locally grown and delivered products using a network of sustainable greenhouse farms provide local communities, retailers and consumers the quality they demand with the food safety they expect. The communities, retailers and consumers benefit from this as this allows us to get our products to market in the shortest time without compromising the plant’s quality and nutritional value. The growing locations are chosen to be near key trucking lanes within hours of major cities to cut down on “food miles” and fuel costs. We believe our strategy enhances our products’ appeal to major consumer constituencies that desire products grown and delivered locally.
Potential Growing Capacity
Consistent year round growing that adheres to our stringent sustainability protocols occurs in greenhouse locations in California, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The combination of our 5 acre flagship greenhouse location in Belvidere, NJ, together with over 1 million square feet of available growing capacity in contracted greenhouse space from contracted growers, enables us to use standardized methods and a suite of proprietary technology innovations to operate these hydroponic greenhouses and deliver consistent, fresh produce. Although we have access to this growing capacity, we do not use all of this capacity at any one time. For example, when products are grown for us in Half Moon Bay, California, those products typically constitute less than 5% of the growing capacity of that location. We work with the contract growers to have products grown in locations that are near our customers, and because of changes in customer demand or the ability of the contract grower to meet the terms of our purchase orders, the locations where our products are grown change over time. We believe we have sufficient potential growing capacity with contract growers and at our flagship greenhouse to supply products to our existing customers.
Since January 1, 2021, we have grown or purchased products grown in the following locations and with the following potential growing capacity:
| Location |
| Growing capacity |
|
|
| Belvidere, New Jersey |
| 5 acres |
| Operated by Edible Garden |
| Half Moon Bay, California |
| 55 acres |
| Contract grower |
| Hillard, Florida |
| 2 acres |
| Contract grower |
| Francesville, Indiana |
| 3 acres |
| Contract grower |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| 6 acres |
| Contract grower |
| Berlin, New York |
| 3 acres |
| Contract grower |
| Cleveland, Ohio |
| 3 acres |
| Contract grower |
| Hixton, Wisconsin |
| 3 acres |
| Contract grower |
We do not expect to continue to use the capacity in Cleveland, Ohio, due to a dispute with the contract grower at that location. See “Legal Proceedings” below for more information.
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Order Process
We rely on long-term relationships with contract growers to grow our herbs and produce, but have no formal long-term contracts with these growers. We classify our relationships with growers as “long term” because of the length of the personal working relationship between members of our management team and the growers. In some cases, these relationships began more than five years ago. While the personal relationships are long term, we do not have any formal written contracts with these growers. Instead, we and the growers use purchase orders to transact business. Our growing relationships require our produce to be grown in strict accordance with our proprietary growing process and to our specifications, but otherwise leaves control over the growing process to the contract growers.
We use our GreenThumb software to analyze year-over-year and trending sales data to develop customer-specific and aggregate product-specific forecasts. Each week, we provide our contract growers an estimated forecast that the grower can use to determine the quantity of herbs or produce it will sow. We use the same forecasts to determine what products to grow in the facility in Belvidere, New Jersey. The quantity of products sown will later be used to fill a purchase order. The forecast precedes any purchase order from us or the customer because the products take time to grow and customers in the industry adjust their orders frequently to attempt to meet demand without taking on excess perishable inventory.
We typically receive purchase orders from our customers one to two weeks prior to harvest of the products. If we are using a contract grower, we then submit a purchase order to the grower to fulfill the order and choose the grower based on the proximity of the contract grower to the specific customer and the grower’s ability to fulfill the order. The contract grower is not obligated to accept any orders, or any certain minimum order, that we submit to the grower. The contract grower bears the inventory risk and risk of loss during the growing process. We take title of the produce after inspection has been made in accordance with the specifications agreed to by both parties. However, the contract grower is responsible for any customer rejections of products upon final delivery, and we do not pay the contract grower for products that are rejected by our customers. We pay the contract growers based on the number of products grown and accepted by the customer, and we are not otherwise financially obligated to the contract grower. Although it is not our practice to do so, we can terminate the purchase orders we submit to contract growers at any time and for any reason.
If the contract grower has not grown enough of a specific product to fulfill a purchase order, we attempt to supplement the order with products from other growers or the New Jersey facility to meet the customer’s order. We only pay the contract grower for the number of products we purchase from them. If we are unable to meet the customer’s order, the customer typically finds another source of the product, which may harm our reputation with the customer but does not result in us incurring costs for the order.
If the contract grower has grown more of a specific product than is needed to fulfill a purchase order, we attempt to supplement other purchase orders that may need more of that product. Ultimately, if the contract grower sows too much of one crop than is needed to fill the purchase order, the contract grower must absorb those costs.
Flagship Facility in Belvidere, New Jersey
In addition to our contract growers, we operate a 5 acre flagship facility in Belvidere, New Jersey, which began commercial operations in 2015. Our facility incorporates a hydroponic gutter system developed in Holland for the exclusive production of herbs. The flagship facility also includes a cold storage freezer which allows us to package herbs for our distribution partners and a 20,000 sq. ft packhouse, which is under construction. Because we control the growing and shipping processes at this facility, we bear inventory risk, risk of loss, and other risks for the produce grown at this facility.
We are currently party to an ongoing, informal arrangement with our predecessor company, Edible Garden Corp., whereby we made lease payments of approximately $15,300 per month during 2021 and make lease payments of approximately $15,500 per month for 2022 to the Landlord of the land on which our flagship facility is built and for which our predecessor company is the lessee. We effectively rent the property on a month-to-month basis with no set term. We do not have a lease in place directly with the lessor of the property that gives us the right to operate the property, and there is no written agreement between us and our predecessor company or us and the Landlord describing this arrangement. We have not entered into a sub-lease or assignment of the agreement between our predecessor company and the Landlord, and we are not a party to or a beneficiary of the original lease between our predecessor company and the Landlord. We have been operating under this arrangement with the lessor for more than one year and do not expect to lose access to the property. We believe we will be able to continue operating the property because our operations and monthly payments benefit the current lessee, our predecessor company, and Landlord. Our predecessor company benefits from our effective assumption of the lease, because we are making lease payments that the predecessor company would otherwise be obligated to pay. In addition, an affiliate of our predecessor company, Sament, is a significant stockholder and creditor of ours, and our ability to repay amounts owed to Sament or increase the value of its investment in us depends in part on our ability to continue operating at the facility. From the Landlord’s perspective, it has been receiving consistent lease payments from an operator of the property since at least 2015 and from us for nearly two years, and many of the same individuals that worked for our predecessor company at the New Jersey facility continue to work at the facility as Edible Garden employees. If the Landlord did not assign the current lease or renegotiate a new lease with us, the Landlord would have to find another suitable tenant for the facility, which could result in additional costs to the Landlord or the risk of holding a vacant property. We expect to have the lease assigned to us once the Landlord obtains the permits necessary to complete construction of the packhouse. We do not know when those permits may be issued and cannot predict with certainty the timing of the expected assignment or the conditions upon which the Landlord’s consent to the assignment will be based.
Construction began on the packhouse at the New Jersey facility prior to our inception. Under the terms of the lease between our predecessor company and the Landlord, our predecessor company paid to build a foundation and construct the prefabricated building for the packhouse. Although the packhouse building is standing, it requires utilities and other improvements before we can use the building for our business. The Landlord was responsible for obtaining the permits required from the county and municipal governments for the construction. The permits used when the packhouse building was constructed have expired, and we believe that the Landlord will need to fund the widening of the road in front of the property and the addition of traffic lights as safety measures before new permits will be issued. After we complete this offering and the applicable permits from the county government have been obtained by the Landlord, the construction of the packhouse should take between six months and one year to complete. We anticipate investing between $700,000 to $900,000 in capital expenditures to add utilities such as HVAC, electrical service, septic system, and a well to complete the packhouse. We have not yet incurred expenses on construction of the packhouse. The Landlord is aware of the construction of the packhouse. We do not anticipate construction on the packhouse will impact our ability to operate the property.
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As of December 31, 2021, we had 44 full-time employees and two part-time employees located in or around Belvidere, New Jersey.
We source the raw materials for production from multiple suppliers, including Ball Horticulture, Brandt Box and Paper, PPC Flexible Packing, Sumit Plastics, Sun Gro Horticulture, Sunshine FPC, and expect that those supplies will continue to be available for our use.
Distribution
Edible Garden utilizes advanced, sustainable, environmentally controlled indoor agriculture to grow and process organic herbs and lettuces. Through our extensive distribution platform and proprietary predictive modeling, we pick, pack and ship to big box retailer’s distribution centers in our network. We distribute our products through more than 50 retail partners including national big box retailers, regional grocery stores, distributors, restaurants and local purveyors.
Our growing and distribution plans are designed to get our locally grown products to our retail partners and consumers as soon as possible after harvest. We want to make sure that our products arrive as fresh, undegraded and nutrient rich as when they were harvested. In order for us to meet this objective we strive to deliver our products to market in no less than 24 hours from when they are picked. We currently rely on our own fleet of nine delivery vehicles, as well as other independent shipping operators. We continue to build a broader footprint and intend to increase our logistics and shipping fleet to include more energy efficient vehicles that will use less fuel and leave less waste in our environment. Our greenhouse farms have to be strategically located in order for us to deliver on this objective.
We hold our transportation-related assets and manage the distribution of our products through our wholly-owned subsidiary, EG Transportation, LLC. This entity owns and leases the delivery vehicles we use to distribute products and holds the liability insurance needed for the transportation aspects of our business. As of March 31, 2022, we have nine delivery vehicles and approximately six drivers.
Competition
The U.S. fruits and vegetable markets are highly competitive. Our main competitors are Aero Farms, Gotham Greens, Bright Farms, Bowery Farms, Plenty. Many of these companies may have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources, as well as greater experience in the industry than we have. Our services may not be competitive with their services. In addition, our current and potential competitors may establish cooperative relationships with larger companies, to gain access to greater development or marketing resources. Competition may result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share. However, we believe the following elements will give us a competitive advantage in the rapidly growing CEA category:
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Customer Relationships and Brand. Our herbs and lettuce product portfolio is sold through our supermarket partners including Walmart, Target, Meijer, Wakefern Food Corporation/ShopRite King Kullen, D’Agostino’s, Kroger and food distributors. These key partners make up the majority of our revenue. We believe that we will continue capture more opportunities with these partners as we expand our business and product offering. We also utilize an efficient marketing mix of social media, in-store signage and premium shelf positioning to drive consumer awareness and reinforce purchases.
Value Proposition. We are part of repositioning the way food is grown, packaged and distributed. We believe this is the next generation of farming that is good for people and our planet. We believe scaling our grow operations in a fully controlled environment will result in a higher optimization on yields together with freshness, taste and texture. In addition, our proposition focuses on intelligent, common-sense approach to growing more with less resources. Our Zero Waste Inspired approach is in everything we do – from innovative recyclable packaging across our product portfolio and enterprise, using less water, electricity and land, zero pesticides and less road miles. Simply Local Simply Fresh delivers all of this together with our local farming partners with an accessible, traceable, organic product at a competitive price.
Technology Platform. Technology and data are competitive differentiators for Edible Garden. Rather than relying on “off-the-shelf” systems, we have created a data-driven technology platform to power traceability and integration across plant production, operations, data analytics and demand planning. Our proprietary platform allows us to consistently monitor and control plant production inputs across our flagship facility as well as integrate with all of our contract growers. This allows us to scale throughput with disruption and capture data analytics for better yield and predictability.
Management Team. Our management team has worked together for 6 years. Jim Kras, our CEO and Mike James, our CFO, have a strong working relationship and work collaboratively to advance our growth. We believe that they bring strong senior leadership in their respective roles and responsibilities and have been instrumental in our success to date, including growing our business during a pandemic. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge business and the economy. In these uncertain times having a team that has worked together for many years can provide mature leadership and support to the organization at critical moments. Our management team is committed to developing young talent in our business and are committed to continue this employee development as the organization continues to grow.
Industry Overview
Traditional Outdoor Agriculture. The traditional agriculture industry in the United States consists primarily of field crop farms. According to the USDA, the United States had almost 900 million acres of farmland in 2019. Over the last few decades this acreage has shifted and consolidated to larger and larger farms. Today, large-scale family farms make up just 3 percent of farms in the United States and 42 percent of overall production. Production of produce is also regionalized. The American Farm Bureau Foundation reports that Monterey County in California, home of Salinas Valley, supplies 61% of all leaf lettuce and 56% of head lettuce in the United States.
This regional dependency contributes to long, complex distribution chains, with some produce traveling thousands of miles over several days before reaching store shelves. With the environmental and social macrotrends mentioned herein, we believe traditional field farming is also less prepared to support a growing world population, due to its reliance on large amounts of land and water, both of which are becoming scarcer and less available for food production. We also believe consumer trends continue to want to know where their food comes from together with traceability and food safety (food pathogens – listeria and salmonella) are becoming more important to all business partners and consumers.
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Traditional Greenhouse Operators and Controlled Environment Agriculture. CEA has gained market share in recent decades as an alternative source of food production. This consists of both greenhouse operating companies and more high-tech greenhouses selling to retailers and grocery stores throughout the country. Despite growth in select crops, greenhouses have not been able to take meaningful market share from traditional field farms in the United States or in the leafy greens market until now. This is a function of shifting consumer trends together with the realization that the planet has finite natural resources. Overall consumer behavior is shifting away from commoditized produce as they associate consumer branded produce as sustainable, safe, organic, pesticide free all year long that is good for them and the social fabric of our planet. That’s why we believe as a market innovator we can continue to capture market share and brand awareness.
Growth Strategy
We are at an important point as we are operating at commercially viable scale and ready for the next level of growth with additional greenhouses and capabilities. Our business plan is to develop, own and operate commercial greenhouses across North America. Presently and in the near term our greenhouse operations will continue to grow herbs and lettuces. We expect to scale our business by building or acquiring a portfolio of new, fully scaled commercial greenhouses across the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South and Southwest. We plan to locate farms with easy access to distribution centers and major population demographic centers and to sell products into established supermarkets partners and distributors. We expect these full-scale commercial greenhouses to have more production capacity than our current facility and contract growers and to benefit from economies of scale.
Site selection for future facilities is based on a detailed methodology that weighs factors we believe to be indicative of farm unit economics, operational reliability and market accessibility, among other criteria. Examples include customer access and market depth within a 300-mile radius. The availability, reliability and cost of electricity; construction costs, speed to build, site infrastructure and permitting; local labor are further inputs to our selection process.
Intellectual Property
We rely on a combination of trademark laws, trade secrets, confidentiality provisions, and other contractual provisions to protect our proprietary rights, which are primarily our inventions, brand names, marks, and proprietary pods and seeds. Edible Garden owns trademarks, three pending patent applications, and one issued patent in the United States. The issued patent includes claims related to greenhouse management software and systems (GreenThumb) and is expected to remain in force until November 2040, provided that all required maintenance fees are paid. One of the three pending patent applications is a recently filed continuation patent application related to greenhouse management software and systems. If this pending patent is granted, it would remain in force until at least November 2040, provided that all required maintenance fees are paid. The two remaining patent applications, a design patent application and a utility patent application, are related to automatically watering display stands for herbs and other vegetation. Should these pending patent applications be granted, the design patent would remain in force until February 2035 and the utility patent would remain in force until February 2041, provided that all required maintenance fees are paid for the utility patent.
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Research and Product Development
Edible Garden recognizes the consumer acceptance and growth opportunities associated with plant-based derivatives of the products/plants it currently grows. As a leader in sustainability, research and development is a key focus for us moving forward. We have recently started shipping a new product category with plant based nutraceuticals, a derivative in the plant category. This new product will extend our product suite with major retailers in plant-based proteins under the Vitamin Way brand. We intend to further develop expertise in plant science and horticulture coupled with brand equity in the “plant based” sector. We believe this will lead us to effectively develop and market proprietary industrial ingredients and consumer packaged goods. By unlocking the Company’s capabilities for multiple product lines, we believe significant revenue opportunities are available across a wide spectrum of ancillary markets.
Our Sustainability Plan — Renew, Reuse, Recycle & Innovate
We adhere to an Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) criteria and set of standards for our operations that is socially conscious. Our Environmental criteria considers how our company performs as a steward of nature. The Social criteria examines how we manage relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where we operate. Our Governance deals with the company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls and stockholder rights.
Environment: We operate our CEA greenhouse facilities with the goal of being a good steward of nature. With our closed loop systems, we recapture and recycle water into our growing process. We are pesticide-free in our flagship facility as well as all contracted grow facilities. In vertical greenhouses, we are able to grow more herbs and lettuce per square foot than legacy farms. Our GreenThumb software allows us to be more efficient in our packing and shipping process with the goal of reducing excess emission of greenhouse gases and carbon that would result from more trucks transporting our products. The packaging we use is intended to reduce food spoilage and food waste while utilizing bio-based materials, leading to a reduction of plastics in the packaging. In the future, we intend for our greenhouses to take advantage of areas with renewable energy alternatives such as solar, wind, and hydro together with suppliers that support greenhouse gas-free electricity generation, when available. We plan to continue to deliver innovation in the products we use for our packaging and potting, further eliminating plastics from our products with recycled, biodegradable packaging. We intend to migrate to alternative fuel vehicles for our shipping needs by 2030. We commit to be carbon neutral by 2030, meaning that any carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from our business activities will be balanced by an equivalent amount being removed. Beyond our own operations, we consider the business activities of our suppliers, distributors, and other partners to be an important component of our overall environmental impact. We continually try to find partners who share our vision and commitment to sustainability. Accordingly, we prefer to work with suppliers and distributors that mirror our sustainability and carbon-neutrality goals. Many of our major retailers and suppliers have made public commitments to sustainability, net-zero, and zero-waste with a horizon timeline, and we seek partners who are taking a similar approach to reducing their environmental impact and carbon footprint. Although we ultimately rely on our partners to maximize their efficiencies, we drive reductions in overall carbon emissions and food miles by growing and delivering from facilities that are as close to our supermarket partners’ distribution centers as possible. We are working to help those partners who are not currently pursuing sustainability goals to move in that direction by raising awareness and providing information and guidance. However, we recognize that some of our smaller partners are subject to resource limitations and we will not require all of them to achieve our 2030 goals.
Social – Employees: Being local and producing year-round not only allows for competitive produce prices and the opportunity for more consumers to access high quality produce, it also allows our facilities to offer full time, indoor jobs to members of the community, offsetting the seasonal work offered by more traditional agriculture businesses. We are also committed to paying at a living wage, hiring locally, and promoting internally by investing in internal and community training programs to train employees with a skill set that will allow them to be part of the 21st-century workforce in the next generation of farming. To accompany the rapidly expanding workforce demands of our industry we are committed to work with all of our employees to help us understand any issues and to develop and enhance our indoor agriculture training and internal development opportunities.
Social – Community: We will prioritize underserved communities whether urban or rural where our facilities are located. As a company we will continue to develop our corporate mission of giving back to these communities. Charitable contributions to food banks, school systems, community anti-hunger and social reintegration programs are all part of giving back to these communities. For example, we partner with Abilities of Northwest Jersey Inc. to offer skills training in hydroponics and greenhouse farming at our Belvidere, New Jersey, greenhouse for individuals with disabilities, and we were named the Employer of the Year for 2020 by Abilities of Northwest Jersey. These initiatives aim to provide better economic and social results for these underserved communities. Our strategy will be to partner with both local, state and federal programs to help identify investment zones or redevelopment areas that would benefit from one of our greenhouse facilities in their community because of the expected local economic development and employment that would be associated with a new facility. We expect that each of our facilities will employ approximately 35-40 employees in these communities. We plan to consider underserved communities in all our future site selection process.
Governance: Edible Garden looks at diversity as a competitive advantage and strives to be fully supportive of diversity endeavors at all levels of the company. This alignment and focus will aid us in steering our long-term corporate actions in the right direction. Our goal is to build diversity across the whole enterprise with specific focus on the management team and board of directors. We plan on establishing a diversity committee with employees and members of our management team that will have complete oversight of these fundamental areas in conjunction with our nominating and governance committee. In addition, we intend to meet the governance requirements of Nasdaq after this offering is complete and to establish a robust system of corporate governance.
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Regulatory Compliance
As a producer and distributor of food products, we are subject to the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where our facilities are located and where are products are distributed. In particular we are subject to the FSM Act, which is enforced by the FDA. The FDA has the authority to regulate the growing, harvesting manufacture, including composition and ingredients, processing, labeling, packaging import, distribution and marketing and safety of food in the United States. The FSM Act significantly enhances the FDA's authority over various aspects of food regulation. For example, the FSM Act granted the FDA mandatory recall authority when the FDA determines there is a reasonable probability that a food is adulterated or misbranded and that the use of, or exposure to, the food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. While the FDA has been active in implementing the requirements of the FSM Act through issuance of regulations designed to result in a reduction of the risk of contamination in food manufacturing, the full impact of the FSM Act is not yet known, and we cannot assure you that it will not materially impact our business. Regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions have similar authority to address the risk of contamination or adulteration, and to require that contaminated products be removed from the market. The failure to comply with these laws and regulations in any jurisdiction, or to obtain required approvals, could result in a ban or temporary suspension on the production of our products or limit or bar their distribution, and affect our development of new products, and thus could materially adversely affect our business and operating results. In addition, the USDA regulates the import and export of certain fruits and vegetables into and from the United States, and the USDA also imposes growing, manufacturing and certification requirements for certain products labeled with organic claims. Failure to obtain necessary permits or otherwise comply with USDA regulations and requirements could result in a ban or temporary suspension of our ability to grow, manufacture or market our products as organic, and thus could materially adversely affect our business.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may be party to or otherwise involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Management does not believe that there is any pending or threatened proceeding against us, which, if determined adversely, would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition, except as described below.
The Company is party to an action filed against us on November 29, 2021 by Green City Growers Cooperative in the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The plaintiff seeks damages of approximately $600,000 for an alleged breach of a supplier agreement. The Company denies the allegations and filed a counterclaim against the plaintiff on January 3, 2022. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses and plans to vigorously defend itself.
This action arises from our entry into two agreements with the plaintiff. First, we entered into the Assumption Agreement in May 2021, whereby we assumed a liability of $78,976 that Arch City owed to the plaintiff. Second, also in May 2021, we entered into a supplier agreement with the plaintiff (the “Supply Agreement”), under which we agreed to purchase an aggregate of 6.0 million units of herbs and lettuce that were processed by the plaintiff over a three-year period according to agreed-upon prices. The plaintiff was one of our suppliers of cut basil, sage, rosemary, thyme and parsley during this time. On August 2, 2021, the plaintiff sent a notice to us terminating the Supply Agreement in accordance with its terms. Following the termination of the Supply Agreement, we do not have any written supply agreements with the plaintiff or any other contract grower.
If we settle this claim or the action is not resolved in our favor, we may suffer reputational damage and incur legal costs, settlements or judgments that exceed the amounts covered by our existing insurance policies. We can provide no assurances that our insurer will insure the legal costs, settlements or judgments we incur in excess of our deductible. If we are unsuccessful in defending ourselves from this claim or if our insurer does not insure us against legal costs we incur in excess of our deductible, the result may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Corporate History and Structure
Our business is a successor business of a subsidiary of Terra Tech Corp. (now known as Unrivaled Brands, Inc.)(“Terra Tech”). Unrivaled Brands (OTCQX:UNRV) is a cannabis multi-state operator and the parent company of multiple cannabis brands spanning consumer products, cultivation, distribution, and retail. We purchased substantially all of the assets of Edible Garden Corp., a subsidiary of Terra Tech, from Terra Tech as of March 30, 2020 for approximately $3.0 million, which did not include the purchase of any cannabis assets. To finance the asset purchase, we issued a secured promissory note of $3.0 million to Sament, an affiliate of Terra Tech, which accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% per annum until March 30, 2025. In addition, we granted a second secured promissory note to Sament as of June 3, 2020 for $653,870, which accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% until June 3, 2023. These Sament Notes are secured by the tangible greenhouse assets at our corporate headquarters and any proceeds thereof. Also in connection with the asset purchase, we issued two options to Sament. These options were exercised as of October 8, 2021 for 1.0 million shares of common stock at an aggregate exercise price of $2.00 and are no longer outstanding, as further described below in “Description of Securities.” As a result of this exercise, Sament currently owns 19.7% of our outstanding common stock.
Our company was incorporated on March 28, 2020 in the State of Wyoming as Edible Garden Inc. We subsequently changed our name to Edible Garden AG Incorporated on July 20, 2020, and we effected a stock split of 20 for 1 as of October 14, 2020. Effective July 7, 2021, our parent company, Edible Garden Holdings Inc., merged with and into us with us as the surviving entity. We converted into a Delaware corporation effective July 12, 2021. On September 8, 2021, we effected an additional forward stock split of 20 for 1. We have one wholly-owned subsidiary, EG Transportation, LLC, through which we manage the distribution of our products. Our current corporate structure is as shown below:
Our principal address is 283 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 07823. Our telephone number is (908) 750-3953. We maintain a website at www.ediblegarden.com. The information contained on our website is not, and should not be interpreted to be, incorporated into this prospectus. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
The following table sets forth certain information about our executive officers, key employees, directors, and director nominees as of the date of this prospectus.
| Name |
| Age |
| Position |
| James E. Kras |
| 53 |
| Chief Executive Officer, President and Director |
| Michael James |
| 63 |
| Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and Director |
| Mathew McConnell |
| 62 |
| Director nominee |
| Tracy A. Nazzaro |
| 53 |
| Director nominee |
| Ryan Rogers |
| 40 |
| Director nominee |
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Executive Officers and Directors
James E. Kras. Mr. Kras is one of our founders, and has served as Chief Executive Officer and a director since our inception in March 2020. Mr. Kras served as President and Chief Marketing Officer of Edible Garden Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Unrivaled Brands (formerly Terra Tech), from March 2016 to March 2020. Prior to that service, Mr. Kras held senior leadership positions in marketing at global leaders Ajinomoto and The Bountiful Company (formerly The Nature’s Bounty Company). Mr. Kras started his career on Madison Avenue in advertising with companies including Grey Advertising and Dentsu/Carat. As our Chief Executive Officer and one of our founders, Mr. Kras brings to the Board of Directors extensive knowledge of our products, structure, and culture as well as years of expertise in the industry.
Michael James. Mr. James is one of our founders, and has served as Chief Financial Officer and a director since our inception in March 2020. Mr. James also currently serves on the board of directors of Guided Therapeutics, Inc. as chairman, audit committee chair and as a member of the compensation committee. Mr. James previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Unrivaled Brands, Inc. (formerly Terra Tech) from February 2012 to March 2020. In addition to this role, Mr. James served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Inergetics, Inc. from June 2012 until January 2016. Previously, Mr. James served as Chief Executive Officer of Nestor, Inc. (“Nestor”), where he successfully completed a financial restructuring of Nestor prior to its sale in September 2009 from the Receiver’s Estate in Superior Court of the State of Rhode Island. He also served on Nestor’s Board of Directors from 2006 to 2009. Mr. James was the Managing Partner of Kuekenhof Capital Management, LLC, a private investment management company, from 1999 to 2015. During his career, Mr. James has served as a Partner at Moore Capital Management, Inc., a premiere private investment management company; Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Buffalo Partners, L.P., a private investment management company; and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of National Discount Brokers. Mr. James began his career in 1980 as a staff accountant with Eisner, LLP. Mr. James is a retired CPA. As our Chief Financial Officer and one of our founders, Mr. James brings to the Board of Directors extensive knowledge of our products, structure, and culture as well as years of expertise in the industry.
Director Nominees
Mathew McConnell. Mr. McConnell has served as Chief Executive Officer of Marco Polo Securities, Inc.’s MPS Chaperone and Distribution business since March 2020. In this position, he oversees international equities, trading, and capital markets processes for this U.S. broker-dealer offering cross-border regulatory and distribution solutions to a robust network of local securities firms across the world. From 2018 to 2020, Mr. McConnell served as Managing Director, Head of Equity Capital Markets of Tellimer (Exotix Capital), including as a member of its U.S. executive committee. Prior to Tellimer, Mr. McConnell was Head of Capital Markets at Auerbach Grayson from 2014 to 2018. Mr. McConnell was chosen to serve as a director because of his extensive international financial and capital markets experience, which we believe will continue to be important as we implement our growth strategy.
Tracy A. Nazzaro. Ms. Nazzaro is presently the President, Chief Financial Officer and General Manager for Traders Hill Farm, an innovative aquaponics greenhouse farming operation in Hilliard, Florida, that produces specialty leafy greens and tilapia year-round. She joined Traders Hill Farm as Chief Financial Officer in late 2015. Prior to joining Traders Hill Farm, Ms. Nazzaro was a certified business analyst with the University of North Florida SBDC where she provided strategic advisory and financial consulting services to businesses in Northeast Florida. Ms. Nazzaro is also the Executive Director of the RWB Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization providing financial assistance and operating guidance to small agriculture businesses in Florida. Ms. Nazzaro was chosen to serve as a director because of her extensive experience in our industry and her experience in growing agricultural businesses.
Ryan Rogers. Mr. Rogers has spent nearly two decades working in the food retail industry in various merchandising, sales and sourcing positions. Since June 2021, he has served as a brand manager for FDM Sales, a brand development organization helping accelerate growth for food and beverage brands. Prior to joining FDM Sales, Mr. Roger spent 18 years at Target Corp, where he held merchandising and sourcing roles of increasing responsibility within its food division, including produce buyer, where he led the growth strategy for packaged salads, vegetarian, and healthy snacking. Mr. Rogers was chosen to serve as a director because of his extensive experience in our industry and his ability to help organizations like ours accelerate growth.
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Key Employees
Scott Prendergast. Mr. Prendergast has served as our Chief Data Officer since June 2020. Prior to joining Edible Garden, Mr. Prendergast served as VP of Technology for Springbok Energy Partners and Director of Digital Strategy & Analytics for Moroch Partners. Some of Mr. Prendergast’s accomplishments include designing and developing real time well tracking and management portal utilized by Springbok Energy Partners to track well data and optimize mineral right valuations in real time, as well as developing the GreenThumb system that manages real time greenhouse inventory and activities for us and many of our partner farms. Mr. Prendergast started his career after graduating Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. Aerospace Engineering with a position with Bechtel Corp in the Nuclear Piping Analysis department, working on refueling and NRC compliance at Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant and Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant.
Stacey Eng. Ms. Eng has served as the Vice President of Logistics for us since inception and our predecessor company since March 2016. Ms. Eng previously worked as the Director of Operations for Inergetics, where she was responsible for developing the company’s supply chain and vendor relationships. Ms. Eng’s accomplishments include building an integrated supply chain to service a complex network of greenhouses throughout the United States while constantly streamlining our business. She has continually ensured that all deliverables were met on time for any size project, reduced lead-time for delivery in conjunction with implementing cost-cutting measures that drove gross margin improvements. Ms. Eng holds B.S. in Supply Chain Management & MIS from Rutgers University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Nick Simons. Mr. Simons joined our predecessor company in 2019 at the flagship Belvidere facility, where he currently supervises over 40 employees. Mr. Simons immediately impacted our results by overseeing improvements that lead his team to break major milestones in case counts we shipped out. With a passion for sustainability, he strives to have our facilities surpass what was previously thought possible. Prior to joining Edible Garden, Mr. Simons worked for Georgia-Pacific where he oversaw and taught Performance Standard Qualification training to production operators, resulting in a decrease in maintenance personal during the shift by over 35%. He also led the night shift to be the first in Dixie’s 85-year history to produce 4.0 million cases during a 12-hour shift. Mr. Simons is a certified 5S Process Leader, has been trained in FDA, cGMP, ISO, ICH Q7 regulations and standards and is Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Mr. Simons holds B.A. from DeSales University and earned his MBA from East Stroudsburg University.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Director Independence
Our current Board of Directors consists of James E. Kras and Michael James, neither of whom is considered independent based on the listing standards of Nasdaq. We are not currently listed on a national securities exchange or in an inter-dealer quotation system that requires a majority of the Board be independent. We have nominated Mathew McConnell, Tracy Nazzaro and Ryan Rogers, each of whom is considered independent under the Nasdaq listing standards, for appointment to the Board. We expect that these nominees will commence service on the Board at the time of effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. As required under applicable Nasdaq rules, we anticipate that our independent directors will meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions at which only independent directors are present.
Committees
Our Board intends to establish three standing committees: audit committee; compensation committee; and nominating and governance committee. Each of these committees will consist solely of independent directors who will join the Board and these committees upon the effectiveness of this registration statement. We will adopt written charters for each of these committees that will be available on our website. Our Board may establish other committees as it deems necessary or appropriate from time to time.
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Audit Committee
The audit committee will be responsible for, among other matters:
|
| · | appointing, compensating, retaining, evaluating, terminating, and overseeing our independent registered public accounting firm; |
|
| · | discussing with our independent registered public accounting firm the independence of its members from its management; |
|
| · | reviewing with our independent registered public accounting firm the scope and results of their audit; |
|
| · | approving all audit and permissible non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm; |
|
| · | overseeing the financial reporting process and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm the interim and annual financial statements that we file with the SEC; |
|
| · | reviewing and monitoring our accounting principles, accounting policies, financial and accounting controls, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; |
|
| · | coordinating the oversight by our board of directors of our code of ethics and our disclosure controls and procedures; |
|
| · | establishing procedures for the confidential and/or anonymous submission of concerns regarding accounting, internal controls or auditing matters; and |
|
| · | reviewing and approving related-person transactions. |
The Nasdaq rules require us to have one independent audit committee member upon the listing of our common stock, a majority of independent directors within 90 days of the date of this prospectus and all independent audit committee members within one year of the date of this prospectus. Upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, Mathew McConnell, Tracy Nazzaro and Ryan Rogers will serve on the audit committee and meet the definition of “independent director” for purposes of serving on an audit committee under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and Nasdaq rules. One of these nominees will qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K.
Compensation Committee
The compensation committee will be responsible for, among other matters:
|
| · | reviewing key employee compensation goals, policies, plans and programs; |
|
| · | reviewing and approving the compensation of our directors and executive officers; |
|
| · | reviewing and approving employment agreements and other similar arrangements between us and our executive officers; and |
|
| · | appointing and overseeing any compensation consultants or advisors. |
Upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, Mathew McConnell, Tracy Nazzaro and Ryan Rogers will serve on the compensation committee and meet the definition of “independent director” for purposes of serving on a compensation committee under Nasdaq rules.
Nominating and Governance Committee
The nominating and governance committee will be responsible for assisting the Board in identifying qualified individuals to become directors, in determining the composition of the Board and in monitoring the process to assess Board effectiveness. Upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, Mathew McConnell, Tracy Nazzaro and Ryan Rogers will serve on the nominating and governance committee.
Board Leadership Structure
Our Board of Directors and management believe that the choice of whether the Chair of our Board of Directors should be an executive of the Company, or a non-executive or independent director, depends upon a number of factors, taking into account the candidates for the position and the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. We do not currently have a Board Chair. Upon the effectiveness of this registration statement, we intend to appoint Mr. Kras, our Chief Executive Officer, as the Board Chair. Mr. Kras’s operating and leadership experience as an officer and director of our company since its inception and combined six years of experience with us and our predecessor company make him a compelling choice for Board Chair.
We intend to appoint Mr. McConnell as lead independent director when each of our independent directors joins our Board of Directors. The lead independent director will preside over executive sessions of the independent directors and serve as a liaison between the independent directors and our management team.
Risk Oversight
Our Board will oversee a company-wide approach to risk management. Our Board will determine the appropriate risk level for us generally, assess the specific risks faced by us and review the steps taken by management to manage those risks. While our Board will have ultimate oversight responsibility for the risk management process, its committees will oversee risk in certain specified areas.
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Specifically, our compensation committee will be responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation plans and arrangements, and the incentives created by the compensation awards it administers. Our audit committee will oversee management of enterprise risks and financial risks, as well as potential conflicts of interest. Our Board is responsible for overseeing the management of risks associated with the independence of our board of directors.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our officers currently serves, or has served during the last completed fiscal year, on the compensation committee or board of directors of any other entity that has one or more officers serving as a member of our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
Our Board intends to adopt a Code of Ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of this code will be available on our website. We intend to disclose on our website any amendments to the Code of Ethics and any waivers of the Code of Ethics that apply to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, or persons performing similar functions.
Director and Officer Indemnification Agreements
We intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and executive officers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, penalties, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or executive officer in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or executive officers or as a director or executive officer of any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request. The indemnification agreements and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws require us to indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
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EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table provides information regarding the compensation paid from our inception on March 28, 2020 through December 31, 2020 and the year ended December 31, 2021 to each of the executive officers named below, who are collectively referred to as “named executive officers” elsewhere in this prospectus.
| Name and Principal Position |
| Year |
| Salary ($) |
|
| Bonus ($) |
|
| Stock Awards ($) |
|
| Option Awards ($) |
|
| Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) |
|
| Non-qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) |
|
| All Other Compensation ($) |
|
| Total ($) |
| ||||||||
| James E. Kras, |
| 2021 |
|
| 200,000 | (1) |
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| 200,000 | (1) |
| Chief Executive Officer |
| 2020 |
|
| 137,916 |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| 137,916 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Michael James, |
| 2021 |
|
| 200,000 | (2) |
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| 200,000 | (2) |
| Chief Financial Officer |
| 2020 |
|
| 164,449 |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| 164,449 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dennis Rodrigues,(3) |
| 2021 |
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
| Secretary |
| 2020 |
|
| 15,000 |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| 15,000 |
|
____________
| (1) | During 2021, Mr. Kras deferred the payment of $38,462 of his $200,000 base salary as a cash conservation measure. We intend to pay this $38,462 to Mr. Kras after the closing of this offering. |
| (2) | During 2021, Mr. James deferred the payment of $46,154 of his $200,000 base salary as a cash conservation measure. We intend to pay this $46,154 to Mr. James after the closing of this offering. |
| (3) | Mr. Rodrigues served as our Secretary and a director from our inception until September 10, 2021, when he resigned both positions. |
Employment Agreements
We did not have employment agreements with our named executive officers in the year ended December 31, 2020. On August 18, 2021, we entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Kras and James, which were later amended on January 18, 2022. Pursuant to the employment agreements, Messrs. Kras and James will serve as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively, for a term of two years. These agreements will automatically renew for one additional one-year period unless we or the executive provides written notice prior to the end of the term. Pursuant to these employment agreements. Messrs. Kras and James are entitled to an annual base salary of $300,000, which amount may be increased by the compensation committee or the Board in their discretion. Each executive is eligible to receive an annual cash performance bonus with a target award amount equal to 100% of his base salary in the year of performance (“Performance Bonus”). This Performance Bonus will be based on performance and achievement of Company goals and objectives as defined by the Board or compensation committee. For the year ended December 31, 2021, no performance goals were set in advance and no Performance Bonus was awarded to Messrs. Kras or James. For the year ending December 31, 2022, no performance goals have been set in advance, and the 2022 Performance Bonus will be awarded at the discretion of the Board, or if formed, the compensation committee. In addition, each executive is entitled to four weeks’ paid time off pursuant to our practices for senior executives, and is entitled to the health, welfare and retirement benefits provided generally to our other employees.
Each executive is entitled to a special cash bonus (the “Transaction Bonus”) upon the first to occur of our IPO or the closing of a transaction contemplated by a business combination agreement between us and a special purpose acquisition company that results in the surviving corporation’s securities being listed on a national securities exchange. The Transaction Bonus will be up to $500,000 for each executive.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
Under the employment agreements for Messrs. Kras and James, if the executive is terminated for cause, resigns without good reason, or his employment ends due to his death or permanent disability, he will be entitled to any earned but unpaid base salary plus accrued benefits earned through the date of termination.
Under the employment agreements for Messrs. Kras and James, in the event of an executive’s termination for a reason other than for cause or if an executive terminates voluntarily under one or more of the specified circumstances that constitute a good reason, the executive will receive an amount equal to two times his then-current base salary payable monthly, less any required tax withholdings, plus the pro-rata portion of the Performance Bonus earned during the calendar year of termination, and an aggregate amount equal to 12 times the applicable monthly premium for his group medical, dental and vision coverage. In addition, any stock options held by the executive will accelerate and become fully vested, and any restrictions relating to restricted stock or restricted stock units will lapse and become fully vested.
The executives are subject to non-competition and non-solicitation provisions under their employment agreements effective for the period of time equal to the greater of: (i) the period of time during which the executive is receiving any compensation or benefits from us; or (ii) a period of one year following the executive’s termination of employment. In all cases, the executive’s payments and benefits will be reduced, if necessary, to ensure that the payments and benefits to the executive will not be subject to the “golden parachute” excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code and the payments will be deductible by us.
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Outstanding Equity Incentive Awards At Fiscal Year-End
There were no stock awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2020 or 2021.
Equity Incentive Plan
On January 18, 2022, the Board adopted, and our stockholders approved, a comprehensive equity incentive plan (the “2022 Plan”) pursuant to which we may issue up to 1,500,000 shares of common stock to employees, non-employee directors, and any other individuals who perform services for us until January 18, 2032. Under the 2022 Plan, we may issue awards including options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, and other stock-based awards as the Board or compensation committee may determine.
Director Compensation
Since inception, none of the directors has received any compensation solely for their service as director.
After this offering, pursuant to letter agreements we have with our director nominees, we intend to pay our independent directors $150,000 per year, comprised of $75,000 in cash compensation and $75,000 in restricted stock to be granted under the 2022 Plan. We intend for the compensation committee of the Board of Directors, once formed, to determine the future compensation of our independent directors.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The following sets forth a summary of transactions since January 1, 2020, or any currently proposed transaction, in which the Company was to be a participant and the amount involved exceeded or exceeds $120,000 and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
Working Capital Funding from Executive Officers
Since inception, we have relied on debt financing from our officers for some of our working capital and, as of March 31, 2022, owe our Chief Financial Officer $775,863 represented by promissory notes. During this period, we have entered into promissory notes with the following officers on the following dates:
| Date |
| Payee |
| Annual Interest Rate |
|
| Original Amount |
|
| Remaining Amount |
|
| Accrued Interest |
|
| Maturity Date |
| ||||
| 4/28/2020 |
| Michael James |
|
| 0 | % |
| $ | 25,000 |
|
| $ | 2,500 |
|
| $ | 0 |
|
| Upon Demand |
|
| 11/17/2020 |
| James E. Kras |
|
| 0 | % |
| $ | 5,000 |
|
| $ | 0 | (1) |
| $ | 0 |
|
| Upon Demand |
|
| 11/18/2020 |
| James E. Kras |
|
| 0 | % |
| $ | 2,000 |
|
| $ | 0 | (1) |
| $ | 0 |
|
| Upon Demand |
|
| 12/11/2020 |
| James E. Kras |
|
| 0 | % |
| $ | 25,000 |
|
| $ | 0 | (1) |
| $ | 0 |
|
| Upon Demand |
|
| 9/1/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 25,000 |
|
| $ | 25,000 |
|
| $ | 1,758 |
|
| 8/31/2022 | (2) |
| 9/3/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 75,000 |
|
| $ | 75,000 |
|
| $ | 5,225 |
|
| 9/2/2022 | (2) |
| 9/10/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| $ | 6,733 |
|
| 9/9/2022 | (2) |
| 9/15/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 60,000 |
|
| $ | 60,000 |
|
| $ | 3,940 |
|
| 9/14/2022 | (2) |
| 9/17/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| $ | 6,500 |
|
| 9/16/2022 | (2) |
| 9/22/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 90,000 |
|
| $ | 90,000 |
|
| $ | 5,700 |
|
| 9/21/2022 | (2) |
| 9/29/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 50,000 |
|
| $ | 50,000 |
|
| $ | 3,050 |
|
| 9/28/2022 | (2) |
| 10/1/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 60,000 |
|
| $ | 60,000 |
|
| $ | 3,620 |
|
| 9/30/2022 | (2) |
| 10/4/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 50,000 |
|
| $ | 50,000 |
|
| $ | 2,967 |
|
| 10/3/2022 | (2) |
| 11/19/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 10,000 |
|
| $ | 10,000 |
|
| $ | 440 |
|
| 11/18/2022 | (2) |
| 12/9/2021 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 40,000 |
|
| $ | 40,000 |
|
| $ | 1,493 |
|
| 12/8/2022 | (2) |
| 1/7/2022 |
| Michael James |
|
| 12 | % |
| $ | 70,000 |
|
| $ | 70,000 |
|
| $ | 1,937 |
|
| 1/6/2023 | (2) |
| (1) | $25,200 of the aggregate amount of the promissory notes that were issued to Mr. Kras on November 18 and December 11, 2020 were replaced with a convertible note as of July 1, 2021, as shown in the table of convertible notes below. |
| (2) | This note will mature at the earlier of this date or the closing of this offering. |
We have entered into the following convertible notes with our officers, which accrue interest at 12% per annum and convert, at the option of the holder in whole or in part, into shares of our common stock by dividing the total principal and interest due under the note by $4.625, subject to adjustment as set forth in the note:
| Date |
| Holder |
| Amount |
|
| Maturity Date | ||
| 6/22/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 175,000 |
|
| 6/21/2022 | |
| 6/23/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 125,000 |
|
| 6/22/2022 | |
| 6/29/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| 6/28/2022 | |
| 7/1/2021 |
| James E. Kras |
| $ | 25,200 |
|
| 6/30/2022 | |
| 7/2/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| 7/1/2022 | |
| 7/12/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 75,000 |
|
| 7/11/2022 | |
| 7/19/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 75,000 |
|
| 7/18/2022 | |
| 7/23/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 75,000 |
|
| 7/22/2022 | |
| 7/29/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| 7/28/2022 | |
| 8/4/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| 8/3/2022 | |
| 8/13/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| 8/12/2022 | |
| 8/20/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 75,000 |
|
| 8/19/2022 | |
| 8/26/2021 |
| Michael James |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| 8/25/2022 | |
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The conversion price of the convertible notes is subject to downward adjustment if we issue equity-linked securities with a per share value of less than $4.625 per share. We may prepay the note if we provide the holder 10 days’ notice, during which time the holder may elect to convert the note into shares of common stock.
We expect to repay the indebtedness to our officers represented by the demand notes and promissory notes with the proceeds of this offering. See “Use of Proceeds.”
Sament Notes
On March 30, 2020, we issued a secured promissory note to Sament, an affiliate of Terra Tech and currently an owner of approximately 19.7% of our common stock, for $3,000,000 in connection with the acquisition of our predecessor’s assets. This note accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% per annum on a 360-day year basis and matures March 30, 2025. In addition, we granted a second secured promissory note to Sament as of June 3, 2020 for $653,870, which accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% until June 3, 2023 (together with the note due March 30, 2025, the “Sament Notes”). The Sament Notes are secured by all of the assets purchased in connection with the Asset Acquisition.
Other Arrangements
Mr. James personally guaranteed the amounts payable by the Company under the factoring facility with Quasar Capital Partners, LLC. This guaranty was released when the factoring facility was repaid in October 2021. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Long -Term Debt” for a discussion of the factoring facility.
Each of Messrs. Kras and James is also entitled to a Transaction Bonus pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement at the closing of this offering. See “Executive and Director Compensation – Employment Agreements.”
During the first quarter of 2021, we purchased a total of $227,365 of goods from Arch City AG, LLC (“Arch City”), an entity in which our Chief Executive Officer owns a 50% interest. In May 2021, the Company entered into an Assumption and Indemnification Agreement (the “Assumption Agreement”) with Arch City, which resulted in the Company assuming a liability of $78,976 that Arch City owed to a third-party supplier. In consideration for payment of the outstanding liability, Arch City forgave the Company’s outstanding balance of accounts payable, which totaled $121,470. The Company recognized a gain for forgiveness of debt of $42,494 during the third quarter of 2021.
Policies and Procedures for Transactions With Related Persons
Prior to this offering, we have not had a formal policy regarding approval of transactions with related parties. In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a written policy that our executive officers, directors, beneficial owners of more than 5% of any class of our capital stock, and any members of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons (a “related party”) are not permitted to enter into a related party transaction with us without the prior consent of our audit committee. Any request for us to enter into a transaction with a related party in which the related party would have a direct or indirect interest must first be presented to our audit committee for review, consideration, and approval. In approving or rejecting any such proposal, our audit committee will consider the relevant facts and circumstances of the transaction available to it, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unrelated third party or to employees under the same or similar circumstances, and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction. The written policy will require that, in determining whether to approve or reject a related person transaction, our audit committee must consider, in light of known circumstances, whether the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, our best interests and those of our stockholders, as our audit committee determines in good faith.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 31, 2022, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of common stock being offered in this offering by:
|
| · | each person, or group of affiliated persons, known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of our common stock; |
|
| · | each of our current directors; |
|
| · | each of our named executive officers; and |
|
| · | all of our current directors and executive officers as a group. |
The information in the following table has been presented in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Under such rules, beneficial ownership of a class of capital stock includes any shares of such class as to which a person, directly or indirectly, has or shares voting power or investment power and also any shares as to which a person has the right to acquire such voting or investment power within 60 days through the exercise of any stock option, warrant or other right. If two or more persons share voting power or investment power with respect to specific securities, each such person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of such securities. Except as we otherwise indicate below and under applicable community property laws, we believe that the beneficial owners of the common stock listed below, based on information they have furnished to us, have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares shown. Except as otherwise indicated, each stockholder named in the table is assumed to have sole voting and investment power with respect to the number of shares listed opposite the stockholder’s name.
The calculations of beneficial ownership in this table are based on (i) 5,080,000 shares of common stock outstanding prior to the offering and (ii) 1,363,636 shares of common stock as part of the Units to be issued in this offering.
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) |
| Shares Beneficially Owned |
|
| Percentage Prior to Offering |
|
| Percentage After This Offering |
| |||
| Executive Officers and Directors: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
| James E. Kras(2) |
|
| 1,785,944 |
|
|
| 35.1 | % |
|
| 27.7 | % |
| Michael James(3) |
|
| 2,061,557 |
|
|
| 38.5 | % |
|
| 30.7 | % |
| All directors and executive officers as a group (2 persons) |
|
| 3,847,501 |
|
|
| 71.7 | % |
|
| 57.2 | % |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 5% stockholders: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sament Capital Investments, Inc.(4) |
|
| 1,000,000 |
|
|
| 19.7 | % |
|
| 15.5 | % |
| Dennis Rodrigues |
|
| 400,000 |
|
|
| 7.9 | % |
|
| 6.2 | % |
____________
| (1) | Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each individual is c/o Edible Garden AG Incorporated, 283 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 07823. |
|
|
|
| (2) | Includes 400,000 shares held by an immediate family member. Mr. Kras is entitled to receive 5,944 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible notes he holds. |
|
|
|
| (3) | Includes 480,000 shares held by immediate family members. Mr. James is entitled to receive 281,557 shares of common stock upon the conversion of convertible notes he holds. |
|
|
|
| (4) | The business address for Sament Capital Investments, Inc. is 3242 S. Halliday St., Suite 202, Santa Ana, CA 92705. |
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
General
After giving effect to the reverse stock split of our common stock at a ratio of 1 for 5 shares that will take place immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our certificate of incorporation, as amended, authorizes the issuance of up to 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of the date of this prospectus, there were 5,080,000 shares of common stock outstanding, which were held by approximately ten stockholders of record. No shares of preferred stock are outstanding.
Common Stock
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting rights.
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Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, the holders of our outstanding shares of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities, subject to the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that are outstanding or that we may designate and issue in the future.
Warrants
Overview. The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the warrants offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the warrant agent agreement between us the warrant agent, and the form of warrant, both of which will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions set forth in the warrant agent agreement, including the annexes thereto, and form of warrant. Each warrant issued in this offering entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of our common stock at an assumed price equal to $11.00 per share (based on the assumed public offering price of the Units), subject to adjustment as discussed below, immediately following the issuance of such warrant and terminating at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the closing of this offering. As described below, we have applied to list the warrants on Nasdaq under the symbol “EDBLW.”
Exercisability. The warrants are exercisable at any time after their original issuance and at any time up to the date that is five years after their original issuance. The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form included with the warrant completed and executed as indicated. If we fail to maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement and current prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, the holders of the warrants shall have the right to exercise the warrants via a cashless exercise feature provided for in the warrants, until such time as there is an effective registration statement and current prospectus.
Exercise Limitation. A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the outstanding common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising the holder’s warrants up to 9.99% of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the warrants.
Exercise Price. The assumed exercise price per whole share of our common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is $11.00 (or 100% of the public offering price per Unit) per share of common stock. The warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time up to the date that is five years after their original issuance. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances, including in the event of a stock dividend or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrants will not be adjusted for issuances of common stock at prices below its exercise price.
Cashless Exercise. If, at any time after the issuance of the warrants, a holder of the warrants exercises the warrants and a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available (or a prospectus is not available for the resale of shares of common stock underlying the warrants), then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder shall instead receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) only the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the warrants. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event we do not have or maintain an effective registration statement, there are no circumstances that would require us to make any cash payments or net cash settle the warrants to the holders.
Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrant, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, pay a cash adjustment in respect of such fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price or round up to the next whole share. If multiple warrants are exercised by the holder at the same time, we shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
Transferability. Subject to applicable laws, the warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned at the option of the holder without our consent.
Exchange Listing. We have applied to list the warrants on Nasdaq under the symbol “EDBLW.” No assurance can be given that our listing application will be approved.
Warrant Agent; Global Certificate. The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agent agreement between the Warrant Agent and us. The warrants shall initially be represented only by one or more global warrants deposited with the Warrant Agent, as custodian on behalf of The Depository Trust Company (DTC) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC.
Fundamental Transactions. In the event of a “fundamental transaction,” as described in the warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding common stock, or any person or group becoming the beneficial owner of 50% of the voting power represented by our outstanding common stock, the holders of the warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction.
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Rights as a Stockholder. Except by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holder of a warrant does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common stock, including any voting rights, until the holder exercises the warrant.
Representative’s Warrants
The registration statement of which this prospectus is a part also registers for sale the Representative’s Warrants, as a portion of the underwriting compensation in connection with this offering. The Representative’s Warrants will be exercisable for four and one-half year period commencing 180 days following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part at an assumed exercise price of $13.75 per share (125% of the assumed public offering price per Unit). Please see “Underwriting—Representative’s Warrants” for a description of the warrants we have agreed to issue to the representative of the underwriters in this offering, subject to the completion of the offering.
Evergreen Notes and Warrants
From October 7, 2021 through March 30, 2022, we have raised $3.2 million in a private placement with Evergreen to support our working capital requirements. On January 14, 2022, we also issued Evergreen 80,000 shares of common stock. In the private placement, we issued the Evergreen Notes to Evergreen at a 15% original issue discount. The Evergreen Notes mature nine months after issuance on dates from July 7 through December 30, 2022, and incur interest at a rate of 5.0% per annum. The Evergreen Notes are secured and subordinated to the Sament Notes. Evergreen may elect to convert the First Evergreen Note into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $7.65 per share and the Subsequent Evergreen Notes into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $20.75 per share. If the Evergreen Notes are not converted into shares of common stock prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to repay the amount due under the Evergreen Notes with some of the proceeds of this offering. The Evergreen Notes are subject to a prepayment penalty of 30% on or after January 1, 2022. If we sell common stock or securities convertible into common stock at a per share price lower than the conversion price of the Evergreen Notes while the notes are outstanding and prior to the closing of this offering, the conversion price of the notes will be reduced to that lower per share price.
In the private placement, we also issued: (a) the First Evergreen Warrant, which Evergreen may exercise for up to 150,327 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.65 per share until October 7, 2026; and (b) the Subsequent Evergreen Warrants, which Evergreen may exercise for up to an aggregate of 121,934 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $20.75 per share until the expiration date of the applicable warrant. The Evergreen Warrants expire five years after issuance. The Evergreen Warrants may be exercised via cashless exercise after six months after the original issuance date if there is no effective registration statement registering the resale of the shares underlying the applicable Evergreen Warrant. If we sell common stock or securities convertible into common stock at a per share price lower than the exercise price of the Evergreen Warrants while they are outstanding and prior to the closing of this offering, the exercise price of the Evergreen Warrants will be reduced to that lower per share price.
Crowd SAFE (Crowdfunding Simple Agreement for Future Equity)
From October 2020 through April 2021, we issued $538 thousand in our Series 2020 Crowd SAFEs in a series of transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to Regulation Crowdfunding. The Crowd SAFEs do not entitle the holder to the rights of our stockholders, such as voting or dividend rights. However, the Crowd SAFE is contractually preferred in the event of our dissolution over the holders of our common stock. The Crowd SAFEs do not give us the right to repurchase the Crowd SAFEs at our option and will not terminate until we achieve a liquidity event. Accordingly, in connection with this offering and at the Crowd SAFE holder’s option, we will either (1) pay the holder an amount in cash equal to the amount the holder invested in the Crowdfunding offering or (2) issue a number of shares of common stock to the holder equal to (a) the amount of their investment divided by (b) $18.5 million divided by 5,080,000 shares (to be outstanding as of immediately prior to the offering). If the holder does not notify us of its choice, the holder’s SAFE will convert into common stock. If all SAFE holders convert their SAFE into shares of common stock, 147,711 shares of common stock would be issuable to SAFE holders.
Sament Options
At the time we purchased the assets constituting our business from Terra Tech, we also issued two options to Sament, which is one of our creditors. The first option granted Sament the right to purchase 445,000 shares of our common stock. The exercise price to purchase all of the shares underlying this option was $1.00. The second option granted Sament the right to purchase 555,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 for all of the shares underlying the option any time prior to March 30, 2025. Sament exercised both of these options as of October 8, 2021 and neither remains outstanding.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors is authorized, without vote or action by our stockholders, to issue from time to time up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix or alter the designations, preferences, rights and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the shares of each of these series, including, if applicable, the dividend rights and preferences, conversion rights, voting rights, terms and rights of redemption, including without limitation sinking fund provisions, redemption price or prices, liquidation rights and preferences, and the number of shares constituting any series. The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us without further action by our stockholders and may adversely affect the dividend, liquidation and voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock, including the loss of voting control to others. We currently have no plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.
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We believe that the ability to issue preferred stock without the expense and delay of a special stockholders’ meeting provides us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions, and in meeting other corporate needs that might arise. This also permits the board of directors to issue preferred stock containing terms which could impede the completion of a takeover attempt. This could discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction which stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which they might receive a premium for their stock over the then market price of the stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions in our Certificate and Bylaws
Exclusive Forum
The certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or other employee to us or to our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. However, this provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act. In addition, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts will have concurrent jurisdiction for the resolution of any suit brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the inclusion of such provisions in the certificate of incorporation will not be deemed to be a waiver by us or our stockholders of the obligation to comply with federal securities laws, rules and regulations.
Although we believe these provisions benefit the Company by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, these provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against the Company’s directors and officers. Furthermore, the enforceability of choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Advance Notice of Stockholder Proposals and Nominations
Our bylaws include an advance notice procedure for stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring other business before any meeting of our stockholders. The stockholder notice procedure provides that only persons who are nominated by, or at the direction of, the Board, or by a stockholder who has given timely written notice prior to the meeting at which directors are to be elected, will be eligible for election as directors and that, at a stockholders’ meeting, only such business may be conducted as has been brought before the meeting by, or at the direction of, the Board or by a stockholder who has given timely written notice of such stockholder’s intention to bring such business before such meeting.
Under the stockholder notice procedure, for notice of stockholder nominations or other business to be made at a stockholders’ meeting to be timely, such notice must be received by us not earlier than the close of business on the 120th calendar day and not later than the close of business on the 90th calendar day prior to the one-year anniversary of the immediately preceding year’s annual meeting or as otherwise provided in the bylaws.
A stockholder’s notice to us proposing to nominate a person for election as a director or proposing other business must contain certain information specified in the bylaws, including the identity and address of the nominating stockholder, a representation that the stockholder is a record holder of our stock entitled to vote at the meeting and information regarding each proposed nominee or each proposed matter of business that would be required under the federal securities laws to be included in a proxy statement soliciting proxies for the proposed nominee or the proposed matter of business.
The stockholder notice procedure may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if the proper procedures are not followed, and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal, without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our stockholder.
Restrictions on Call of Special Meetings
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders can only be called by the Board, the Board Chair or by the Secretary of the Company upon the written request of the holders of at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting.
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No Cumulative Voting
The certificate of incorporation does not authorize cumulative voting for the election of directors.
Preferred Stock Authorization
Our Board, without stockholder approval, has the authority under our certificate of incorporation to issue preferred stock with rights superior to the rights of the holders of common stock. As a result, preferred stock, while not intended as a defensive measure against takeovers, could be issued quickly and easily, could adversely affect the rights of holders of common stock and could be issued with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change of control of the Company or make removal of management more difficult.
Transfer and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock and the Warrant Agent for the warrants is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Potential Listing
We have applied to list our shares of common stock and warrants on Nasdaq under the symbols “EDBL” and “EDBLW,” respectively. If our listing application is approved, we expect to list our common stock and warrants on Nasdaq upon consummation of the offering. No assurance can be given that our listing application will be approved or that our common stock and warrants will be listed on Nasdaq. This offering will occur only if Nasdaq approves the listing of our common stock and warrants.
SHARES AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock and warrants from time to time and could impair our future ability to raise equity capital in the future. Furthermore, because only a limited number of shares of our common stock will be available for sale shortly after this offering due to certain contractual and legal restrictions on resale described below, sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market after such restrictions lapse, or the anticipation of such sales, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock and warrants and our ability to raise equity capital in the future.
Based upon the number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2022, upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding an aggregate of 7,156,108 shares of common stock, assuming the conversion of all SAFEs, the Evergreen Notes, and convertible notes, but no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option or the warrants sold as part of the Units in this offering. All of the shares and warrants sold in this offering by us will be freely tradable without restrictions or further registration under the Securities Act, unless held by our affiliates, as that term is defined under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, or subject to lock-up agreements. The remaining shares of common stock outstanding upon the closing of this offering are restricted securities as defined in Rule 144. Restricted securities may be sold in the U.S. public market only if registered or if they qualify for an exemption from registration, including by reason of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. These remaining shares will generally become available for sale in the public market as follows:
|
| · | no shares will be eligible for sale in the public market on the date of this prospectus; and |
|
| · | 5,792,472 shares will be eligible for sale in the public market upon expiration of lock-up agreements 181 days after the closing date of this offering, subject in certain circumstances to the volume, manner of sale and other limitations of Rule 144. |
We may issue shares of common stock from time to time to raise additional funds or as consideration for future acquisitions, investments or other corporate purposes. In the event that any such financing, acquisition, investment or other transaction is significant, the number of shares of common stock that we may issue may in turn be significant. We may also grant registration rights covering those shares of common stock issued in connection with any such transaction.
We are offering our Units described in this prospectus through the underwriter named below. Maxim Group LLC, or Maxim, is acting as representative of the underwriter. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with the underwriter. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriter has agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriter, the number of Units listed next to its name in the following table.
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| Underwriter |
| Number |
| |
| Maxim Group LLC |
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
|
|
|
|
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriter must buy all of the Units being sold in this offering if they buy any of them. However, the underwriter is not required to take or pay for the shares and/or warrants covered by the underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares and/or warrants as described below.
Our shares of Units are offered subject to a number of conditions, including:
|
| · | receipt and acceptance of our shares of common stock and warrants issued as part of the Units by the underwriter; and |
|
|
|
|
|
| · | the underwriter’s right to reject orders in whole or in part. |
We have been advised by Maxim that the underwriter intends to make a market in our shares of common stock and warrants but that it is not obligated to do so and may discontinue making a market at any time without notice.
In connection with this offering, the underwriter or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
Option to Purchase Additional Common Stock and/or Warrants
We have granted the underwriter an option to buy up to an aggregate of 204,545 additional shares of common stock and/or warrants to purchase up to an additional 204,545 shares of common stock. The underwriter has 45 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriter exercises this option, it will purchase additional shares of common stock and/or warrants approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.
Underwriting Discount
Units sold by the underwriter to the public will initially be offered at the initial offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any Units sold by the underwriter to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $ ____ per Unit from the initial public offering price. The underwriter may offer the Units through one or more of their affiliates or selling agents. If all the Units are not sold at the initial public offering price, Maxim may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriter will be obligated to purchase the Units at the prices and upon the terms stated therein.
The following table shows the per share and total underwriting discount we will pay to the underwriter assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase up to 204,545 additional shares of common stock and/or warrants to purchase up to an additional 204,545 shares of common stock.
|
|
| Per Unit |
|
| Total without |
|
| Total with |
| |||
| Public offering price |
| $ |
|
| $ |
|
| $ |
| |||
| Underwriting discounts and commissions (7.0%) |
| $ |
|
| $ |
|
| $ |
| |||
| Proceeds, before expenses to us |
| $ |
|
| $ |
|
| $ |
| |||
We have agreed to pay Maxim’s out-of-pocket accountable expenses, including Maxim’s legal fees, up to a maximum amount of $100,000 if this offering is completed.
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, not including the underwriting discount, will be approximately $0.7 million. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain expenses incurred by them.
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Representative’s Warrants
We have also agreed to issue to Maxim (or its permitted assignees) warrants to purchase a number of our shares of common stock equal to an aggregate of 4.0% of the total number of shares of common stock sold in this offering, or the Representative’s Warrants. The Representative’s Warrants will have an exercise price equal to 125% of the offering price of per Unit sold in this offering and may be exercised on a cashless basis. The Representative’s Warrants are exercisable commencing six months after the effective date of the registration statement related to this offering, and will expire five years after the effective date of such registration statement. The Representative’s Warrants will be automatically exercised via cashless exercise on their expiration date if the trading price of our common stock exceeds the exercise price of the Representative’s Warrants on that date. The Representative’s Warrants are not redeemable by us. We have agreed to a one-time demand registration of our shares of common stock underlying the Representative’s Warrants at our expense for a period of five years from the effective date of the registration statement related to this offering and an additional demand registration at the holders’ expense for a period of five years from the effective date of the registration statement related to this offering. The Representative’s Warrants also provide for unlimited “piggyback” registration rights at our expense with respect to the underlying shares of common stock during the five-year period commencing from the effective date of the registration statement related to this offering. The Representative’s Warrants and our shares of common stock underlying the Representative’s Warrants, have been deemed compensation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1) of FINRA. The underwriter (or permitted assignees under the Rule) may not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate the Representative’s Warrants or the securities underlying the Representative’s Warrants, nor will they engage in any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the Representative’s Warrants or the underlying securities for a period of six months from the effective date of this offering, except to any FINRA member participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners. The Representative’s Warrants will provide for adjustment in the number and price of such Representative’s Warrants (and our shares of common stock underlying such Representative’s Warrants) to prevent dilution in the event of a forward or reverse stock split, stock dividend or similar recapitalization.
Right of First Refusal
We have agreed to grant Maxim, for the 24-month period following the effective date of the registration statement related to this offering, a right of first refusal to act as sole manager and book runner and/or sole placement agent, for any and all future public and private equity, convertible or debt offerings of the Company’s securities, or as exclusive financial advisor for any strategic transaction, including a merger, acquisition, joint venture, minority investment or asset sale.
Lock-Up Agreements
We and our directors, officers any other holder(s) of one percent (1.0%) or more of our outstanding our shares of common stock as of the effective date of the Registration Statement (and all holders of securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock) shall enter into customary “lock-up” agreements in favor of Maxim pursuant to which such persons and entities shall agree, for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after this offering is completed, that they shall neither offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any securities of the Company without Maxim’s prior written consent.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriter against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. If we are unable to provide this indemnification, we have agreed to contribute to payments the underwriter may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
Other Relationships
The underwriter and its affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.
No Public Market
Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our securities in the U.S. and the public offering price for our Units will be determined through negotiations between us and the underwriter. Among the factors to be considered in these negotiations will be prevailing market conditions, our financial information, market valuations of other companies that we and the underwriter believe to be comparable to us, estimates of our business potential, the present state of our development and other factors deemed relevant.
We offer no assurances that the initial public offering price will correspond to the price at which our shares of common stock and warrants will trade in the public market subsequent to this offering or that an active trading market for our shares of common stock and warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
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Stock Exchange
We have applied to list our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “EDBL” and “EDBLW,” respectively. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in listing our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by the underwriter of this offering, or by their affiliates. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter, and should not be relied upon by investors.
Price Stabilization, Short Positions
In connection with this offering, the underwriter may engage in activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our shares of common stock and warrants during and after this offering, including:
|
| · | stabilizing transactions; |
|
| · | short sales; |
|
| · | purchases to cover positions created by short sales; |
|
| · | imposition of penalty bids; and |
|
| · | syndicate covering transactions. |
Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities while this offering is in progress. Stabilization transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. These transactions may also include making short sales of our shares of common stock, which involve the sale by the underwriter of a greater number of shares of common stock than they are required to purchase in this offering and purchasing shares of common stock on the open market to cover short positions created by short sales. Short sales may be “covered short sales,” which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares referred to above, or may be “naked short sales,” which are short positions in excess of that amount.
The underwriter may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option, in whole or in part, or by purchasing shares in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriter will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option.
Naked short sales are short sales made in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriter must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriter is concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of our shares of common stock in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering.
The underwriter also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriter a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because Maxim has repurchased shares sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.
These stabilizing transactions, short sales, purchases to cover positions created by short sales, the imposition of penalty bids and syndicate covering transactions may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our shares of common stock and warrants or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our shares of common stock and warrants. As a result of these activities, the price of our shares of common stock and warrants may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriter may carry out these transactions on the Nasdaq Capital Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. Neither we nor the underwriter make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the shares and warrants. Neither we, nor the underwriter make any representation that the underwriter will engage in these stabilization transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
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| Table of Contents |
Determination of Offering Price
Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our shares of common stock and warrants. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiation between us and Maxim, and does not necessarily bear any relationship to the value of our assets, our net worth, revenue or other established criteria of value, and should not be considered indicative of the actual value of the securities. The principal factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price include, but not limited to:
|
| · | the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to Maxim; |
|
| · | our history and prospects and the history and prospects for the industry in which we compete; |
|
| · | our past and present financial performance; |
|
| · | our prospects for future earnings and the present state of our development; |
|
| · | the general condition of the securities market at the time of this offering; |
|
| · | the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded shares of generally comparable companies; and |
|
| · | other factors deemed relevant by the underwriter and us. |
The estimated public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this preliminary prospectus is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors. Neither we nor the underwriter can assure investors that an active trading market will develop for our shares of common stock and warrants or that our shares of common stock and warrants will trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price for the Units.
Affiliations
The underwriter and its respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriter and its affiliates may from time to time in the future engage with us and perform services for us or in the ordinary course of their business for which they will receive customary fees and expenses. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriter and its respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of us. The underwriter and its respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of these securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in these securities and instruments.
Selling Restrictions
Canada. The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31 103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33 105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33 105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriters conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
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| Table of Contents |
European Economic Area. In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”) an offer to the public of any securities may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of any securities may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State:
|
| · | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; |
|
|
|
|
|
| · | to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or |
|
|
|
|
|
| · | in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of securities shall result in a requirement for the publication by us or any underwriters of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. |
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State, and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.
United Kingdom. Each underwriter has represented and agreed that:
|
| · | it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to us; and |
|
|
|
|
|
| · | it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom. |
Switzerland. The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (the SIX) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA). Accordingly, no public distribution, offering or advertising, as defined in CISA, its implementing ordinances and notices, and no distribution to any non-qualified investor, as defined in CISA, its implementing ordinances and notices, shall be undertaken in or from Switzerland, and the investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
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| Table of Contents |
Australia. No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), in relation to the offering.
This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the Corporations Act) and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the securities may only be made to persons (the Exempt Investors) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the securities without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The securities applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring securities must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Cayman Islands. No invitation, whether directly or indirectly, may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our securities.
Taiwan. The securities have not been and will not be registered with the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan pursuant to relevant securities laws and regulations and may not be sold, issued or offered within Taiwan through a public offering or in circumstances which constitutes an offer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of Taiwan that requires a registration or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan. No person or entity in Taiwan has been authorized to offer, sell, give advice regarding or otherwise intermediate the offering and sale of the securities in Taiwan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong. The contents of this prospectus have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this prospectus, you should obtain independent professional advice. Please note that (i) our securities may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of this prospectus or any document other than to “professional investors” within the meaning of Part I of Schedule 1 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) (SFO) and any rules made thereunder, or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong) (CO) or which do not constitute an offer or invitation to the public for the purpose of the CO or the SFO, and (ii) no advertisement, invitation or document relating to our securities may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere) which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the SFO and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the People’s Republic of China. This prospectus may not be circulated or distributed in the PRC and the shares may not be offered or sold, and will not offer or sell to any person for re-offering or resale directly or indirectly to any resident of the PRC except pursuant to applicable laws, rules and regulations of the PRC. For the purpose of this paragraph only, the PRC does not include Taiwan and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, Rochester, New York, NY. Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, NY, is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2021 and 2020 as set forth in its report. We have included our financial statements in the prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement in reliance on Marcum LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1, which includes amendments and exhibits, under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations under the Securities Act for the registration of common stock being offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all the information that is in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules. Certain portions of the registration statement have been omitted as allowed by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Statements in this prospectus that summarize documents are not necessarily complete, and in each case you should refer to the copy of the document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. All filings we make with the SEC are available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. We also maintain a website at www.ediblegarden.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus. We have included our website in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference, and you should not consider the contents of our website in making an investment decision with respect to our securities.
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Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
| Page |
| ||
| Audited Financial Statements As of and For the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 |
|
|
| |
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|
| F-2 |
| |
|
| F-3 |
| ||
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| F-4 |
| ||
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|
| F-5 |
| |
|
| F-6 |
| ||
|
| F-7 |
| ||
| F-1 |
| Table of Contents |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of
Edible Garden AG, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Edible Garden AG, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021, the period from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 (Predecessor operations), and the period from March 28, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (Successor operations), and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period from March 28, 2020 to December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Further, in our opinion, the Predecessor financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 14, the Company has a significant working capital deficiency, has incurred significant losses and needs to raise additional funds to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 14. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021
Costa Mesa, California
March 24, 2022
| F-2 |
| Table of Contents |
|
| ||||||||
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS |
| |||||||
| (in thousands, except shares) |
| |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
| December 31, |
|
| December 31, |
| ||
|
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2021 |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| ASSETS |
| |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Cash |
| $ | 5 |
|
| $ | 31 |
|
| Accounts receivable, net |
|
| 629 |
|
|
| 767 |
|
| Inventory, net |
|
| 314 |
|
|
| 360 |
|
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
| 122 |
|
|
| 33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total current assets |
|
| 1,070 |
|
|
| 1,191 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net |
|
| 3,053 |
|
|
| 2,573 |
|
| Intangible assets, net |
|
| 25 |
|
|
| - |
|
| Other assets |
|
| 331 |
|
|
| 226 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTAL ASSETS |
| $ | 4,479 |
|
| $ | 3,990 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS DEFICIT | ||||||||
| LIABILITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Accounts payable and other accrued expenses |
| $ | 2,466 |
|
| $ | 2,880 |
|
| Short-term debt |
|
| - |
|
|
| 4,209 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total current liabilities |
|
| 2,466 |
|
|
| 7,089 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Long-term liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Long-term debt, net of discounts |
|
| 3,884 |
|
|
| 3,882 |
|
| Long-term lease liabilities |
|
| 204 |
|
|
| 126 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total long-term liabilities |
|
| 4,088 |
|
|
| 4,008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total liabilities |
|
| 6,554 |
|
|
| 11,097 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 12) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| STOCKHOLDERS DEFICIT: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Common stock ($0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, respectively (1) |
|
| - |
|
|
| 1 |
|
| Additional paid-in capital |
|
| 6 |
|
|
| 511 |
|
| Accumulated deficit |
|
| (2,081 | ) |
|
| (7,619 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total stockholders deficit |
|
| (2,075 | ) |
|
| (7,107 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS DEFICIT |
| $ | 4,479 |
|
| $ | 3,990 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (1) Adjusted to reflect the stock splits as described in Note 1. | ||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
| F-3 |
| Table of Contents |
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per-share information) | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
|
|
| Predecessor |
|
| Successor |
| ||||||
|
|
| Period from |
|
| Period from |
|
| Year |
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
| Revenue |
| $ | 1,750 |
|
| $ | 7,691 |
|
| $ | 10,507 |
|
| Cost of goods sold |
|
| 1,599 |
|
|
| 6,488 |
|
|
| 9,859 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gross profit |
|
| 151 |
|
|
| 1,203 |
|
|
| 648 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Selling, general and administrative expenses |
|
| 1,480 |
|
|
| 3,675 |
|
|
| 5,611 |
|
| (Gain) / Loss on sale of assets |
|
| 303 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Loss from operations |
|
| (1,632 | ) |
|
| (2,472 | ) |
|
| (4,963 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other income / (expense) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Interest expense |
|
| - |
|
|
| (112 | ) |
|
| (617 | ) |
| Gain from debt forgiveness |
|
| - |
|
|
| 503 |
|
|
| 42 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total other income / (expense) |
|
| - |
|
|
| 391 |
|
|
| (575 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| NET LOSS |
| $ | (1,632 | ) |
| $ | (2,081 | ) |
| $ | (5,538 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Net Income / (Loss) per common share - basic and diluted (1) |
| $ | (16,320.00 | ) |
| $ | (0.52 | ) |
| $ | (1.31 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Weighted-Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding Basic and Diluted (1) |
|
| 100 |
|
|
| 4,000,000 |
|
|
| 4,230,137 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (1) Successor periods are adjusted to reflect the stock splits as described in Note 1. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
| F-4 |
| Table of Contents |
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | |||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
|
|
| Predecessor |
|
| Successor |
| |||||||
|
|
| Period from |
|
| Period from |
|
| Year |
| ||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| Net Income (Loss) |
| $ | (1,632 | ) |
| $ | (2,081 | ) |
| $ | (5,538 | ) | |
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Bad debt expense |
|
| 172 |
|
|
| 3 |
|
|
| 134 |
| |
| Depreciation and amortization |
|
| 147 |
|
|
| 567 |
|
|
| 759 |
| |
| Amortization of operating lease right of use asset |
|
| 16 |
|
|
| 42 |
|
|
| 65 |
| |
| Amortization of debt discount |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 227 |
| |
| Loss from sale of assets |
|
| 303 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
| |
| Gain from forgiveness of debt |
|
| - |
|
|
| (504 | ) |
|
| - |
| |
| Gain from extinguishment of debt |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| (42 | ) | |
| Change in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Accounts receivable |
|
| 73 |
|
|
| (196 | ) |
|
| (272 | ) | |
| Inventory |
|
| 1 |
|
|
| 208 |
|
|
| (46 | ) | |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
| 29 |
|
|
| (48 | ) |
|
| 89 |
| |
| Other assets |
|
| (110 | ) |
|
| - |
|
|
| 40 |
| |
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
|
| 353 |
|
|
| 700 |
|
|
| 571 |
| |
| Operating lease liabilities |
|
| (28 | ) |
|
| (42 | ) |
|
| (65 | ) | |
| NET CASH PROVIDED BY / (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES |
|
| (676 | ) |
|
| (1,351 | ) |
|
| (4,078 | ) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Purchase of property, equipment and leasehold improvements |
|
| (45 | ) |
|
| (82 | ) |
|
| (151 | ) | |
| Cash transferred in sale/purchase of assets |
|
| (34 | ) |
|
| 34 |
|
|
| - |
| |
| NET CASH PROVIDED BY / (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES |
|
| (79 | ) |
|
| (48 | ) |
|
| (151 | ) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Contributions from parent company |
|
| 750 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
| |
| Proceeds from debt |
|
| - |
|
|
| 1,484 |
|
|
| 4,379 |
| |
| Payments of debt principal |
|
| - |
|
|
| (80 | ) |
|
| (124 | ) | |
| NET CASH PROVIDED BY / (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES |
|
| 750 |
|
|
| 1,404 |
|
|
| 4,255 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| NET CHANGE IN CASH |
|
| (5 | ) |
|
| 5 |
|
|
| 26 |
| |
| Cash at beginning of period |
|
| 5 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| CASH AT END OF PERIOD |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 5 |
|
| $ | 31 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE FOR OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Cash paid for interest |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 3 |
|
| $ | 7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE FOR NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Debt and equity issued to acquire Predecessor's assets |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 2,966 |
|
| $ | - |
| |
| Warrants issued with debt |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 506 |
| |
| Debt issued to purchase vehicles |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 24 |
|
| $ | 103 |
| |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
| F-5 |
| Table of Contents |
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS DEFICIT | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except for shares) (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
|
|
| Common Stock |
|
| Additional |
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Paid-In |
|
| Accumulated |
|
|
|
| |||||
| Predecessor: |
| Shares |
|
| Amount |
|
| Capital |
|
| Deficit |
|
| Total |
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
| Balance at January 1, 2020 |
|
| 100 |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 20,118 |
|
| $ | (15,907) |
|
| $ | 4,211 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Contributions from parent company |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 750 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 750 |
|
| Net Income (Loss) |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| (1,632 | ) |
|
| (1,632 | ) |
| Balance at March 31, 2020 |
|
| 100 |
|
|
| - |
|
| $ | 20,868 |
|
| $ | (17,539 | ) |
| $ | 3,329 |
|
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except for shares) (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
| Additional |
|
| Accumulated |
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
| Common Stock |
|
| Paid-In |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
| Successor: |
| Shares |
|
| Amount |
|
| Capital |
|
| Deficit |
|
| Total |
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Balance at March 28, 2020 (inception) |
|
| 4,000,000 |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Options issued for acquisition of assets |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 6 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 6 |
|
| Net income (loss) |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| (2,081 | ) |
|
| (2,081 | ) |
| Balance at December 31, 2020 |
|
| 4,000,000 |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 6 |
|
| $ | (2,081 | ) |
| $ | (2,075 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
|
|
| Common Stock |
|
| Paid-In |
|
|
| Accumulated |
|
| |||||||||
| Successor: |
| Shares |
|
| Amount |
|
| Capital |
|
| Deficit |
|
| Total |
| |||||
| Balance at December 31, 2020 |
| 4,000,000 |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | 6 |
|
| $ | (2,081 | ) |
| $ | (2,075 | ) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Stock option exercises |
|
| 1,000,000 |
|
|
| 1 |
|
|
| (1 | ) |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
| Warrants issued with debt |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 506 |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 506 |
|
| Net income (loss) |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| (5,538 | ) |
|
| (5,538 | ) |
| Balance at December 31, 2021 |
|
| 5,000,000 |
|
| $ | 1 |
|
| $ | 511 |
|
| $ | (7,619 | ) |
| $ | (7,107 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (1) Adjusted to reflect the stock splits as described in Note 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
| F-6 |
| Table of Contents |
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION, NATURE OF BUSINESS, AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Organization and Recent Developments
Edible Garden Corp., a Nevada corporation, was incorporated on April 9, 2013. On March 28, 2020, Edible Garden AG Inc., a Wyoming corporation, was incorporated for the purpose of acquiring substantially all of the operating assets of Edible Garden Corp., which was a separately identified reportable segment of its parent company Unrivaled Brands, Inc. (formerly known as Terra Tech Corporation). The acquisition was completed on March 30, 2020. Prior to March 30, 2020, Edible Garden AG, Inc. had no operations. Hereafter, Edible Garden AG, Inc. and its subsidiaries will collectively be referred to as “Edible Garden,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Successor.” Edible Garden Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Unrivaled Brands, Inc. will be referred to as the “Predecessor.” Throughout these financial statements, the Successor and the Predecessor are also referred to as “the Company” and used interchangeably, unless otherwise noted.
We authorized 100,000 shares of common stock at formation. On October 14, 2020, we simultaneously declared a 20-for-1 forward stock split of our common stock and increased the number of authorized common shares to 20,000,000. On June 30, 2021, we simultaneously (1) converted Edible Garden from a Wyoming into a Delaware corporation, (2) declared a 1-for-2 reverse stock split of our common stock, and (3) increased the total number of authorized common shares to 50,000,000. On September 8, 2021, we simultaneously declared a 20-for-1 forward stock split of our common stock and increased the number of authorized common shares to 200,000,000. On January 18, 2022, the Company’s board of directors and stockholders approved a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of its common stock and authorized the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to effect the reverse stock split immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement for the Company’s initial public offering. All historical share and per share amounts reflected throughout this report have been adjusted to reflect the stock splits described above.
Nature of Business
Edible Garden is a retail seller of locally grown hydroponic produce, which is distributed throughout the Northeast, Midwest and Florida. Currently, Edible Garden’s products are sold at approximately 4,500 supermarkets. Our target customers are those individuals seeking fresh produce locally grown using environmentally sustainable methods.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 have been included.
Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. In an effort to achieve liquidity that would be sufficient to meet all of our commitments, we have undertaken a number of actions, including minimizing capital expenditures and reducing recurring expenses.
| F-7 |
| Table of Contents |
However, we believe that even after taking these actions, we will not have sufficient liquidity to satisfy all of our future financial obligations. The risks and uncertainties surrounding our ability to raise capital and our limited capital resources raise substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern. See Note 14, “Going Concern” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reported period. Changes in these estimates and assumptions may have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
Examples of significant estimates and assumptions include provisions for doubtful accounts and valuation of our common stock. These estimates generally involve complex issues and require us to make judgments, involve analysis of historical and future trends, can require extended periods of time to resolve, and are subject to change from period to period. In all cases, actual results could differ materially from our estimates.
Trade and other Receivables
The Company extends non-interest-bearing trade credit to its customers in the ordinary course of business which is not collateralized. Accounts receivable are shown on the face of the consolidated balance sheets, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company analyzes the aging of accounts receivable, historical bad debts, customer creditworthiness and current economic trends, in determining the allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company does not accrue interest receivable on past due accounts receivable. The reserve for doubtful accounts was $38,287 and $133,985 as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
On March 30, 2021, we entered into an accounts receivable factoring program with Quasar Capital Partners, LLC (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to provide the Purchaser with the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the Company’s receivables at book value less a discount, with full recourse. The factoring program was terminated on October 7, 2021.
Concentration of Credit Risk
During the year ended December 31, 2021, three customers accounted for approximately 76% of our total revenue, and during the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, one of our customers accounted for approximately 34% of our total revenue. This concentration of customers leaves us exposed to the risks associated with the loss of one or more of these significant customers, which would materially and adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, approximately 79% and 78% of our gross outstanding trade receivables were attributed to three customers, respectively.
Inventory
We value our inventory at the lower of the actual cost of our inventory, as determined using the first-in, first-out method, or its net realizable value. We periodically review our physical inventory for excess, obsolete, and potentially impaired items and reserve accordingly. Our reserve estimate for excess and obsolete is based on expected future use. Our reserve estimates have historically been consistent with our actual experience as evidenced by actual sale or disposal of the goods. The reserve for excess and obsolete inventory was $9,871 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid expenses consist of various payments that the Company has made in advance for goods or services to be received in the future. These prepaid expenses include advertising, insurance, and service or other contracts requiring up-front payments.
Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Our fixed assets, which are comprised of leasehold improvements, equipment and vehicles, have useful lives of five years.
| F-8 |
| Table of Contents |
Expenditures for major renewals and improvements are capitalized, while minor replacements, maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the asset lives, are charged to operations as incurred. Upon sale or disposition, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in operations. The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying balances of its property, equipment and leasehold improvements may not be recoverable in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment.” When such events or changes in circumstances are present, the Company assesses the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets will be recovered through undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the total of the future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of those assets, the Company recognizes an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. See Note 5, “Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net” for further information.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets continue to be subject to amortization, and any impairment is determined in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment,” intangible assets are stated at historical cost and amortized over their estimated useful lives. The Company uses a straight-line method of amortization, unless a method that better reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or otherwise used up can be reliably determined. As of December 31, 2021, Edible Garden held one intangible asset related to a non-compete agreement, which is fully amortized and has a net book value of zero.
The Company reviews intangible assets subject to amortization quarterly to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life. Conditions that may indicate impairment include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, a product recall, or an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. If an impairment indicator exists, we test the intangible asset for recoverability. For purposes of the recoverability test, we group our amortizable intangible assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows if the intangible asset does not generate cash flows independent of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of the intangible asset (asset group) exceeds the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the intangible asset (asset group), the Company will write the carrying value down to the fair value in the period identified.
Revenue Recognition and Performance Obligations
Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the Company’s customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The Company does not offer returns, discounts, loyalty programs or other sales incentive programs that are material to revenue recognition. Payments from our customers are due upon delivery or within a short period after delivery.
Disaggregation of Revenue
The following table includes revenue disaggregated by revenue stream for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor), nine months ended December 31, 2020 (Successor) and the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 (Successor):
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||||||
|
|
| Predecessor |
|
| Successor |
| ||||||
|
|
| Period from |
|
| Period from |
|
| Twelve Months Ended |
| |||
| Herbs & Produce |
| $ | 1,685 |
|
| $ | 7,482 |
|
| $ | 9,693 |
|
| Vitamins and Supplements |
|
| 65 |
|
|
| 209 |
|
|
| 814 |
|
| Total |
| $ | 1,750 |
|
| $ | 7,691 |
|
| $ | 10,507 |
|
| F-9 |
| Table of Contents |
Contract Balances
Due to the nature of the Company’s revenue from contracts with customers, the Company does not have material contract assets or liabilities that fall under the scope of ASC Topic 606.
Contract Estimates and Judgments
The Company’s revenues accounted for under ASC Topic 606, generally do not require significant estimates or judgments based on the nature of the Company’s revenue streams. The sales prices are generally fixed at the point of sale and all consideration from contracts is included in the transaction price. The Company’s contracts do not include multiple performance obligations or variable consideration.
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold includes materials, labor and overhead costs incurred in cultivating, producing and shipping our products.
Advertising Expenses
The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred in accordance with ASC 720-35, “Other Expenses – Advertising Cost.” Advertising expenses totaled $22,025 in the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) and totaled $92,681 in the nine months ended December 31, 2020 (Successor), respectively. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 (Successor), the advertising expense totaled $136,187.
Loss Per Common Share
In accordance with the provisions of ASC 260, “Earnings Per Share,” net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during the period. During a loss period, the effect of the potential exercise of stock options, warrants, convertible preferred stock, and convertible debt are not considered in the diluted loss per share calculation since the effect would be anti-dilutive. The results of operations were a net loss for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021. Therefore, the basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding were the same for all years.
Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes is determined in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes”. The Company files a consolidated United States federal income tax return. The Company provides for income taxes based on enacted tax law and statutory tax rates at which items of income and expense are expected to be settled in our income tax return. Certain items of revenue and expense are reported for Federal income tax purposes in different periods than for financial reporting purposes, thereby resulting in deferred income taxes. Deferred taxes are also recognized for operating losses that are available to offset future taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. The Company has incurred net operating losses for financial-reporting and tax-reporting purposes. At December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, such net operating losses were offset entirely by a valuation allowance.
| F-10 |
| Table of Contents |
The Company recognizes uncertain tax positions based on a benefit recognition model. Provided that the tax position is deemed more likely than not of being sustained, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50.0% likely of being ultimately realized upon settlement. The tax position is derecognized when it is no longer more likely than not of being sustained. The Company classifies income tax related interest and penalties as interest expense and selling, general and administrative expense, respectively, on the consolidated statements of operations.
Segment reporting
The Company is not organized by multiple operating segments for the purpose of making operating decisions or assessing performance. Accordingly, the Company operates in one reportable operating segment. The Company’s principal decision makers are the Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer. Management believes that its business operates as one reportable segment because: a) the Company measures profit and loss as a whole; b) the principal decision makers do not review information based on any operating segment; c) the Company does not maintain discrete financial information on any specific segment; d) the Company has not chosen to organize its business around different products and services, and e) the Company has not chosen to organize its business around geographic areas.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups Act of 2012, (the “JOBS Act”). Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for complying with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. As an emerging growth company we plan to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.
FASB ASU No. 2020-06 “Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” – Issued in August 2020, ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments by eliminating the requirement to separate embedded conversion features from the host contract when the conversion features are not required to be accounted for as derivatives under Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or that do not result in substantial premiums accounted for as paid-in capital. By removing the separation model, a convertible debt instrument will be accounted for as a single liability measured at its amortized cost and the interest rate on convertible debt instruments will typically be closer to the coupon interest rate when applying the guidance in Topic 835, Interest. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption was permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those years. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 as of January 1, 2021, utilizing the modified retrospective method of adoption. Adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.
NOTE 3 – ASSET ACQUISITION
On March 30, 2020, the Successor entered into and closed an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with the Predecessor’s parent company, pursuant to which Edible Garden Inc. purchased substantially all of the assets of the Predecessor. The transaction did not meet the definition of the purchase of a business as defined in ASC 805, “Business Combinations” because a substantive process was not acquired. Michael James, the former Chief Financial Officer of the Predecessor’s parent company, is the Chief Financial Officer of the Successor.
The consideration paid for the assets included (1) a five year $3.0 million secured promissory note bearing interest at 3.5% per annum, (2) options to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of the Successor for a nominal amount and (3) $2,011,782 of liabilities assumed.
| F-11 |
| Table of Contents |
Stock Options
The first option gave Sament Capital Investments, Inc., an affiliate of the Predecessor (“Sament”), the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 445,000 common shares of the Successor at any time between the one- and five-year anniversary of the date of the agreement, or at any time in the event of a change in control or a public offering, for a strike price of $1.00. The second option gave Sament the right, but not the obligation, to purchase 555,000 common shares of the Successor at any time between the one- and five-year anniversary of the agreement. Both options were exercised during the fourth quarter of 2021.
Given the absence of an active market for the Successor’s common stock, the Company was required to estimate the enterprise value of the Successor company as of the date of the options. Management considered numerous objective and subjective factors in determining the value of the Company’s common stock, including the following: (1) valuations performed by an independent valuation specialist; (2) the Company’s stage of development and revenue growth, (3) the fact that the awards involved illiquid securities in a private company and (4) the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event for the shares of common stock underlying the awards, such as an initial public offering or sale of the Company, given prevailing market conditions. As the Company’s common stock is not actively traded, the determination of fair value involves assumptions, judgments, and estimates. If different assumptions were made, the initial purchase price allocation could have been significantly different. The Company estimated the fair value of the stock options using the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing (“Black-Scholes”) model, with the following weighted-average assumptions:
| Expected term (years) |
|
| 2.7 |
|
| Volatility |
|
| 22.0 | % |
| Risk-free interest rate |
|
| 0.3 | % |
| Dividend yield |
|
| 0.0 | % |
The fair value of the consideration was allocated to the assets acquired based on their relative fair values, as follows:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |
| Consideration |
|
|
| |
| Fair value of promissory note |
| $ | 2,960 |
|
| Fair value of options issued |
|
| 6 |
|
| Total fair value of consideration: |
| $ | 2,966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Net book value of assets acquired |
|
|
|
|
| Cash |
| $ | 34 |
|
| Accounts receivable |
|
| 437 |
|
| Inventory |
|
| 522 |
|
| Prepaids and other assets |
|
| 115 |
|
| Property, plant and equipment |
|
| 3,497 |
|
| Intangible assets |
|
| 62 |
|
| Right-of-use asset |
|
| 311 |
|
| Liabilities assumed |
|
| (2,012 | ) |
| Total Net Assets Acquired |
| $ | 2,966 |
|
| F-12 |
| Table of Contents |
NOTE 4 – INVENTORY
Inventory as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021 consisted of the following:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||
|
|
| December 31, 2020 |
|
| December 31, 2021 |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Raw materials |
| $ | 146 |
|
| $ | 68 |
|
| Work-in-progress |
|
| 168 |
|
|
| 292 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total inventory |
| $ | 314 |
|
| $ | 360 |
|
NOTE 5 – PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS, NET
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements (net) as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021 consisted of the following:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||
|
|
| December 31, 2020 |
|
| December 31, 2021 |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Furniture and equipment |
|
| 538 |
|
|
| 667 |
|
| Computer hardware |
|
| 4 |
|
|
| 4 |
|
| Leasehold improvements |
|
| 3,009 |
|
|
| 3,031 |
|
| Vehicles |
|
| 28 |
|
|
| 131 |
|
| Construction in progress |
|
| 4 |
|
|
| 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Subtotal |
|
| 3,583 |
|
|
| 3,837 |
|
| Less accumulated depreciation |
|
| (530 | ) |
|
| (1,264 | ) |
| Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net |
| $ | 3,053 |
|
| $ | 2,573 |
|
Depreciation expense related to property, equipment and leasehold improvements for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor) was $134,874. Depreciation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2020 (Successor) was $529,732. Depreciation expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 (Successor) was $734,358.
NOTE 6 – INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangible assets consisted of the following as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (in thousands) |
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
| December 31, 2020 |
|
| December 31, 2021 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| Estimated Useful Life in Years |
|
| Gross Carrying Amount |
|
| Accumulated Amortization |
|
| Net Carrying Value |
|
| Gross Carrying Amount |
|
| Accumulated Amortization |
|
| Net Carrying Value |
| |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
| Amortizing Intangible Assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||
| Non Compete |
|
| 2 |
|
|
| 62 |
|
|
| (37 | ) |
|
| 25 |
|
|
| 62 |
|
| $ | (62 | ) |
|
| - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total Intangible Assets, net |
|
|
|
|
|
| 62 |
|
|
| (37 | ) |
|
| 25 |
|
|
| 62 |
|
|
| (62 | ) |
|
| - |
|
Amortization expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 was $24,740.
| F-13 |
| Table of Contents |
NOTE 7 – ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accounts payable and accrued expenses consisted of the following as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||
|
|
| December 31, 2020 |
|
| December 31, 2021 |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Accounts payable |
| $ | 1,929 |
|
| $ | 2,270 |
|
| Accrued expenses |
|
| 173 |
|
|
| 164 |
|
| Accrued interest payable |
|
| 96 |
|
|
| 117 |
|
| Accrued payroll |
|
| 106 |
|
|
| 213 |
|
| Accrued vacation |
|
| 97 |
|
|
| 39 |
|
| Current lease liability |
|
| 65 |
|
|
| 77 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses |
| $ | 2,466 |
|
| $ | 2,880 |
|
NOTE 8 – NOTES PAYABLE
Notes payable consisted of the following as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||
|
|
| December 31, |
|
| December 31, |
| ||
|
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2021 |
| ||
| Secured promissory note |
| $ | 3,653 |
|
| $ | 3,783 |
|
| Evergreen Private Placement |
|
| - |
|
|
| 2,301 |
|
| SBA loan |
|
| 150 |
|
|
| 150 |
|
| SAFE agreements |
|
| 40 |
|
|
| 538 |
|
| Related party loans |
|
| 60 |
|
|
| 1,888 |
|
| Vehicle Loan |
|
| 21 |
|
|
| 116 |
|
| Total Gross Debt |
| $ | 3,923 |
|
| $ | 8,776 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Less: Short term debt |
|
| - |
|
|
| (4,209 | ) |
| Less: Debt discount |
|
| (40 | ) |
|
| (685 | ) |
| Net Long Term Debt |
| $ | 3,884 |
|
| $ | 3,882 |
|
There was no interest expense recognized in the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor). Total interest expense recorded during the nine months ended December 31, 2020 (Successor) was $112,403, all of which was attributed to interest incurred at the contractual rates further discussed below. Total interest expense recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021 was $616,893, of which $226,640 was attributed to amortization of debt discounts and the remainder was attributed to interest incurred at the contractual rates further discussed below. The contractual rates were equal to the effective interest rates for all periods presented.
Scheduled maturities of long-term debt as of December 31, 2021, are as follows (in thousands):
| F-14 |
| Table of Contents |
| Years Ending December 31, |
|
|
| |
| 2022 |
|
| 4,209 |
|
| 2023 |
|
| 701 |
|
| 2024 |
|
| 29 |
|
| 2025 |
|
| 3,135 |
|
| 2026 |
|
| 14 |
|
| Thereafter |
|
| 688 |
|
|
|
| $ | 8,776 |
|
Secured Promissory Notes
On March 30, 2020, the Company entered into a promissory note (the “Note”) for $3,000,000 with Sament in connection with the acquisition of the Predecessor’s assets. The Note accrues interest at a rate of 3.5% per annum on a 360-day year basis and matures March 30, 2025. During the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2021, accrued interest of $129,662 was added to the principal. The Note is secured by the assets purchased in connection with the asset acquisition. See Note 3, “Asset Acquisition” for additional details. As of December 31, 2021, the unamortized discount related to the Note was $37,375.
On June 2, 2020, the Company entered into a promissory note for $653,870 with Sament, which accrues interest at a rate of 3.50% per annum and matures on June 3, 2023. The promissory note is secured by the assets purchased in connection with the asset acquisition.
Evergreen Private Placement
On October 7, 2021, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Evergreen Capital Management LLC (the “Holder” or “Evergreen”), whereby Evergreen agreed to purchase up to $2,000,000 of secured convertible notes (the “Notes”) and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 205,750 shares of the Company’s common stock, in four tranches. The Notes, which mature nine months after issuance, are convertible, in whole or in part, into shares of the Company’s common stock, at the election of the Holder. The Notes have an original issue discount of 15.00% and incur interest at a rate of 5.00% per annum. The Notes may be prepaid in whole or in part at any time upon providing the Holder at least three business days prior written notice, upon which the Holder will have the option to convert the Notes to shares of the Company’s common stock. The Notes are secured by the Company’s operating and financial assets.
In connection with the Agreement, the Company entered into an Intercreditor Agreement and Amendment with Sament Capital Investments, Inc. (“Sament”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Predecessor, whereby Sament agreed to subordinate its security interest in the assets of the Company in favor of the Holder.
On October 7, 2021, upon exercise of the first tranche of the agreement, the Company entered into a $1,150,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche One Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $1,000,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15.00%. The Tranche One Note is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $7.65. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 150,327 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $7.65 per share. The warrants, which had a fair value of $413,164, were recorded as a discount on debt. As of December 31, 2021, the unamortized discount related to the Tranche One Note was $387,957.
On November 8, 2021, upon exercise of the second tranche of the agreement, the Company entered into a $402,500 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Two Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $350,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15.00%. The Tranche Two Note is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 19,398 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire November 8, 2026. The warrants, which had a fair value of $32,748, were recorded as a discount on debt. As of December 31, 2021, the unamortized discount related to the Tranche Two Note was $68,514.
| F-15 |
| Table of Contents |
On November 22, 2021, upon exercise of the third tranche of the agreement, the Company entered into a $402,500 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Two Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $350,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15.00%. The Tranche Three Note is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 19,398 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire November 22, 2026. The warrants, which had a fair value of $32,660, were recorded as a discount on debt. As of December 31, 2021, the unamortized discount related to the Tranche Three Note was $72,859.
On December 20, 2021, upon exercise of the fourth tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $345,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Four Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $300,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Four Note is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 16,627 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire December 20, 2026. The warrants, which had a fair value of $27,901, were recorded as a discount on debt. As of December 31, 2021, the unamortized discount related to the Tranche Four Note was $69,931.
Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Loans
On April 30, 2020, the Company received approval from the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to fund the Company’s request for a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP Loan”) created as part of the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) administered by the SBA. In connection with the PPP Loan, the Company entered into a promissory note in the principal amount of $503,655. The Company used the entire loan amount for qualifying expenses and the loan was forgiven in its entirety on December 27, 2020.
On June 22, 2020, the Company entered into a U.S. Small Business Administration Loan Authorization and Agreement pursuant to which the Company received loan proceeds of $150,000 (the “SBA Loan”). The SBA Loan was made under, and is subject to the terms and conditions of, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, which was a program expanded for COVID-19 relief under the CARES Act and is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The term of the SBA Loan is thirty (30) years with a maturity date of June 22, 2050 and the annual interest rate of the SBA Loan is a fixed rate of 3.75%. Under the terms of the CARES Act, the use of loan proceeds for the SBA Loan is limited to alleviating economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAFE Agreements
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company entered into Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFEs”) with investors through a Regulation Crowdfunding campaign in exchange for cash investments. Upon a future equity financing of greater than $1,000,000, the SAFE securities are convertible at the option of the Company into securities identical to those issued in the future equity financing (“Shadow Securities”), except (1) they do not have the right to vote except as required by law, (2) they must vote in accordance with the majority of the investors in such future equity financing with respect to any such required vote and (3) they are not entitled to any inspection or information rights. If the Company elects to convert the securities upon the closing of a future equity financing, the investors will receive the number of Shadow Securities equal to the greater the quotient obtained by dividing the amount the investor paid (the “Purchase Amount”) for the securities by:
|
| (a) | the quotient of $18,500,000 divided by the aggregate number of issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, assuming full conversion or exercise of all convertible and exercisable securities then outstanding, including shares of convertible preferred stock and all outstanding vested or unvested options or warrants to purchase capital stock, but excluding (i) the issuance of all shares of capital stock reserved and available for future issuance under any of the Company’s existing equity incentive plans, (ii) convertible promissory notes issued by the Company, (iii) any SAFEs, and (iv) any equity securities that are issuable upon conversion of any outstanding convertible promissory notes or SAFEs, or |
|
|
|
|
|
| (b) | the lowest price per share of the securities sold in such future equity financing. |
| F-16 |
| Table of Contents |
The price (either (a) or (b)) determined above shall be deemed the “First Financing Price” and may be used to establish the conversion price of the securities at a later date, even if the Company does not choose to convert the SAFE securities upon the first future equity financing.
Upon an initial public offering of the Company’s common shares or a change of control (a “Liquidity Event”) prior to any equity financing, the investors will receive, at the option of the investors, either (i) a cash payment equal to the purchase amount or (ii) a number of shares of common stock of the Company equal to the purchase amount divided by the quotient of (a) $18,500,000 divided by (b) the number, as of immediately prior to the Liquidity Event, of shares of the Company’s capital stock (on an as-converted basis) outstanding, assuming exercise or conversion of all outstanding, vested and unvested options, warrants and other convertible securities, but excluding (di) shares of common stock reserved and available for future grant under any equity incentive or similar plan; (ii) any SAFEs; and (iii) convertible promissory notes.
In the case of a Liquidity Event following any equity financing, the investors will receive, at the option of the investors, either (i) a cash payment equal to the Purchase Amount, or (ii) a number of shares of the most recently issued preferred stock equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the First Financing Price. Shares of preferred stock granted in connection shall have the same liquidation rights and preferences as the shares of preferred stock issued in connection with the Company’s most recent Equity Financing.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company raised a total of $39,618 in the Regulation Crowdfunding campaign, which was made through OpenDeal Portal LLC (the “Intermediary”). The Intermediary will be entitled to receive a 6% commission fee and 2% of the securities issued in connection with the offering, which was closed in 2021. The Company received an additional $498,304 from the SAFE Crowdfunding campaign prior to the close of the campaign in 2021. As of December 31, 2021, the unamortized discount related to the SAFE Agreements, which included financing fees, was $47,674.
Related Party Loans
During 2020, the Company borrowed $25,000 from Jeanne Ciccone, a close relative of James Kras. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and do not accrue interest. The debt was fully repaid in January 2021 and there is no outstanding amount as of December 31, 2021.
During 2020, the Company borrowed $25,000 from Michael James, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Director, of which $2,500 remained outstanding as of December 31, 2020. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and do not accrue interest.
During 2021, the Company issued Convertible Promissory Notes (the “Convertible Notes”) with principal amounts totaling $1,200,000 to Michael James, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (the “Holder”). The Convertible Notes mature on the earlier of (1) one year after issuance, (2) upon the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The principal and interest due and owed under the Notes, which bear interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum, are convertible into shares of Common Stock at any time at the election of the Holders at a conversion price equal to $4.625 (subject to adjustment for forward reverse stock splits and the like after the issuance date). The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Notes at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to the Holders.
| F-17 |
| Table of Contents |
During 2021, the Company issued Promissory Notes (the “Promissory Notes”) totaling $660,000 to Mr. James, which mature on the earlier of (1) one year after issuance, (2) upon the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The Promissory Notes bear interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum. The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Promissory Notes at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to Mr. James.
During 2021, the Company issued Demand Notes totaling $35,200 to James Kras, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Director. The funds borrowed were utilized to fund ongoing operations and did not accrue interest. The remaining outstanding balance of $25,200 was exchanged for a Convertible Promissory Note (the “Convertible Note”), which matures on the earlier of (1) one year after issuance, (2) upon the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The principal and interest due and owed under the Note, which bears interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum, is convertible into shares of Common Stock at any time at the election of the Mr. Kras at a conversion price equal to $4.625 (subject to adjustment for forward reverse stock splits and the like after the issuance date). The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Note at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to Mr. Kras.
Other Loans
During 2021, the Company issued promissory notes with principal amounts totaling $140,000 to unaffiliated third parties, of which zero remained outstanding as of December 31, 2021.
Vehicle Loans
During 2020, the Company entered into a financing agreement for the purchase of a vehicle. The loan, which accrues interest at a rate of 17.51%, matures on April 26, 2024. The loan is secured by the vehicle purchased.
During 2021, the Company entered into three financing agreements totaling $102,681 for the purchase of vehicles. The loans, which accrue interest at rates of 16.84% - 18.66%, mature in 2026. The loans are secured by the vehicles purchased.
NOTE 9 – LEASES
A lease provides the lessee the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Operating lease right-of-use assets (“Lease Assets”) are included within “Other assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.
Lease assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term.
The discount rate used to determine the commencement date present value of lease payments is the interest rate implicit in the lease, or when that is not readily determinable, the Company utilizes its secured borrowing rate. Lease assets include any lease payments required to be made prior to commencement and exclude lease incentives. Both lease assets and lease liabilities exclude variable payments not based on an index or rate, which are treated as period costs. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain significant residual value guarantees, restrictions, or covenants.
We are currently party to an ongoing arrangement with our predecessor company, Edible Garden Corp., whereby we made lease payments of approximately $15,300 per month during the year ended December 31, 2021 to the lessor of the land on which our flagship facility is built and for which our predecessor company is the lessee. Our month-to-month arrangement meets the definition of a short-term lease and is therefore excluded from the recognition requirements of ASC 842, “Leases”.
| F-18 |
| Table of Contents |
During the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2021, total operating lease cost was $461,804, of which $354,764 was associated with short-term leases. During the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Predecessor), total operating lease cost was $196,321, of which $116,813 was associated with short-term leases. During the nine months ended December 31, 2020 (Successor), total operating lease cost was $413,000 of which $332,720 was associated with short-term leases. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, short term lease liabilities of $65,019 and $77,363 are included in “Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses” on the consolidated balance sheets, respectively. The table below presents total operating lease assets and lease liabilities as of December 31, 2021 (Successor):
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |
|
|
| December 31, |
| |
|
|
| 2021 |
| |
| Operating lease assets |
| $ | 204 |
|
| Operating lease liabilities |
| $ | 204 |
|
The table below presents the maturities of operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2021:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |
|
|
| Operating |
| |
| Leases |
| |||
| 2022 |
|
| 107 |
|
| 2023 |
|
| 107 |
|
| 2024 |
|
| 36 |
|
| Total lease payments |
|
| 250 |
|
| Less: discount |
|
| (46 | ) |
| Total operating lease liabilities |
| $ | 204 |
|
The table below presents the weighted average remaining lease term for operating leases and weighted average discount rate used in calculating operating lease right-of-use assets:
|
|
| December 31, |
| |
|
|
| 2021 |
| |
| Remaining lease term (years) |
| 2.3 |
| |
| Discount rate |
|
| 17.5 | % |
| F-19 |
| Table of Contents |
NOTE 10 – WARRANTS
The following table summarizes transactions involving the Company’s outstanding warrants to purchase common stock for the year ended December 31, 2021:
|
|
| Warrants |
|
| Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Outstanding, January 1, 2021 |
|
| - |
|
| $ | - |
|
| Warrants granted |
|
| 205,750 |
|
| $ | 11.18 |
|
| Outstanding, December 31, 2021 |
|
| 205,750 |
|
| $ | 11.18 |
|
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 205,750 shares of common stock to Evergreen in conjunction with the private placement described in Note 8, which were accounted for as a debt discount. Management estimated the fair value of the warrants issued utilizing the Black-Scholes Option Pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:
| Expected term |
| 2.5 Years |
| |
| Volatility |
|
| 60.8 | % |
| Risk-free interest rate |
|
| 0.6 | % |
| Dividend yield |
|
| 0.0 | % |
NOTE 11 – TAX EXPENSE
The components of deferred income tax assets and (liabilities) are as follows:
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||
|
|
| December 31, |
|
| December 31, |
| ||
|
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2021 |
| ||
| Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
| Net Operating Losses |
| $ | 1,350 |
|
| $ | 2,842 |
|
| Inventory |
|
| 20 |
|
|
| - |
|
| Reserves & Allowances |
|
| 41 |
|
|
| 57 |
|
| Gross deferred tax assets |
|
| 1,411 |
|
|
| 2,899 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Valuation allowance |
|
| (762 | ) |
|
| (2,329 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total deferred tax assets |
|
| 649 |
|
|
| 570 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Deferred tax Liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Depreciable asset basis differences |
|
| (649 | ) |
|
| (570 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total deferred tax liabilities |
|
| (649 | ) |
|
| (570 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
The Company did not incur income tax expense or benefit for the years ended December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2021. The reconciliation between the Company’s effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate is as follows:
| F-20 |
| Table of Contents |
|
|
| (in thousands) |
| |||||||||
|
|
| Predecessor |
|
| Successor |
| ||||||
|
|
| Period from January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2020 |
|
| Period from |
|
| Year Ended December 31, 2021 |
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
| Expected income tax benefit at statutory tax rate, net |
| $ | (343 | ) |
| $ | (437 | ) |
| $ | (1,160 | ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| State taxes (net of federal tax benefits): |
|
| (132 | ) |
|
| (228 | ) |
|
| (489 | ) |
| Increase in valuation allowance |
|
| 537 |
|
|
| 762 |
|
|
| 1,567 |
|
| Loss on disposal |
|
| (62 | ) |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
| Debt discount |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 47 |
|
| Debt forgiveness |
|
| - |
|
|
| (97 | ) |
|
| - |
|
| Other |
|
| - |
|
|
| - |
|
|
| 35 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reported income tax expense (benefit) |
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
| $ | - |
|
The Company believes that income tax filing positions will be sustained upon examination and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Accordingly, the Company has not recorded any reserves, or related accruals or uncertain income tax positions as of December 31, 2021.
Federal and New Jersey tax laws impose significant restrictions on the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards in the event of a change in ownership of the Company, as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 382 (Section 382). The Company does not believe a change in ownership, as defined by Section 382, has occurred but a formal study has not been completed.
The Company has net operating loss carryforwards for federal and New Jersey income tax purposes of approximately $10,212,429 and $8,281,188, respectively, as of December 31, 2021. The federal net operating loss carryforwards, if not utilized, will carryover indefinitely. The state net operating loss carryforwards, if not utilized, will expire beginning in 2040.
NOTE 12 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
In the ordinary course of business, there are various threatened and pending legal proceedings against the Company. Management believes that the aggregate liability, if any, arising from such litigation, except for the matter described below, would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
The Company is party to an action filed against us on November 29, 2021 by Green City Growers Cooperative in the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The plaintiff seeks damages for an alleged breach of a supplier agreement. The Company denies the allegations and intends to file a counterclaim against the plaintiff. The Company plans to vigorously defend itself.
If the Company settles this claim or the action is not resolved in its favor, the Company may suffer reputational damage and incur legal costs, settlements or judgments that exceed the amounts covered by our existing insurance policies. The Company can provide no assurances that its insurer will insure the legal costs, settlements or judgments incurred in excess of its deductible. If the Company is unsuccessful in defending itself from this claim or if its insurer does not insure against legal costs incurred in excess of the Company’s deductible, the result may materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
NOTE 13 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Company has entered into loan agreements with certain Officers and close relatives of Officers of the Company, the terms of which are disclosed in Note 8, “Notes Payable.”
| F-21 |
| Table of Contents |
The Company is party to an ongoing arrangement with the Predecessor whereby, in 2021, the Company made lease payments of approximately $15,300 per month to the lessor of land for which the Predecessor is the lessee. The lease agreement is associated with land the Company utilizes for its ongoing operations.
During 2021, the Company purchased a total of $227,365 of goods from Arch City AG, LLC (“Arch City”), an entity partially owned by Mr. Kras, our Chief Executive Officer. In May 2021, the Company entered into an Assumption and Indemnification Agreement (the “Assumption Agreement”) with Arch City, which resulted in the Company assuming a liability of $78,976 that Arch City owed to a third-party supplier. In consideration for payment of the outstanding liability, Arch City forgave the Company’s outstanding balance of accounts payable, which totaled $121,470. The Company recognized a gain for forgiveness of debt of $42,494 in non-operating income during the third quarter of 2021. This liability extinguished met the criteria for troubled debt. The basic criteria are that the borrower is troubled, i.e., they are having financial difficulties, and a concession is granted by the creditor.
NOTE 14 – GOING CONCERN
These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis. The Company began operations in 2020. For the years ended December 31, 2020, and 2021, we incurred net losses of $2.1 million and $5.3 million, respectively. We expect to experience further significant net losses in 2021 and the foreseeable future. At December 31, 2021, we had a cash balance of approximately $31,000. We have not been able to generate sufficient cash from operating activities to fund our ongoing operations. Since our inception, we have raised capital through our issuance of debt securities. Our future success is dependent upon our ability to achieve profitable operations and generate cash from operating activities. There is no guarantee that we will be able to generate enough revenue and/or raise capital to support our operations.
We will be required to raise additional funds through public or private financing, additional collaborative relationships or other arrangements until we are able to raise revenues to a point of positive cash flow. We are evaluating various options to further reduce our cash requirements to operate at a reduced rate, as well as options to raise additional funds, including obtaining loans and selling common stock. There is no guarantee that we will be able to generate enough revenue and/or raise capital to support our operations, or if we are able to raise capital, that it will be available to us on acceptable terms, on an acceptable schedule, or at all.
The issuance of additional securities may result in a significant dilution in the equity interests of our current stockholders. Obtaining loans, assuming these loans would be available, will increase our liabilities and future cash commitments. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain further funds required for our continued operations or that additional financing will be available for use when needed or, if available, that it can be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. If we are not able to obtain the additional financing on a timely basis, we will not be able to meet our other obligations as they become due and we will be forced to scale down or perhaps even cease our operations.
The risks and uncertainties surrounding our ability to continue to raise capital and our limited capital resources raise substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern for twelve months from the issuance of these financial statements.
NOTE 15 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Evergreen Private Placement
On January 14, 2022, upon exercise of the fifth tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $460,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Five Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $400,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Five Note matures on October 14, 2022 and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 22,169 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on January 14, 2027.
| F-22 |
| Table of Contents |
On February 11, 2022, the Company executed an amendment to the Agreement with Evergreen, which increased the aggregate subscription amount of the Notes to $2,500,000 and the number of warrants to purchase common stock to 1,167,297. On February 11, 2022, upon exercise of the sixth tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $115,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Six Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $100,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Six Note matures on November 11, 2022 and is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 5,543 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on February 11, 2027.
On February 18, 2022, the Company executed an amendment to the Agreement with Evergreen, which increased the aggregate subscription amount of the Notes to $2,900,000 and the number of warrants to purchase common stock to 1,278,141. On February 18, 2022, upon exercise of the seventh tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $115,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Seven Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $100,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Seven Note matures on November 18, 2022 and is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 5,543 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on February 18, 2027.
On March 2, 2022, upon exercise of the eighth tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $115,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Eight Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $100,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Eight Note matures on December 2, 2022 and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 5,543 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on March 2, 2027.
On March 9, 2022, the Company executed an amendment to the Agreement with Evergreen, which increased the aggregate subscription amount of the Notes to $3,200,000 and the number of warrants to purchase common stock to 1,361,274. On March 9, 2022, upon exercise of the ninth tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $345,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Nine Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $300,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Seven Note matures on December 9, 2022 and is convertible to shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 16,627 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on March 9, 2027.
On March 18, 2022, upon exercise of the tenth tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $115,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche Ten Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $100,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche Ten Note matures on December 18, 2022 and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 5,543 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on March 18, 2027.
Related Party Loan
On January 7, 2022, the Company issued a Promissory Note totaling $70,000 to Mr. James, which matures on the earlier of (1) January 6, 2023, (2) the closing of the Company’s next sale of equity securities in which the Company raises at least $5.00 million in gross proceeds (excluding the value of any instruments converting into equity in such equity financing), (3) the sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (4) a transaction or series of related transactions in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, or (5) upon the occurrence of an event of default. The Promissory Note bears interest at a rate of 12.00% per annum. The Company may prepay any portion of the principal and accrued interest due under the Promissory Note at any time and without penalty, upon providing ten days written notice to Mr. James.
Evergreen Private Placement (Unaudited)
On March 30 , 2022, upon exercise of the 11th tranche of the Agreement, the Company entered into a $115,000 Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Note with the Holder (“Tranche 11 Note”), which resulted in total cash proceeds of $100,000 after consideration of the original issue discount of 15%. The Tranche 11 Note matures on December 30 , 2022 and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $20.75. Simultaneously, the Company executed a Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement with the Holder, which provides the Holder with the right, but not the obligation, to acquire 5,543 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $20.75 per share. The warrants will expire on March 30 , 2027.
| F-23 |
| Table of Contents |
Through and including , 2022 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This requirement is in addition to a dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or membership.
1,363,636 Units
Each Unit Consisting of One Share of
Common Stock
and One Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
_________________________
PROSPECTUS
_________________________
Sole Book-Running Manager
Maxim Group LLC
, 2022
| Table of Contents |
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth the various expenses, all of which will be borne by the registrant, in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions. All amounts shown are estimates except for the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee.
| SEC registration fee |
| $ | 8,612 |
|
| FINRA fees |
| $ | 14,434 |
|
| Printing and engraving expenses |
| $ | 1,500 |
|
| Accounting fees and expenses |
| $ | 100,000 |
|
| Legal fees and expenses |
| $ | 550,000 |
|
| Miscellaneous |
| $ | 25,454 |
|
| Total |
| $ | 700,000 |
|
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) provides that a Delaware corporation, in its certificate of incorporation, may limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:
|
| · | transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit; |
|
| · | act or omission not in good faith or that involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
|
| · | unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or |
|
| · | breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders. |
Under Section 145 of the DGCL, we can indemnify our directors and officers against liabilities they may incur in such capacities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Our certificate of incorporation (Exhibit 3.1 to this registration statement) provides that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law and requires us to pay expenses incurred in defending or other participating in any proceeding in advance of its final disposition upon our receipt of an undertaking by the director or officer to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer is not entitled to indemnification. Our certificate of incorporation further provides that rights conferred under such certificate of incorporation do not exclude any other right such persons may have or acquire under the certificate of incorporation, the bylaws, any statute, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
The amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that, pursuant to Delaware law, our directors shall not be liable for monetary damages for breach of the directors’ fiduciary duty of care to us and our stockholders. This provision in the certificate of incorporation does not eliminate the duty of care, and in appropriate circumstances equitable remedies such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief will remain available under Delaware law. In addition, each director will continue to be subject to liability for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct, or knowing violations of law, for actions leading to improper personal benefit to the director, and for payment of dividends or approval of stock repurchases or redemptions that are unlawful under Delaware law. The provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any other law, such as the federal securities laws or state or federal environmental laws. We also intend to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance pursuant to which our directors and officers are insured against liability for actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers.
In addition, we intend to enter into agreements to indemnify our directors and certain of our officers in addition to the indemnification provided for in the certificate of incorporation. These agreements, among other things, indemnify our directors and some of our officers for certain expenses (including attorney’s fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by such person in any action or proceeding, including any action by or in our right, on account of services by that person as a director or officer of our company or as a director or officer of our subsidiary, or as a director or officer of any other company or enterprise that the person provides services to at our request.
| II-1 |
| Table of Contents |
The underwriting agreement(s) that the Registrant may enter into may provide for indemnification by any underwriters of the Registrant, its directors, its officers who sign the registration statement and the Registrant’s controlling persons for some liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
The information below lists all of the securities sold by us during the past three years which were not registered under the Securities Act:
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| · | From October 7, 2021 through March 30, 2022, we issued 15% original issue discount secured promissory notes to Evergreen Capital Management LLC, warrants to purchase an aggregate of 272,261 shares of our common stock for an aggregate of $3.2 million, and 80,000 shares of our common stock. As part of the private placement, Maxim received a cash fee equal to 6% of the private placement proceeds. The offering was conducted pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act in reliance upon Rule 506(b) promulgated under the Securities Act. |
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|
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|
|
| · | From April 28, 2020 through January 7, 2022, we issued demand, convertible and promissory notes to our officers pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for more information. |
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|
|
| · | From October 2020 through April 2021, we issued approximately $538 thousand in our Series 2020 Crowd SAFEs pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act available under Regulation Crowdfunding for cash. The Crowd SAFEs may convert into this offering at the option of the holder at a conversion price equal to their investment divided by $18.5 million divided by 5,080,000 shares (to be outstanding as of immediately prior to the offering). |
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| |
|
| · | In March 2020, we issued two options to Sament Capital Investments, Inc. to purchase an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of our common stock pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The first option granted Sament the right to purchase 445,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 for all of the underlying shares. The second option granted Sament the right to purchase 555,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 for all of the shares underlying the option any time prior to March 30, 2025. Both options were exercised as of October 8, 2021 for the aggregate exercise price of $2.00 pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. |
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|
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| · | Upon our inception in March 2020, we issued 1,800,000, 1,800,000, and 400,000 shares of common stock (after the effect of all forward stock splits to date and the assumed reverse stock split at a 1 for 5 ratio to occur immediately prior to the effective date of this registration statement) to Mr. Kras, Mr. James, and Mr. Rodrigues, respectively, pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. |
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
The following exhibits to this registration statement included in the Index to Exhibits are incorporated by reference.
| II-2 |
| Table of Contents |
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
| Exhibit No. |
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| Consent of Harter Secrest & Emery LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) | |
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____________
* Filed herewith.
+ Management contract or compensatory arrangement.
± Certain information has been omitted from this exhibit in reliance upon Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K and will be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
| II-3 |
| Table of Contents |
Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
|
| (1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
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| (2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| II-4 |
| Table of Contents |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Belvidere, State of New Jersey, on April 6, 2022.
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| EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED | |||
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| By: | /s/ James E. Kras |
| |
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| Name: | James E. Kras |
| |
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| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and President |
| |
|
|
| (principal executive officer) |
| |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature |
| Title |
| Date |
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|
| /s/ James E. Kras |
| Chief Executive Officer, President and Director |
| April 6, 2022 |
| James E. Kras |
| (principal executive officer) |
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| /s/ Michael James |
| Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and Director |
| April 6, 2022 |
| Michael James |
| (principal financial and accounting officer) |
|
|
| II-5 |
EXHIBIT 1.1
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[__________], 2022
MAXIM GROUP LLC
300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
As Representative of the Underwriters
named on Schedule I hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, Edible Garden AG Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) to issue and sell to the underwriter or underwriters, as the case may be, named in Schedule I hereto (each, an “Underwriter” and, collectively, the “Underwriters;”), for whom Maxim Group LLC is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), an aggregate of [____] units (the “Firm Units” or “Units”) of the Company’s securities, and, at the election of the Representative, up to an additional [_________] Option Shares (as defined herein and collectively with the shares of Common Stock underlying the Firm Units, the “Shares”), and/or up to an additional [_____] Option Warrants (as defined herein and collectively with warrants underlying the Firm Units, the “Warrants”). Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and one Warrant. Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Common Stock (as more fully described in Section 2 hereof). The Units, the Shares, the Warrants, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”), and the Representative’s Securities (as defined herein) are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Securities.” The offering and sale of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement is referred to herein as the “Offering.”
Units will not be issued or certificated. The shares of Common Stock and Warrants that comprise the Units are immediately separable and will be issued separately.
1. Securities; Over-Allotment Option.
(a) Purchase of Firm Units. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell, severally and not jointly, to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of [______] Firm Units at a purchase price per Firm Unit of $[____], which represents a 7% discount to the public offering price per Firm Unit.
(b) The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Units set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule I attached hereto and made a part hereof.
| 1 |
(c) Payment and Delivery. Delivery and payment for the Firm Units shall be made at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the second Business Day following the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) (or the third Business Day following the Effective Date, if the Registration Statement is declared effective after 4:30 p.m. New York time) or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company at the offices of the Representative or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The hour and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Units is called the “Closing Date.” The closing of the payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Units (the “Firm Shares”) and the Warrants underlying the Units (the “Firm Warrants”) is referred to herein as the “Closing.” Payment for the Firm Units shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds upon delivery to the Underwriters of the Firm Shares and the Firm Warrants underlying the Firm Units (or through the full fast transfer facilities of the Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”)) for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Shares and Firm Warrants shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company will permit the Representative to examine and package the Firm Units for delivery, at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Units except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all the Firm Units.
(d) Over-Allotment Option. For the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Units, the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters are hereby granted an option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase up to an additional [_____________] shares of Common Stock (the “Option Shares”) and/or up to an additional [_____] Warrants (the “Option Warrants”), in each case, solely to cover over-allotments. The purchase price to be paid for the Option Shares subject to the Over-Allotment Option will be equal to $[_____] per Option Share, the purchase price to be paid for the Option Warrants subject to the Over-Allotment Option will be equal to $[______] per Option Warrant.
(e) Exercise of Option. The Over-Allotment Option granted pursuant to Section 1(d) hereof may be exercised by the Representative as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) of the Option Shares and/or the Option Warrants within 45 days after the Closing Date. The Underwriters will not be under any obligation to purchase any of such Option Shares and/or Option Warrants prior to the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. The Over-Allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of written notice to the Company from the Representative, setting forth the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for such Option Shares and/or Option Warrant, which will not be later than three Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative, at the offices of the Representative or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. If such delivery and payment for all of the Option Shares and/or Option Warrants does not occur on the Closing Date, the date and time of the closing for such Option Shares and/or Option Warrants will be as set forth in the notice (hereinafter the “Option Closing Date”). Upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants specified in such notice. If any Option Shares and/or Option Warrants are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm Units to be purchased as set forth on Schedule I opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Units.
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(f) Payment and Delivery of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants. Payment for Option Shares and/or Option Warrants shall be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds by deposit of the price for the Option Shares and/or Option Warrants being purchased to the Company upon delivery to the Underwriters of such Option Shares and/or Option Warrants (through the full fast transfer facilities of DTC, as applicable) for the account of the Underwriters. The Option Shares and/or Option Warrants to be delivered will be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative requests not less than one Business Day prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and will be made available to the Representative for inspection, checking and packaging at the aforesaid office of the Company’s transfer agent or correspondent not less than one Business Day prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
(g) Representative’s Warrants. The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the Closing Date, Warrants to purchase [______] shares of Common Stock (the “Closing Representative’s Warrants”) and, on each Option Closing Date, Warrants to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock up to an aggregate of 4% of the number of shares of Common Stock issued to investors at such Option Closing Date (the “Option Representative’s Warrants” and, together with the Closing Representative’s Warrants, the “Representative’s Warrants”). The Representative’s Warrants shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, commencing 180 days from the Effective Date and expiring on the five-year anniversary of the Effective Date at an initial exercise price of $[_____] per share of Common Stock, which is equal to one hundred and twenty five percent (125%) of the public Offering price of a Firm Unit. The Representative’s Warrants and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Representative’s Securities.” The form of the Representative’s Warrant is attached hereto as Annex III .
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents, warrants and covenants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters, and, solely with respect to subsection (f) of this Section, the Representative represents, warrants and covenants to, and agrees with the Company, that, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date:
(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333- 260655), and amendments thereto, and related preliminary prospectuses for the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Securities which registration statement, as so amended (including post-effective amendments, if any), has been declared effective by the Commission and copies of which have heretofore been delivered to the Underwriters. The registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the prospectus, financial statements, schedules, exhibits and other information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement.” If the Company has filed or is required pursuant to the terms hereof to file a registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act registering additional Securities (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), then, unless otherwise specified, any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Other than a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, which, if filed, becomes effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission. All of the Securities have been registered under the Securities Act pursuant to the Registration Statement or, if any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed, will be duly registered under the Securities Act with the filing of such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The Company has responded to all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. Based on communications from the Commission, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of either the Registration Statement or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission (the “Rules and Regulations”), proposes to file the Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (“Rule 424(b)”). The prospectus, in the form in which it is to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), or, if the prospectus is not to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), the prospectus in the form included as part of the Registration Statement at the time the Registration Statement became effective, is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Underwriters by the Company for use in connection with the Offering which differs from the Prospectus (whether or not such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b)), the term “Prospectus” shall also refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriters for such use. Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus subject to completion included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act is hereafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the exhibits incorporated by reference therein pursuant to the Rules and Regulations on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be. Any reference herein to the terms “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include: (i) the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and together with the Rules and Regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”) after the Effective Date, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated therein by reference, and (ii) any such document so filed. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”). The Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the Offering was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T promulgated by the Commission.
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(b) At the time of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or the effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, when the Prospectus is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), when any supplement to or amendment of the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, when any document filed under the Exchange Act was or is filed, at all other subsequent times until the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, and at the Closing Date, if any, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements or exhibits thereto complied or will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not, as of the date of such amendment or supplement, contain an untrue statement of a material fact and did not and will not, as of the date of such amendment or supplement, omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein: (i) in the case of the Registration Statement, not misleading, and (ii) in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made as of its date, not misleading. When any Preliminary Prospectus was first filed with the Commission (whether filed as part of the registration statement for the registration of the Securities or any amendment thereto or pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act) and when any amendment thereof or supplement thereto was first filed with the Commission, such Preliminary Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No representation and warranty is made in this subsection (b), however, with respect to any information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any related Preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representative specifically for use therein. The parties acknowledge and agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of: the statements set forth in the “Underwriting” section of the Prospectus only insofar as such statements relate to the names and corresponding share and warrant amounts set forth in the table of Underwriters, the amount of selling concession and re-allowance, the over-allotment option, and related activities that may be undertaken by the Underwriters and the “Electronic Distribution,” and “Price Stabilization, Short Positions” sections of the Prospectus (the “Underwriters’ Information”).
(c) Neither: (i) any Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Issuer-Represented Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, includes or included as of the Applicable Time any untrue statement of a material fact or omits or omitted as of the Applicable Time to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer-Represented Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information. Each of (i) any electronic road show or investor presentation (including without limitation any “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act) delivered to and approved by the Underwriters for use in connection with the marketing of the Offering as of the time of their use and at the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, if any and (ii) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined herein), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package at the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, if any, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(d) Each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times until the Closing Date or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the then-current Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus or Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the then-current Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus or Prospectus relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has notified or will notify promptly the Representative so that any use of such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is promptly amended or supplemented by the Company, at its own expense, to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The preceding two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information.
(e) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer-Represented Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Securities Act to be distributed by the Company. Unless the Company obtains the prior consent of the Representative, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission; provided that the prior written consent of the Representative shall be deemed to have been given in respect of any free writing prospectus referenced on Schedule III attached hereto. The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Closing Date, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. To the extent an electronic road show is used, the Company has satisfied and will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Securities Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(f) The Representative agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise (without taking into account any approval, authorization, use or reference thereto by the Company) constitute a “free writing prospectus” required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Company hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of any Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectuses referenced on Schedule III attached hereto.
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(g) As used in this Agreement, the terms set forth below shall have the following meanings:
(i) “Applicable Time” means [_______], 2022, [____]a.m./p.m. (Eastern time).
(ii) “Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time. For purposes of this definition, information contained in a form of prospectus that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A or 430B shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.
(iii) “Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, relating to the Securities that (A) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, or (B) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) under the Securities Act because it contains a description of the Securities or of the Offering that does not reflect the final terms or pursuant to Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) because it is a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act.
(iv) “Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule III to this Agreement.
(v) “Issuer-Represented Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus. The term Issuer-Represented Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus also includes any “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, that is made available without restriction pursuant to Rule 433(d)(8)(ii), even though not required to be filed with the Commission.
(h) Marcum LLP (the “Auditor”), whose reports relating to the Company are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”). To the Company’s knowledge, the Auditor is not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“Sarbanes-Oxley”). The Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.
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(i) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is presented in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) the Company has not declared, paid or made any dividends or other distributions of any kind on or in respect of its capital stock, and (ii) there has been no material adverse change (or, to the knowledge of the Company, any development which could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the future), whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in or affecting: (A) the business, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, shareholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) considered as a whole; (B) the long-term debt or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or (C) the Offering or consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement (as hereinafter defined), the Warrants, the Representative’s Warrants, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (a “Material Adverse Change”). Since the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not incurred or undertaken any liabilities or obligations, whether direct or indirect, liquidated or contingent, matured or unmatured, or entered into any transactions, including any acquisition or disposition of any business or asset, which are material to the Company, except for liabilities, obligations and transactions which are disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(j) As of the dates set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization;” all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with all applicable federal and to the knowledge of the Company, all state securities laws and none of those shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to the extent any such rights were not waived; the Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefore as provided in this Agreement, will be validly issued and, in the case of the Shares, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights that have not heretofore been waived (with copies of such waivers provided to the Underwriters); and no holder of any Shares or any shares of Common Stock is or will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder. The Securities conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. When issued, the Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company to issue and sell, upon exercise thereof and payment of the respective exercise prices therefor, the number and type of securities of the Company called for thereby in accordance with the terms thereof and such Warrants are enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. The Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; will not have been issued in violation of or be subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company; and the holders thereof will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders.
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(k) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there are no outstanding rights (contractual or otherwise), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, or agreements or understandings with respect to the sale or issuance of, any shares of capital stock of or other equity interest in the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (B) there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act or otherwise register any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person and any such rights so disclosed have been waived by the holders thereof in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby including the Offering.
(l) The shares of Common Stock underlying the Representative’s Warrants have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance, conform to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been validly reserved for issuance and will, upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants and payment of the exercise price thereof, be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not have been issued in violation of or be subject to preemptive or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company and the holders thereof will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders.
(m) The subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiaries”), together with their respective jurisdictions of incorporation are listed on Schedule IV hereto. Each of the Subsidiaries is wholly-owned by the Company and no person or entity has any right to acquire any equity interest in any of the Subsidiaries. Except for the Subsidiaries, the Company does not own any equity interest in any other corporation, limited liability company or other entity.
(n) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has been duly incorporated, organized or formed and validly exists as a corporation or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation, organization or formation. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as it is currently being conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and to own, lease and operate its properties. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company in each jurisdiction in which the character or location of its properties (owned, leased or licensed) or the nature or conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary, except, in each case, for those failures to be so qualified or in good standing which (individually and in the aggregate) would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on: (i) the business, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, shareholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries considered as a whole; (ii) the long-term debt or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or (iii) the Offering or consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants, the Representative’s Warrants, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (any such effect being a “Material Adverse Effect”).
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(o) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is: (i) in violation of its certificate or bylaws, operating agreement or other organizational documents, (ii) in default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject; and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, security interest, charge or other encumbrance (a “Lien”) upon any of its property or assets pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, or (iii) in violation in any respect of any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, except, in the case of subsections (ii) and (iii) above, for such violations or defaults which (individually or in the aggregate) would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) The Company has entered into a warrant agency agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”) with American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC , as warrant agent, with respect to the Warrants substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants, the Representative’s Warrants (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and all other agreements, documents, certificates and instruments required to be delivered pursuant to the Transaction Documents. The Company has duly and validly authorized the Transaction Documents and each of the transactions contemplated thereby. This Agreement and the Warrant Agreement have been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company and are enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.
(q) When issued, the Representative’s Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company to issue and sell, upon exercise thereof and payment of the respective exercise prices therefor, the number and type of securities of the Company called for thereby in accordance with the terms thereof and the Representative’s Warrants are enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.
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(r) The execution, delivery, and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents and all other agreements, documents, certificates and instruments required to be delivered pursuant to the Transaction Documents and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not: (i) conflict with, require consent under or result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement, instrument, franchise, license or permit to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, operations or assets may be bound or (ii) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate of incorporation, by-laws, operating agreement or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) violate or conflict with any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, trigger a reset or repricing of any outstanding securities of the Company; except in the case of subsection (i) for any default, conflict or violation that would not have or reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have all material consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, qualifications, licenses, filings and permits of, with and from all judicial, regulatory and other legal or governmental agencies and bodies and all third parties, foreign and domestic (collectively, the “Consents”), to own, lease and operate their respective properties and conduct their respective businesses as they are now being conducted and as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and each such Consent is valid and in full force and effect, except which (individually or in the aggregate), in each such case, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received notice of any investigation or proceedings which results in or, if decided adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries could reasonably be expected to result in, the revocation of, or imposition of a materially burdensome restriction on, any Consent. No Consent contains a materially burdensome restriction not adequately disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(t) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all applicable material laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, directives, judgments, decrees and orders, foreign and domestic, except for any non-compliance the consequences of which would not have or reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Intentionally omitted;
(v) The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (File Number 001-[_________]) providing for the registration of the Common Stock and the Warrants (the “Form 8-A Registration Statement”). The Common Stock and the Warrants are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) under the Exchange Act. The Form 8-A Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the date hereof. The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock or the Warrants under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.
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(w) The Common Stock, including the Shares and the Warrant Shares, and the Warrants have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Exchange”), subject to notice of official issuance and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting its Common Stock, including the Shares and the Warrant Shares, and the Warrants, from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Exchange is contemplating terminating such listing.
(x) No consent of, with or from any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body or any third party, foreign or domestic is required for the execution, delivery and performance of any of the Transaction Documents or consummation of each of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities to be issued, sold and delivered hereunder, except (i) such as may have previously been obtained (with copies of such consents provided to the Underwriters), (ii) the registration under the Securities Act of the Securities, which has become effective, (iii) such consents as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the Exchange, and (iv) the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, each of which has been obtained and is in full force and effect.
(y) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no judicial, regulatory, arbitral or other legal or governmental proceeding or other litigation or arbitration, domestic or foreign, pending to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or of which any property, operations or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the subject which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no such proceeding, litigation or arbitration is threatened or contemplated and the defense of any such proceedings, litigation and arbitration against or involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) The financial statements, including the notes thereto, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial position as of the dates indicated and the cash flows and results of operations for the periods specified of the Company. Except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except in the case of unaudited financials which are subject to normal year end adjustments and do not contain certain footnotes. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. The other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information included therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the financial statements that are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the books and records of the respective entities presented therein.
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(aa) There are no pro forma or as adjusted financial statements which are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in accordance with Regulation S-X which have not been included as so required. The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been properly compiled and prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and include all adjustments necessary to present fairly in accordance with GAAP the pro forma and as adjusted financial position of the respective entity or entities presented therein at the respective dates indicated and their cash flows and the results of operations for the respective periods specified. The assumptions used in preparing the pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein. The related pro forma and pro forma as adjusted adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions; and the pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statement amounts.
(bb) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(cc) The Company is in the process of establishing disclosure controls and procedures over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) and such controls and procedures will be designed to ensure that information relating to the Company that will be required to be disclosed in the reports that it will file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(dd) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the board of directors has not been informed, nor is the Company aware, of: (i) any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(ee) Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates (as defined in the Securities Act) has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
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(ff) Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities which are required to be “integrated” pursuant to the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations with the offer and sale of the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates has sold or issued any securities during the six-month period preceding the date of the Prospectus, including but not limited to any sales pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation D or Regulation S under the Securities Act.
(gg) To the knowledge of the Company, all information contained in the questionnaires completed by each of the Company’s officers and directors and 5% holders immediately prior to the Offering and provided to the Representative as well as the biographies of such officers and directors in the Registration Statement are true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the questionnaires completed by the directors and officers to become inaccurate and incorrect.
(hh) To the knowledge of the Company, no director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any current employer or prior employer which could materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Company.
(ii) The Company is not and, at all times up to and including consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and after giving effect to application of the net proceeds of the Offering, will not be, subject to registration as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and is not and will not be an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of such act.
(jj) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any Affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, officer, shareholder, customer or supplier of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any Affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which is not so described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members. The Company has not, in violation of Sarbanes-Oxley directly or indirectly extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or executive officer of the Company.
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(kk) The Company is in material compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Exchange (to the extent applicable to the Company prior to the listing of the Common Stock and the Warrants on the Exchange following the Closing) or any other governmental or self regulatory entity or agency, except for such violations which, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, by the time required by the Exchange: (i) all members of the Company’s board of directors who are required to be “independent” (as that term is defined under applicable laws, rules and regulations), including, without limitation, all members of the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors, meet the qualifications of independence as set forth under applicable laws, rules and regulations (ii) the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors has at least one member who is an “audit committee financial expert” (as that term is defined under applicable laws, rules and regulations), and (iii) the Company’s board of directors has validly appointed an audit committee whose composition satisfies the requirements of the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the board of directors and/or audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfied the requirements of the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market.
(ll) Intentionally omitted.
(mm) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or leases all such properties (other than intellectual property, which is covered by Section 2(nn)) as are necessary to the conduct of its business as presently operated as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by it, in each case free and clear of all Liens except such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or such as do not (individually or in the aggregate) materially affect the business or prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any real property and buildings held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are held by it under valid, subsisting and, to the Company’s knowledge, enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material to, and do not materially interfere with, the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or its Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of any claim adverse to its ownership of any real or personal property or of any claim against the continued possession of any real property, whether owned or held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(nn) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries: (i) owns, possesses, or has the adequate right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, formulae, customer lists, and know-how and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of its businesses as being conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure and Prospectus and (ii) has no knowledge that the conduct of its business conflicts or will conflict with the rights of others, and it has not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any right of others. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has granted or assigned to any other Person any right to sell any of the products or services of the Company or its Subsidiaries. To the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property; there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the rights of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any claim for royalties or other compensation from any Person, including any employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries who made inventive contributions to the technology or products of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that are pending or unsettled, and except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has or will have any obligation to pay royalties or other compensation to any Person on account of inventive contributions.
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(oo) The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the applicable provisions of the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of their respective properties or businesses are or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or attached as an exhibit thereto, or (ii) is material to the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has been duly and validly executed by the Company or its Subsidiary, as applicable, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company or its Subsidiary in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the foreign, federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and none of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither the Company, any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in breach or default thereunder and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a breach or default thereunder, in any such case, which would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(pp) The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of foreign, federal, state and local regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
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(qq) Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim. The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements. No deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company’s federal, state, local or foreign taxes is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened. There is no tax lien, whether imposed by any federal, state, foreign or other taxing authority, outstanding against the assets, properties or business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than liens for taxes not yet delinquent, or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which reserves in accordance with GAAP have been established in the Company’s books and records. The term “taxes” mean all federal, state, local, foreign, and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments, or charges, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements, and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.
(rr) No labor disturbance or dispute by or with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, currently exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with the labor and employment laws and collective bargaining agreements and extension orders applicable to its employees.
(ss) The Company operates and is currently in material compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), including the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended, and the regulations thereunder (“FDCA”); and each product that is tested, sold and/or marketed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (each such product, a “Product”), such Product is being tested, sold and/or marketed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in compliance with all applicable requirements under FDCA and/or and similar laws, rules and regulations except where the failure to be in compliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending, completed or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened, action (including any lawsuit, arbitration, or legal or administrative or regulatory proceeding, charge, complaint, or investigation) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice, warning letter or other communication from the FDA or any other governmental entity or any non-U.S. counterparts thereof, which (i) contests the distribution of, the packaging of, the sale of, or the labeling and promotion of any Product, (ii) enjoins production at any facility of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (iii) enters or proposes to enter into a consent decree of permanent injunction with the Company or its Subsidiaries, or (iv) otherwise alleges any violation of any laws, rules or regulations by the Company or its Subsidiaries.
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(tt) Reserved
(uu) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and would not be reasonably expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has at all times operated its business in material compliance with all Environmental Laws (as hereinafter defined), and no material expenditures are or will be required in order to comply therewith. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or communication that relates to or alleges any actual or potential violation or failure to comply with any Environmental Laws that would, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, the term “Environmental Laws” means all applicable laws and regulations, including any licensing, permits or reporting requirements, and any action by a federal state or local government entity pertaining to the protection of the environment, protection of public health, protection of worker health and safety, or the handling of hazardous materials, including without limitation, the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7401, et seq., the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. § 9601, et seq., the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1321, et seq., the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 U.S.C. § 1801, et seq., the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. § 690-1, et seq., and the Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2601, et seq.
(vv) Reserved
(ww) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably considers adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries, all of which insurance is in full force and effect, except where the failure to maintain such insurance could not reasonably be expected to have Material Adverse Effect. The Company reasonably believes that it and each of its Subsidiaries will be able to renew its existing insurance as and when such coverage expires or will be able to obtain replacement insurance adequate for the conduct of its respective business and the value of its respective properties at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company currently maintains director and officer insurance coverage in an amount of $2,000,000.
(xx) Except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has failed to file with the applicable regulatory authorities any filing, declaration, listing, registration, report or submission that is required to be so filed for the business operation of the Company or such Subsidiary as currently conducted. All such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no deficiencies have been asserted in writing by any applicable regulatory authority with respect to any such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries holds, and is in material compliance with, all material franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders (“Permits”) of any governmental or self-regulatory agency, authority or body required for the conduct of the business of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted, and all such Permits are in full force and effect, in each case except where the failure to hold, or comply with, any of them is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(yy) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries including, without limitation, any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries, has, directly or indirectly, while acting on behalf of the Company or its Subsidiaries: (i) used any corporate funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds; (iii) violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any other unlawful payment.
(zz) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(aaa) The operations of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements and money laundering statutes of the United States and, to the Company’s knowledge, all other jurisdictions to which the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is subject, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any applicable governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(bbb) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
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(ccc) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its stockholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA. The Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, investing fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who provided capital to the Company, (ii) any FINRA member, or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member participating in the Offering within the 12-month period prior to the date on which the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission (the “Filing Date”) or thereafter. To the Company’s knowledge, no (i) officer or director of the Company or its subsidiaries, (ii) owner of 5% or more of the Company’s unregistered securities or that of its subsidiaries or (iii) owner of any amount of the Company’s unregistered securities acquired within the 180-day period prior to the Filing Date, has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member participating in the Offering. The Company will advise the Underwriters and their respective counsel if it becomes aware that any officer, director or stockholder of the Company or its subsidiaries is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering.
(ddd) As used in this Agreement, references to matters being “material” with respect to the Company shall mean a material event, change, condition, status or effect related to the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets (including intangible assets), liabilities, business, prospects, operations or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries either individually or taken as a whole, as the context requires.
(eee) As used in this Agreement, the term “knowledge of the Company” (or similar language) shall mean the knowledge of the executive officers and directors of the Company who executed the Registration Statement, with the assumption that such executive officers and directors shall have made reasonable and diligent inquiry of the matters presented (with reference to what is customary and prudent for the applicable individuals in connection with the discharge by the applicable individuals of their duties as executive officers or directors of the Company).
(fff) Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Underwriters or to Loeb & Loeb LLP (“Underwriters’ Counsel”) shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter listed on Schedule I hereto as to the matters covered thereby.
3. Offering. Upon authorization of the release of the Securities by the Representative, the Underwriters shall offer the Securities for sale to the public upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. Covenants of the Company. The Company acknowledges, covenants and agrees with the Representative, and as applicable, the Representative acknowledges, covenants and agrees with the Company, that:
(a) The Registration Statement and any amendments thereto have been declared effective, and if Rule 430A is used or the filing of the Prospectus is otherwise required under Rule 424(b), the Company will file the Prospectus (properly completed if Rule 430A has been used) pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the prescribed time period and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representative of such timely filing. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 433(d) or 163(b)(2), as the case may be.
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(b) During the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as, in the opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act is no longer required to be provided), in connection with sales by an underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably object within 24 hours of delivery thereof to the Representative and Underwriters’ Counsel.
(c) After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representative in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending its use or the use of any prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing the Common Stock and/or the Warrants from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its reasonable efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A and 430B, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable best efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or Rule 164(b)).
(d) (i) During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply in all material respects with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, and by the Exchange Act so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the General Disclosure Package, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the General Disclosure Package) would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary or appropriate in the opinion of the Company or its counsel or the Representative or Underwriters’ Counsel to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the General Disclosure Package) to comply with the Securities Act or to file under the Exchange Act any document which would be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the General Disclosure Package) or file such document (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
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(ii) If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or promptly will notify the Representative and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(e) The Company will promptly deliver to the Representative and Underwriters’ Counsel a signed copy of the Registration Statement, as initially filed and all amendments thereto, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith, and will maintain in the Company’s files manually signed copies of such documents for at least five (5) years after the date of filing thereof. The Company will promptly deliver to the Representative such number of copies of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, and all amendments of and supplements to such documents, if any, and all documents which are exhibits to the Registration Statement and Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, as the Underwriters may reasonably request. Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time thereafter, the Company will furnish the Representative with copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(f) The Company consents to the use and delivery of the Preliminary Prospectus by the Underwriters in accordance with Rule 430 and Section 5(b) of the Securities Act.
(g) If the Company elects to rely on Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Company shall both file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) and pay the applicable fees in accordance with Rule 111 of the Securities Act by the earlier of: (i) 10:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement, and (ii) the time that confirmations are given or sent, as specified by Rule 462(b)(2).
(h) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Representative, at or prior to the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws relating to the offering or sale of the Securities of such jurisdictions, domestic or foreign, as the Representative may reasonably designate and to maintain such qualification in effect for so long as required for the distribution thereof, except that in no event shall the Company be obligated in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction, to execute a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction, or to subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is otherwise not so subject.
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(i) During the 180 day period following the date of this Agreement (the “Company Lock-up Period”), the Company may not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (i) offer, sell, issue, agree or contract to sell or issue or grant any option for the sale of any securities of the Company, except for (A) the issuance of securities under the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (B) the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon any exercise of the Warrants, (C) the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or conversion of securities that are issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement and are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, 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 or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits, adjustments or combinations as set forth in such securities) or to extend the term of such securities or (D) 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 within 180 days following the Closing Date, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equity holders 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, or (ii) file any registration statement relating to the offer or sale of any of the Company’s securities.
(j) Schedule II hereto contains a complete and accurate list of the Company’s executive officers, directors and holders of 1% or more of the Company’s Common Stock (collectively, the “Lock-Up Parties”). The Company has caused each of the Lock-Up Parties to deliver to the Representative an executed Lock-Up Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Annex I (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), prior to the execution of this Agreement.
(k) If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a Lock-Up Agreement described in Section 4(j) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by (i) a press release substantially in the form of Annex IV hereto through a major news service or (ii) any other method that satisfies the obligations described in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2) at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(l) For a period of three years from the Closing Date, the Company shall retain American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC as the Company’s transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock and the Warrants and as the Company’s warrant agent for the Warrants or (i) a transfer and registrar agent for the Common Stock and (ii) warrant agent for the Warrants, in each case, reasonably acceptable to the Representative.
(m) The Company, at its expense, shall register with and keep current, its registration in the Standard & Poor’s Corporation Records Services (including annual report information).
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(n) For a period of at least three (3) years from the Effective Date, the Company shall retain a nationally recognized PCAOB registered independent public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative. The Representative acknowledges that the Auditor is acceptable to the Representative.
(o) During the period of one (1) year from the Effective Date, the Company will make available to the Representative copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to security holders or from time to time published or publicly disseminated by the Company, and will deliver to the Representative: (i) as soon as practicable after they are available, copies of any reports, financial statements and proxy or information statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as the Representative may from time to time reasonably request in writing pursuant to a specific regulatory or liability issue or; provided, that any such item which is available on the EDGAR system (or successor thereto) need not be furnished in physical form.
(p) The Company will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity without the Representative’s prior written consent, for a period ending at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the first Business Day following the forty fifth (45th) day following the Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business, or as required by law.
(q) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as set forth under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.
(r) The Company will use its commercial best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Common Stock and the Warrants on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the NYSE, or the NYSE American, for at least three (3) years after the Closing Date.
(s) The Company, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations within the time periods required thereby.
(t) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to the Closing Date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Securities.
(u) The Company will not take, and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause its Affiliates not to take, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
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(v) The Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered to the Representative, at its expense, within two (2) Business Days from the effective date of this Agreement, an Electronic Prospectus to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering. As used herein, the term “Electronic Prospectus” means a form of prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that may be transmitted electronically by the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Securities for at least the period during which a Prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper prospectus and prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that will allow recipients thereof to store and have continuously ready access to the prospectus at any future time, without charge to such recipients (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time).
(w) The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, and the Representative represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the free writing prospectuses included in Schedule III. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” Each of the Company and the Representative represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping.
(x) The Company hereby grants the Representative the right of first refusal for a period of twenty four (24) months from the Effective Date to act as sole underwriter and bookrunner or sole placement agent for any and all future public and private equity and debt (excluding commercial bank debt) offerings of the Company or any successor or any Subsidiary of the Company during such twenty four (24) month period or as exclusive financial advisor for any strategic transaction, including a merger, acquisition, joint venture, minority investment or asset sale during such twenty four (24) month period (“Right of First Refusal”). The Company shall provide written notice to the Representative with the terms of any such proposed offering including the material terms thereof, by email, registered mail or overnight courier service addressed to the Representative. If the Representative fails to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any such transaction within ten Business Days after written notice is delivered, then the Representative will have no further claim or right with respect to the transaction. The Representative may elect, in its sole and absolute discretion, not to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any transaction; provided that any such election by the Representative will not adversely affect its Right of First Refusal with respect to any other transaction during the period of the Right of First Refusal.
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5. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company hereby agrees to pay all reasonable and documented costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder including the following:
(i) all filing fees and communication expenses related to the registration of the Securities to be sold in the Offering including all expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, formatting for EDGAR and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any and all amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers;
(ii) all fees and expenses in connection with filings with FINRA;
(iii) all fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act and the Offering;
(iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Common Stock and the Warrants on the Exchange;
(v) the costs, if any, of all mailing and printing of the underwriting documents (including this Agreement, any blue sky surveys and, if appropriate, any Agreement Among Underwriters, Selected Dealers’ Agreement, Underwriters’ Questionnaire and Power of Attorney);
(vi) all reasonable travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expense of the Company incurred in connection with attending or hosting meetings with prospective purchasers of the Securities;
(vii) any stock transfer taxes payable upon the transfer of securities by the Company to the Underwriters and any other taxes incurred by the Company in connection with this Agreement or the Offering;
(viii) the costs associated with book building, prospectus tracking and compliance software and the cost of preparing certificates representing the Securities;
(ix) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities;
(x) any reasonable cost and expenses in conducting background checks of the Company’s officers and directors by a background search firm acceptable to the Representative;
(xi) [Reserved];
(xii) the cost of preparing, printing and delivering certificates representing each of the Securities;
(xiii) all other costs, fees and expenses incident to the performance of the Company obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section
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(xiv) The Representative’s total out-of-pocket accountable expenses (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses) in connection with the Offering shall not exceed $100,000. In the event the Offering is terminated prior to the Closing Date, the Representative’s total out-of-pocket accountable expenses (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses) in connection with the Offering shall not exceed $50,000.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 5, in the event that this Agreement is terminated, pursuant to Section 11(b) hereof, or subsequent to the occurrence of a Material Adverse Change, the Company will pay the out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred as allowed under FINRA Rule 5110 by the Underwriters through the date of such termination (including the fees and disbursements of Underwriters’ Counsel).
6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Units or the Option Shares and/or the Option Warrants, as the case may be, as provided herein shall be subject to: (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, (ii) the absence from any certificates, opinions, written statements or letters furnished to the Representative or to Underwriters’ Counsel pursuant to this Section 6 of any misstatement or omission, (iii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and (iv) each of the following additional conditions. For purposes of this Section 6, the terms “Closing Date” and “Closing” shall refer to the Closing Date for the Firm Units or the Option Shares and/or the Option Warrants, as the case may be, and each of the foregoing and following conditions must be satisfied as of each Closing.
(a) The Registration Statement shall have become effective and all necessary regulatory or listing approvals shall have been received not later than 5:30 p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement, or at such later time and date as shall have been consented to in writing by the Representative. If the Company shall have elected to rely upon Rule 430A under the Securities Act, the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in a timely fashion in accordance with the terms hereof and a form of the Prospectus containing information relating to the description of the Securities and the method of distribution and similar matters shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period; and, at or prior to the Closing Date or the actual time of the Closing, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof, or any amendment thereof, nor suspending or preventing the use of the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued; no proceedings for the issuance of such an order shall have been initiated or threatened; any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the Representative’s satisfaction; and FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(b) The Representative shall not have reasonably determined, and advised the Company, that the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the Representative’s reasonable opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in the Representative’s reasonable opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that if in the Representative’s opinion such deficiency is curable Representative shall have given the Company reasonable notice of such deficiency and a reasonable chance to cure such deficiency.
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(c) The Representative shall have received the written opinion and negative assurance letter of Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, the securities counsel for the Company, dated as of the Closing Date and addressed to the Representative substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex II.
(d) The Representative shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of each Closing Date to the effect that: (i) the condition set forth in subsection (a) of this Section 6 has been satisfied, (ii) as of the date hereof and as of the applicable Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Sections 1 and 2 hereof are accurate, (iii) as of the applicable Closing Date, all agreements, conditions and obligations of the Company to be performed or complied with hereunder on or prior thereto have been duly performed or complied with, (iv) the Company has not sustained any material loss or interference with its business, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any legal or governmental proceeding, (v) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereof has been issued and no proceedings therefor have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, (vi) there are no pro forma or as adjusted financial statements that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus pursuant to the Rules and Regulations which are not so included or incorporated by reference, and (vii) subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus there has not been any Material Adverse Change or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business.
(e) On the date of this Agreement and on each Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a “cold comfort” letter from the Auditor as of the date of delivery and addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and Underwriters’ Counsel, confirming that they are independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and stating, as of the date of delivery (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than five (5) days prior to the date of such letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters relating to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus covered by such letter.
(f) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any change or development involving a change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in the business, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, shareholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company including but not limited to the occurrence of any fire, flood, storm, explosion, accident, act of war or terrorism or other calamity, the effect of which, in any such case described above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representative, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
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(g) Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received a lock-up agreement from each Lock-Up Party, duly executed by the applicable Lock-Up Party, in each case substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex I.
(h) As of the Closing Date, the Shares and the Warrant Shares shall be listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the Exchange and satisfactory evidence of such action shall have been provided to the Representative. The Company shall have taken 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 Exchange, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Exchange is contemplating terminating such registration of listing. The Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares shall be DTC eligible.
(i) FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(j) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.
(k) The Company shall have furnished the Representative with a Certificate of Good Standing for the Company certified by the Secretary of State of Delaware.
(l) On the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date as the case may be, there shall have been issued to the Representative, a Representative’s Warrant in the form attached hereto as Annex III.
(m) The Company shall have furnished the Representative and Underwriters’ Counsel with such other certificates, opinions or other documents as they may have reasonably requested.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled or waived when and as required by this Agreement, or if any of the certificates, opinions, written statements or letters furnished to the Representative or to Underwriters’ Counsel pursuant to this Section 6 shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and to Underwriters’ Counsel, all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be cancelled by the Representative at, or at any time prior to, the consummation of the Closing. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone. Any such telephone notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.
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7. Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers, directors and employees, and each Person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (A) the Registration Statement, including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Rules and Regulations, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any documents filed under the Exchange Act and deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus), (B) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any other materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any road show or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) (collectively “Marketing Materials”) or (C) any filings or reports filed by the Company under the Exchange Act or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) in whole or in part upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein; or (iii) in whole or in part upon any failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or under law, and, in each case, will reimburse such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any other Marketing Materials, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information. With respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 7(a) shall not inure to the benefit of an Underwriter to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter results from the fact that a copy of the Prospectus was not given or sent to the Person asserting any such loss, liability, claim or damage at or prior to the written confirmation of sale of the Securities to such Person as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and if the untrue statement or omission has been corrected in the Prospectus, unless such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with its obligations under this Agreement.
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(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of the directors of the Company, each of the officers of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement, and each other Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred (including but not limited to attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or any amendment thereof, or any related Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter be liable or responsible for any amount in excess of the aggregate underwriting discount applicable to the Securities to be purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. The parties agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representative consists solely of the material referred to in the last sentence of Section 2(b) hereof.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of any claims or the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify each party against whom indemnification is to be sought in writing of the claim or the commencement thereof (but the failure so to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability which it may have under this Section 7 to the extent that it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability that such indemnifying party may have otherwise than on account of the indemnity agreement hereunder). In case any such claim or action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate, at its own expense in the defense of such action, and to the extent it may elect by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the written consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party or parties unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by one of the indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of such action, (ii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, (iii) the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, or (iv) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, or any of them, in conducting the defense of any such action or there may be legal defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to one or all of the indemnifying parties (in which case the indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the indemnifying parties and shall be paid as incurred. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties (which consent shall not be unreasonably delayed, withheld or denied), effect any settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened claim, investigation, action or proceeding in respect of which indemnity or contribution may be or could have been sought by an indemnified party under this Section 7 or Section 8 hereof (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party thereto), unless (x) such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, investigation, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or any failure to act, by or on behalf of the indemnified party, and (y) the indemnifying party confirms in writing its indemnification obligations hereunder with respect to such settlement, compromise or judgment.
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8. Contribution. In order to provide for contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in Section 7 is for any reason held to be unavailable from any indemnifying party or is insufficient to hold harmless a party indemnified thereunder, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses of the nature contemplated by such indemnification provision (including any investigation, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted, but after deducting in the case of losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses suffered by the Company, any contribution received by the Company from Persons, other than the Underwriters, who may also be liable for contribution, including Persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company) as incurred to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject, in such proportions as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Underwriters from the Offering or, if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportions as are appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Underwriters in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Underwriters shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (x) the total proceeds from the Offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company bears to (y) the underwriting discount or commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of each of the Company and of the Underwriters shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 8 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8: (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the aggregate discounts and commissions applicable to the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public and (ii) no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each Person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to clauses (i) and (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence. Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made against another party or parties, notify each party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify such party or parties shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any obligation it or they may have under this Section 8 or otherwise. The obligations of the Underwriters to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of Securities to be purchased by each of the Underwriters hereunder and not joint.
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9. Underwriter Default.
(a) If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligation to purchase Firm Units hereunder, and if the securities with respect to which such default relates (the “Default Securities”) do not (after giving effect to arrangements, if any, made by the Representative pursuant to subsection (b) below) exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Units, each non-defaulting Underwriter, acting severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company that number of Default Securities that bears the same proportion of the total number of Default Securities then being purchased as the number of Firm Units set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate number of Firm Units set forth opposite the names of the non-defaulting Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make.
(b) In the event that the aggregate number of Default Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Firm Units, the Representative may in its discretion arrange for themselves or for another party or parties (including any non-defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters who so agree) to purchase the Default Securities on the terms contained herein. In the event that within 48 hours after such a default the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of the Default Securities as provided in this Section 9, this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of the Company with respect thereto (except in each case as provided in Sections 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11(d)) or the Underwriters, but nothing in this Agreement shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters of its or their liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and the Company for damages occasioned by its or their default hereunder.
(c) In the event that any Default Securities are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period, not exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which, in the reasonable opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel, may thereby be made necessary or advisable. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 9 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Firm Units.
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10. Survival of Representations and Agreements. All representations and warranties, covenants and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, including the agreements contained in Sections 5, 10, 14 and 15, the indemnity agreements contained in Section 7 and the contribution agreements contained in Section 8 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling Person thereof or by or on behalf of the Company, any of its officers and directors or any controlling Person thereof, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities to and by the Underwriters. The representations contained in Section 2 hereof and the covenants and agreements contained in Sections 5, 7, 8, this Section 10 and Sections 12, 13, 14 and 15 hereof shall survive any termination of this Agreement, including termination pursuant to Section 9 or 11 hereof. The representations and covenants contained in Sections 2, 3 and 4 hereof shall survive termination of this Agreement if any Securities are purchased pursuant to this Agreement.
11. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective upon the later of: (i) receipt by the Representative and the Company of notification of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or (ii) the execution of this Agreement. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the provisions of this Section 11 and of Sections 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15, inclusive, shall remain in full force and effect at all times after the execution hereof. If this Agreement is terminated after any Securities have been purchased hereunder, the provisions of Sections 2, 3 and 4 hereof shall survive termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to the consummation of the Closing if: (i) any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in the opinion of the Representative will in the immediate future materially disrupt, the market for the Company’s securities or securities in general; (ii) trading on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market shall have been suspended or been made subject to material limitations, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required, on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority having jurisdiction; (iii) a banking moratorium has been declared by any state or federal authority or if any material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services shall have occurred; (iv) any downgrading shall have occurred in the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Securities Act) or if any such organization shall have been publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities; or (v) (A) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or there is a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or (B) there shall have been any other calamity or crisis or any change in political, financial or economic conditions if the effect of any such event in (A) or (B), in the judgment of the Representative, is so material and adverse that such event makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale and delivery of the Firm Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus.
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(c) Any notice of termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be in writing.
(d) If this Agreement shall be terminated prior to the Closing Date pursuant to any of the provisions hereof or if the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated, the Company will, subject to demand by the Representative, reimburse the Underwriters for those out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of Underwriters’ Counsel) actually incurred, up to $50,000; provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11(b) or if the reason for such termination or failure to consummate is because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth herein is not satisfied or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof, the Company will, subject to demand by the Representative, reimburse the Underwriters for those out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of Underwriters’ Counsel), actually incurred by the Underwriters in connection herewith up to $50,000.
12. Notices. All communications hereunder, except as may be otherwise specifically provided herein, shall be in writing, and:
if sent to the Representative or any Underwriter, shall be mailed, delivered, emailed, or faxed and confirmed in writing, to:
Maxim Group LLC
300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: Clifford A. Teller, Executive Managing Director of Investment Banking,
Email: cteller@maximgrp.com
Fax: 212-895-3555
with a copy to Underwriters’ Counsel at:
Loeb & Loeb LLP
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
Attention: Mitchell Nussbaum, Esq.
Email: mnussbaum@loeb.com
Fax: 212-407-4990
if sent to the Company, shall be mailed, delivered, or faxed and confirmed in writing to the Company and its counsel at the addresses set forth in the Registration Statement.
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13. Parties; Limitation of Relationship. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of, and shall be binding upon, the Underwriters, the Company and the controlling Persons, directors, officers, employees and agents referred to in Sections 7 and 8 hereof, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other Person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and said controlling Persons and their respective successors, officers, directors, heirs and legal representative, and it is not for the benefit of any other Person. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of Securities from any of the Underwriters.
14. Submission of Jurisdiction; Governing Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The Company irrevocably (a) submits to the jurisdiction the federal courts of the United States of America or the courts of the State of New York, in each case located in the City of New York and County of New York, for the purpose of any suit, action, or other proceeding arising out of this Agreement, or any of the agreements or transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (each, a “Proceeding”), (b) agrees that all claims in respect of any Proceeding may be heard and determined in any such court, (c) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any immunity from jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process therein, (d) agrees not to commence any Proceeding other than in such courts, and (e) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claim that such Proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum. EACH PARTY (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE EQUITY HOLDERS AND CREDITORS) HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY CLAIM BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, AND THE PROSPECTUS.
15. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the exhibits, schedules and annexes attached hereto and as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof, constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous written or oral agreements, understandings, promises and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.
16. Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement or the performance thereof shall be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect or render invalid or unenforceable any other provision of this Agreement and this Agreement shall be valid and enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.
17. Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.
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18. Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.
19. No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the offering of the Company’s Securities. The Company further acknowledge that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, shareholders, creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the offering of the Company’s Securities, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company hereby further confirms its understanding that no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the Offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto, including any negotiation related to the pricing of the Securities; and the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate in connection with this Agreement and the Offering. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions, and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company regarding such transactions, including but not limited to any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.
20. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by facsimile or other electronic transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
21. Headings. The headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
22. Time is of the Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any day on which the major stock exchanges in New York, New York are not open for business.
[Signature Pages Follow]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth your understanding, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among us.
| Very truly yours,
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED | |||
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| Name: James E. Kras | |
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | |||
Accepted by the Representative, acting for themselves and as
Representative of the Underwriters named on Schedule I attached hereto,
as of the date first written above:
| MAXIM GROUP LLC | ||
| By: | ||
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| Name: Clifford A. Teller | |
| Title: Executive Managing Director, Investment Banking | ||
SCHEDULE I
| Name of Underwriter | Number of Firm Units Being Purchased | Number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants Being Purchased |
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SCHEDULE II
Lock-Up Parties
James E. Kras
Michael James
Matthew McConnell
Tracy A. Nazzaro
Ryan Rogers
Dennis Rodrigues
Sament Capital Investments, Inc
SCHEDULE III
Free Writing Prospectus
SCHEDULE IV
Subsidiaries
EG Transportation, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company
ANNEX I
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
________, 2022
Maxim Group LLC
300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Maxim Group LLC (the “Representative”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement “) with Edible Garden AG Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) of shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and warrants to purchase common stock of the Company (collectively with the Common Stock referred to as, the “Securities”).
To induce the Representative to continue its efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, the undersigned will not, during the period commencing on the date of the Underwriting Agreement and ending one hundred eighty (180) days after such date (the “Lock-Up Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, grant, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”); (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise; (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Lock-Up Securities; or (4) publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement relating to any Lock-Up Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of the Representative in connection with (a) transactions relating to Lock-Up Securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering; provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Lock-Up Securities acquired in such open market transactions; (b) transfers of Lock-Up Securities (i) as a bona fide gift, by will or intestacy, (ii) by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order or as required by a divorce settlement, or (iii) to a family member or trust for the benefit of a family member (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, “family member” means any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); (c) transfers of Lock-Up Securities to a charity or educational institution; or (d) if the undersigned, directly or indirectly, controls a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, any transfers of Lock-Up Securities to any shareholder, partner or member of, or owner of similar equity interests in, the undersigned, as the case may be; provided that in the case of any transfer pursuant to the foregoing clauses (b), (c) or (d), (i) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (ii) each transferee shall sign and deliver to the Representative a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of this lock-up agreement and (iii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with this lock-up agreement.
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If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the undersigned agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall be equally applicable to any Securities that the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering; (ii) the Representative agrees that, at least three (3) business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Lock-Up Securities, the Representative will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver; and (iii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two (2) business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representative hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two (2) business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer of Lock-Up Securities not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this lock-up agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of such transfer.
No provision in this lock-up agreement shall be deemed to restrict or prohibit the exercise, exchange or conversion by the undersigned of any securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock, as applicable; provided that the undersigned does not transfer the shares of Common Stock acquired on such exercise, exchange or conversion during the Lock-Up Period, unless otherwise permitted pursuant to the terms of this lock-up agreement. In addition, no provision herein shall be deemed to restrict or prohibit the entry into or modification of a so-called “10b5-1” plan at any time (other than the entry into or modification of such a plan in such a manner as to cause the sale of any Lock-Up Securities within the Lock-Up Period) or a sale of 100% of the Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Representative are relying upon this lock-up agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this lock-up agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement is not executed by June 30, 2022, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Securities to be sold thereunder, then this lock-up agreement shall be void and of no further force or effect.
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Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Representative.
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ANNEX II
FORM OF COMPANY COUNSEL OPINION
ANNEX III
Form of Representative’s Warrant
THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER OR ASSIGN THIS PURCHASE WARRANT EXCEPT AS HEREIN PROVIDED AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE THIS PURCHASE WARRANT FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) DAYS FOLLOWING THE COMMENCEMENT OF SALES OF THE OFFERING TO ANYONE OTHER THAN (I) MAXIM GROUP LLC, OR (II) ANY SUCCESSOR, OFFICER, MANAGER OR MEMBER OF MAXIM GROUP LLC (OR TO OFFICERS, MANAGERS OR MEMBERS OF ANY SUCH SUCCESSOR OR MEMBER); OR (III) TO MEMBERS OF THE UNDERWRITING SYNDICATE OR SELLING GROUP. (SEE SECTION 4(a)).
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
| Warrant Shares: [ ] | Original Issuance Date: [ ], 2022 |
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, Maxim Partners LLC or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after ________, 202_1 (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [ ], 2026 (the “Termination Date”) 2 but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Edible Garden AG Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to 3[ ] shares of Common Stock (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Underwriting Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated [ ], 2022 by and between the Company and Maxim Group, LLC, as representative of the several underwriters.
_________________
1 The 181st day after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement.
2 Fifth anniversary of Effective Date of Registration Statement.
3 4% of the total number of share included in Firm Units (and Option Shares, if applicable) sold in the Offering.
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Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[ ] (which is 125% of the offering price per share of Common Stock in the offering contemplated by the Agreement) (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering the Warrant Shares, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then, provided that the Trading Price, as defined below, is equal to or greater than the Exercise Price, on the Termination Date this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) = as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day (such applicable price for (A), the “Trading Price”);
(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and
(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.
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If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and the holding period of the Warrants being exercised may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrant Shares. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if the Common Stock is traded on OTCQB or OTCQX, the volume weighted average sales price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if the Common Stock is traded on OTCQB or OTCQX , the volume weighted average sales price of the shares of Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder, or (B) if there is no effective registration statement and the Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise at a time when such Warrant Shares would be eligible for resale under Rule 144 by a non-affiliate of the Company, such Warrant Shares are delivered to Holder’s broker, and the Company receives a statement from Holder’s broker that it has received instructions to sell the Warrant Shares or that it would take responsibility that the sales of the Warrant Shares will only be made if the Warrant Shares are eligible to be sold under Rule 144, and otherwise by registering in book entry in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company (unless the Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise) and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts 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.
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ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Warrants with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000 of shares of Common Stock, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round down to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which transfer taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, non-exercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or non-converted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of Common Stock, any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise, other than cash (including, without limitation, any distribution of stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
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d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization 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, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), 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 Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). 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 any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company's control, including not approved by the Company's Board of Directors or the consideration is not in all stock of the Successor Entity, Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity, as of the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black and Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the greater of (x) the last VWAP immediately prior to the public announcement of such Fundamental Transaction and (y) the last VWAP immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds within five Business Days of the Holder’s election (or, if later, on the effective date of the Fundamental Transaction). The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
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e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the shares of Common Stock are converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of 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 Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e) and the Agreement, neither this Warrant nor any Warrant Shares issued upon exercise of this Warrant shall be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days immediately following the date of effectiveness or commencement of sales of the offering pursuant to which this Warrant is being issued, except the transfer of any security:
(i) by operation of law or by reason of reorganization of the Company;
(ii) to any FINRA member firm participating in the offering and the officers and partners thereof, if all securities so transferred remain subject to the lock-up restriction in this Section 4(a) for the remainder of the time period;
(iii) if the aggregate amount of securities of the Company held by the Holder or related person do not exceed 1% of the securities being offered;
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(iv) that is beneficially owned on a pro-rata basis by all equity owners of an investment fund, provided that no participating member manages or otherwise directs investments by the fund, and participating members in the aggregate do not own more than 10% of the equity in the fund; or
(v) the exercise or conversion of any security, if all securities received remain subject to the lock-up restriction in this Section 4(a) for the remainder of the time period.
Subject to the foregoing restrictions, compliance with any applicable securities laws, and the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) hereof, this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. 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 Original Issuance Date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The 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.
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 or 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.
Section 5. Registration Rights
a) Demand Registration.
i. Grant of Right. The Company, upon written demand (“Initial Demand Notice”) of the Holder(s) of at least 51% of the Warrant Shares (“Majority Holders”), agrees to register on two occasions only (each, a “Demand Registration”) under the Securities Act all or any portion of the Warrant Shares requested by the Majority Holders in the Initial Demand Notice (the “Registrable Securities”). On such occasion, the Company will file a registration statement covering the Registrable Securities within 60 days after receipt of the Initial Demand Notice and to have such registration statement declared effective as soon as possible thereafter. A demand for registration may be made at any time during which the Majority Holders hold any of the Warrant Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to effect a registration pursuant to this Section 5 a): (A) with respect to securities that are not Registrable Securities; (B) during any Scheduled Black-Out Period; (C) if the aggregate offering price of the Registrable Securities to be offered is less than $250,000, unless the Registrable Securities to be offered constitute all of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities; or (D) within 180 days after the effective date of a prior registration in respect of the Common Stock, including a Demand Registration (or, in the event that Holders were prevented from including any Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggyback Registration pursuant to Section 5(b), within 90 days after the effective date of such prior registration in respect of the Common Stock). For purposes of this Agreement, a “Scheduled Black-Out Period” shall means the periods from and including the day that is ten days prior to the last day of a fiscal quarter of the Company to and including the day that is two days after the day on which the Company publicly releases its earnings for such fiscal quarter. The Initial Demand Notice shall specify the number of shares of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The Company will notify all holders of the Warrant Shares of the demand within ten days from the date of the receipt of any such Initial Demand Notice. Each holder of the Warrant Shares who wishes to include all or a portion of such holder’s Warrant Shares in the Demand Registration (each such holder including shares of Registrable Securities in such registration, a “Demanding Holder”) shall so notify the Company within 15 days after the receipt by the holder of the notice from the Company. Upon any such request, the Demanding Holders shall be entitled to have their Warrant Shares included in the Demand Registration. The term of the Demand Registration shall not be more than five years from the Effective Date.
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ii. Effective Registration. A registration will not count as a Demand Registration until the registration statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Demand Registration has been declared effective and the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Warrant with respect thereto.
iii. Terms. In connection with the first Demand Registration, the Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities, including the reasonable expenses of one legal counsel selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Registrable Securities. In connection with the second Demand Registration, the Holders shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities including the reasonable expenses of the Company’s legal counsel. The Company agrees to qualify or register the Registrable Securities in such states as are reasonably requested by the Majority Holder(s); provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be required to register the Registrable Securities in a state in which such registration would cause (i) the Company to be obligated to qualify to do business in such state, or would subject the Company to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction or (ii) the principal shareholders of the Company to be obligated to escrow their shares of Common Stock of the Company. The Company shall cause any registration statement filed pursuant to the demand rights granted under Section 5(a)(iii) to remain effective until all Registrable Securities are sold.
iv. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that the filing of a registration statement in connection with a Demand Registration (i) would be seriously detrimental to the Company in that such registration would interfere with a material corporate transaction or (ii) would require the disclosure of material non-public information concerning the Company that at the time is not, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors, in the best interests of the Company to disclose and is not, in the opinion of the Company’s counsel, otherwise required to be disclosed, then the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for the period during which such registration would be seriously detrimental under clause (i) or would require such disclosure under clause (ii); provided, however, that (x) the Company may not defer such filing for a period of more than 90 days after receipt of any demand by the Holders and (y) the Company shall not exercise its right to defer a Demand Registration more than once in any 12-month period. The Company shall give written notice of its determination to the Holders to defer the filing and of the fact that the purpose for such deferral no longer exists, in each case, promptly after the occurrence thereof.
b) Piggy-Back Registration.
i. Piggy-Back Rights. If at any time during the five year period after the Effective Date, and the Registration Statement is no longer effective, the Company proposes to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, by the Company for its own account or for shareholders of the Company for their account (or by the Company and by shareholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 5(a)), other than a registration statement (i) filed in connection with any employee share option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing shareholders, or (iii) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall (x) give written notice of such proposed filing to the holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but in no event less than ten days before the anticipated filing date, which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y) offer to the holders of Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Warrant Shares held by such holder (the “Piggy-Back Registrable Securities”), as such holders may request in writing within five days following receipt of such notice (a “Piggy-Back Registration”). The Company shall cause such Piggy-Back Registrable Securities to be included in such registration and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing underwriter or underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Piggy-Back Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All holders of Piggy-Back Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their securities through a Piggy-Back Registration that involves an underwriter or underwriters shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such Piggy-Back Registration.
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ii. Reduction of Offering. If the managing underwriter or underwriters for a Piggy-Back Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the holders of Registrable Securities in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Common Stock which the Company desires to sell, taken together with shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual arrangements with persons other than the holders of Piggy-Back Registrable Securities hereunder, the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 5(b), and the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Shares”), then the Company shall include in any such registration:
(x) If the registration is undertaken for the Company’s account: (A) first, the Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (B) second, subject to the requirements of registration rights granted by the Company prior to the date hereof, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), up to the amount of shares of Common Stock or other securities that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares, on a pro rata basis, from (i) Piggy-Back Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested and (ii) the Common Stock or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights with such persons;
(y) If the registration is a Demand Registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Registrable Securities, subject to the requirements of registration rights granted by the Company prior to the date hereof, (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of the demanding persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the shares of Common Stock or other securities comprised of Piggy-Back Registrable Securities, pro rata, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the terms hereof that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares.
iii. Withdrawal. Any holder of Piggy-Back Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such holder’s request for inclusion of such Piggy-Back Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving written notice to the Company of such request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement. The Company (whether on its own determination or as the result of a withdrawal by persons making a demand pursuant to written contractual obligations) may withdraw a registration statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement. Notwithstanding any such withdrawal, the Company shall pay all expenses incurred by the holders of Piggy-Back Registrable Securities in connection with such Piggy-Back Registration as provided in Section 5(b)(iv).
iv. Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities, including the expenses of one legal counsel selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions related to the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities. In the event of such a proposed registration, the Company shall furnish the then Holders of outstanding Piggy-Back Registrable Securities with not less than fifteen days written notice prior to the proposed date of filing of such registration statement. Such notice to the Holders shall continue to be given for each applicable registration statement filed (during the period in which the Warrant is exercisable) by the Company until such time as all of the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities have been registered and sold. The Holders of the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities shall exercise the “piggy-back” rights provided for herein by giving written notice, within ten days of the receipt of the Company’s notice of its intention to file a registration statement. The Company shall cause any registration statement filed pursuant to the above “piggyback” rights to remain effective for at least nine (9) months from the date that the Holders of the Piggy-Back Registrable Securities are first given the opportunity to sell all of such securities.
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c) General Terms. These additional terms shall relate to registration under Sections 5(a) above:
i. Indemnification.
(w) The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify the Holder(s) of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to any registration statement hereunder and each person, if any, who controls such Holders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever whether arising out of any action between the underwriter and the Company or between the underwriter and any third party or otherwise) to which any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from such registration statement; provided, however, that, with respect to any Holder of Registrable Securities, this indemnity shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Holder expressly for use in the registration statement (or any amendment thereto), or any preliminary prospectus or the prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
(x) The Holder(s) of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such registration statement, and their successors and assigns, shall severally, and not jointly, indemnify the Company, its officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which they may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from information furnished by or on behalf of such Holders, or their successors or assigns, in writing, for specific inclusion in such registration statement (or any amendment thereto), or any preliminary prospectus or the prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) .
(y) Each indemnified party shall give prompt notice to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability it may have under this Agreement, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced thereby. If it so elects, after receipt of such notice, an indemnifying party, jointly with any other indemnifying parties receiving such notice, may assume the defense of such action with counsel chosen by it; provided, however, that the indemnified party shall be entitled to participate in (but not control) the defense of such action with counsel chosen by it, the reasonable fees and expenses of which shall be paid by such indemnified party, unless a conflict would arise if one counsel were to represent both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party, in which case the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party shall be paid by the indemnifying party or parties. In no event shall the indemnifying party or parties be liable for a settlement of an action with respect to which they have assumed the defense if such settlement is effected without the written consent of such indemnifying party, or for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one counsel for (i) the Company, its officers, directors and controlling persons as a group, and (ii) the selling Holders and their controlling persons as a group, in each case, in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances; provided, however, that if, in the reasonable judgment of an indemnified party, a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and the Company or any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim, the indemnifying party shall be obligated to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such additional counsel.
(z) If the indemnification provided for in or pursuant to Section 5(b)(i) is due in accordance with the terms hereof, but held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable or unenforceable in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which result in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party, and by such party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
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ii. Documents Delivered to Holders. The Company shall furnish the initial Holder a signed counterpart, addressed to the initial Holder, of (i) an opinion of counsel to the Company, dated the effective date of such registration statement (or, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, an opinion dated the date of the closing under any underwriting agreement related thereto), and (ii) if such registration statement is filed in connection of an underwritten public offering, a “cold comfort” letter dated the effective date of such registration statement (or, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, a letter dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement) signed by the independent public accountants who have issued a report on the Company’s financial statements included in such registration statement, in each case covering substantially the same matters with respect to such registration statement (and the prospectus included therein) and, in the case of such accountants’ letter, with respect to events subsequent to the date of such financial statements, as are customarily covered in opinions of issuer’s counsel and in accountants’ letters delivered to underwriters in underwritten public offerings of securities.
iii. Supplemental Prospectus. Each Holder agrees, that upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus included in the registration statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing, such Holder will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus, and, if so desired by the Company, such Holder shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a certificate of such destruction) all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Holder’s possession, of the prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice. Immediately after discovering of such an event which causes the prospectus included in the registration statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing, the Company shall prepare and file, as soon as practicable, a supplement or amendment to the prospectus so that such registration statement does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing and distribute such supplement or amendment to each Holder.
Section 6. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
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Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Non-waiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Agreement.
i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any shares of Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
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(Signature Page Follows)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
| EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED | |||
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| Title: Chief Executive Officer | |||
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
TO: EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or
[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
______________________
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
______________________
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[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity:_________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:__________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory:____________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory:_____________________________________________________
Date:_________________________________________________________________________
EXHIBIT B
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
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Warrant Exercise Log
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EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED.
WARRANT DATED __________, 2022
WARRANT NO. [ ]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
[To be completed and signed only upon transfer of Warrant]
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto ________________________________ the right represented by the above-captioned Warrant to purchase ____________ shares of Company Common Stock and appoints ________________ attorney to transfer said right on the books of the Company with full power of substitution in the premises.
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ANNEX IV
FORM OF PRESS RELEASE
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
__________, 202_
Edible Garden AG Incorporated (the “Company”) announced today that Maxim Group LLC, the sole book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of _____ shares of Common Stock, are [waiving][releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to ____ shares of Common Stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver][release] will take effect on ____, 202_ and the shares of Common Stock may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
EXHIBIT 4.2
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
Warrant Shares: [_______] Initial Exercise Date: [_______, 20__]
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [_____], 20271 (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Edible Garden AG Incorporated, a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), up to [___] shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b). This Warrant shall initially be issued and maintained in the form of a security held in book-entry form and the Depository Trust Company or its nominee (“DTC”) shall initially be the sole registered holder of this Warrant, subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:
“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.
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“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.
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1 Insert the date that is the 5th year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date; provided, however, that, if such date is not a Trading Day, insert the immediately following Trading Day.
“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.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“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.
“Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-260655).
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“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 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, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transfer Agent” means American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219 and a phone number of (718) 921-8124, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Underwriting Agreement” means the underwriting agreement, dated as of [___], 2022 among the Company and Maxim Group LLC as representative of the underwriters named therein, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Warrant Agency Agreement” means that certain warrant agency agreement, dated on or about the Initial Exercise Date, between the Company and the Warrant Agent.
“Warrant Agent” means the Transfer Agent and any successor warrant agent of the Company.
“Warrants” means this Warrant and other Common Stock purchase warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.
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Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 2(a), a holder whose interest in this Warrant is a beneficial interest in certificate(s) representing this Warrant held in book-entry form through DTC (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises made pursuant to this Section 2(a) by delivering to DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable), subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Definitive Warrant pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[_____]2, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing ((A-B)(X)) by (A), where:
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| (A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(68) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; |
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2 Insert 100% of the price of each share of common stock sold in the Offering.
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| (B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and |
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| (X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
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iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
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e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re‑classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
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d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization 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, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), 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 Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). 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 any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity, as of the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black and Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the greater of (x) the last VWAP immediately prior to the public announcement of such Fundamental Transaction and (y) the last VWAP immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds within five Business Days of the Holder’s election (or, if later, on the effective date of the Fundamental Transaction). The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
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e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock (excluding, however, any forward or reverse stock split), 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, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
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Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent (or, in the event a Holder elects to receive a Definitive Certificate (as defined in the Warrant Agency Agreement), the Company) shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Warrant Agent (or, in the event a Holder elects to receive a Definitive Certificate, the Company) for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
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c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
e) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant 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 Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their 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, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, 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 suit, 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 Warrant 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 either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
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f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at 283 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 07823, Attention: Janes Kras, Chief Executive Officer, email address: jkras@ediblegarden.com, or such other facsimile number, email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile number, e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
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l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
o) Warrant Agency Agreement. If this Warrant is held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary), this Warrant is issued subject to the Warrant Agency Agreement. To the extent any provision of this Warrant conflicts with the express provisions of the Warrant Agency Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall govern and be controlling.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
| EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED | |||
| By: | |||
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| Name: | James E. Kras | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or
[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
_______________________________
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: ________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: _________________________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ___________________________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ____________________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________________________________________________
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
| Name: |
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| Address: |
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Phone Number:
Email Address:
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______________________________________
______________________________________
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| Dated: _______________ __, ______
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| Holder’s Signature:
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EXHIBIT 4.3
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EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, as Warrant Agent
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Warrant Agency Agreement
Dated as of [ ], 2022
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WARRANT AGENCY AGREEMENT
WARRANT AGENCY AGREEMENT, dated as of [ ] __, 2022 (“Agreement”), between EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, a corporation organized under the laws of [ ] (the “Warrant Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, pursuant to a registered offering by the Company of ___ Units (the “Offering”), with each Unit consisting of one share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and one warrant (the “Warrants”) to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”) at a price of $[___ per share (or 100% of the price of each Unit sold in the Offering); and
WHEREAS, the Company granted an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock and/or up to an additional 15% of the aggregate number of Warrants sold (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to the Underwriters; and
WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth and pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-260655) (the “Registration Statement”), and the terms and conditions of the Warrant Certificate, the Company wishes to issue the Warrants in book entry form entitling the respective holders of the Warrants (the “Holders,” which term shall include a Holder’s transferees, successors and assigns and “Holder” shall include, if the Warrants are held in “street name,” a Participant (as defined below) or a designee appointed by such Participant); and
WHEREAS, the shares of Common Stock and Warrants to be issued in connection with the Offering shall be immediately separable and will be issued separately, but will be purchased together in the Offering; and
WHEREAS, the Company wishes the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing so to act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, exercise and replacement of the Warrants and, in the Warrant Agent’s capacity as the Company’s transfer agent, the delivery of the Warrant Shares (as defined below).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, all capitalized terms not herein defined shall have the meanings hereby indicated:
(a) “Affiliate” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
(b) “Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which the Nasdaq Stock Market is authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
(c) “Close of Business” on any given date means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(d) “Person” means an individual, corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, government or political subdivision thereof or governmental agency or other entity.
(e) “Warrant Certificate” means a certificate in substantially the form attached as Exhibit 1 hereto, representing such number of Warrant Shares as is indicated therein, provided that any reference to the delivery of a Warrant Certificate in this Agreement shall include delivery of a Definitive Certificate or a Global Warrant (each as defined below).
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All other capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Warrant Certificate.
Section 2. Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment.
Section 3. Global Warrants.
(a) The Warrants shall be registered securities and shall be evidenced by a global warrant (the “Global Warrants”), in the form of the Warrant Certificate, which shall be deposited with the Warrant Agent and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), or as otherwise directed by the Depositary. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) the Depositary or its nominee for each Global Warrant or (ii) institutions that have accounts with the Depositary (such institution, with respect to a Warrant in its account, a “Participant”).
(b) If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each Global Warrant, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to each Holder a Warrant Certificate.
(c) A Holder has the right to elect at any time or from time to time a Warrant Exchange (as defined below) pursuant to a Warrant Certificate Request Notice (as defined below). Upon written notice by a Holder to the Company and the Warrant Agent for the exchange of some or all of such Holder’s Global Warrants for a separate certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1 (such separate certificate, a “Definitive Certificate”) evidencing the same number of Warrants, which request shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 2 (a “Warrant Certificate Request Notice” and the date of delivery of such Warrant Certificate Request Notice by the Holder, the “Warrant Certificate Request Notice Date” and the surrender by the Holder to the Warrant Agent of a number of Global Warrants for the same number of Warrants evidenced by a Warrant Certificate, a “Warrant Exchange”), the Company and the Warrant Agent shall promptly effect the Warrant Exchange and the Company shall promptly issue and deliver to the Holder a Definitive Certificate for such number of Warrants in the name set forth in the Warrant Certificate Request Notice. Such Definitive Certificate shall be dated the original issue date of the Warrants, shall be manually executed by an authorized signatory of the Company, shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and shall be reasonably acceptable in all respects to such Holder. In connection with a Warrant Exchange, the Company agrees to deliver the Definitive Certificate to the Holder within ten (10) Business Days of the Warrant Certificate Request Notice pursuant to the delivery instructions in the Warrant Certificate Request Notice (“Warrant Certificate Delivery Date”). If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Definitive Certificate subject to the Warrant Certificate Request Notice by the Warrant Certificate Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares evidenced by such Definitive Certificate (based on the VWAP (as defined in the Warrants) of the Common Stock on the Warrant Certificate Request Notice Date), $10 per Business Day for each Business Day after such Warrant Certificate Delivery Date until such Definitive Certificate is delivered or, prior to delivery of such Warrant Certificate, the Holder rescinds such Warrant Exchange. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon the date of delivery of the Warrant Certificate Request Notice, the Holder shall be deemed to be the holder of the Definitive Certificate and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Definitive Certificate shall be deemed for all purposes to contain all of the terms and conditions of the Warrants evidenced by such Warrant Certificate and the terms of this Agreement, other than Sections 3(c), 3(d) and 9 herein, shall not apply to the Warrants evidenced by the Definitive Certificate. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Warrant Agent shall act as warrant agent with respect to any Definitive Certificate requested and issued pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in the event of inconsistency between any provision in this Agreement and any provision in a Definitive Certificate, as it may from time to time be amended, the terms of such Definitive Certificate shall control.
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(d) A Holder of a Definitive Certificate (pursuant to a Warrant Exchange or otherwise) has the right to elect at any time or from time to time a Global Warrants Exchange (as defined below) pursuant to a Global Warrants Request Notice (as defined below). Upon written notice by a Holder to the Company for the exchange of some or all of such Holder’s Warrants evidenced by a Definitive Certificate for a beneficial interest in Global Warrants held in book-entry form through the Depositary evidencing the same number of Warrants, which request shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 3 (a “Global Warrants Request Notice” and the date of delivery of such Global Warrants Request Notice by the Holder, the “Global Warrants Request Notice Date” and the surrender upon delivery by the Holder of the Warrants evidenced by Definitive Certificates for the same number of Warrants evidenced by a beneficial interest in Global Warrants held in book-entry form through the Depositary, a “Global Warrants Exchange”), the Company shall promptly effect the Global Warrants Exchange and shall promptly direct the Warrant Agent to issue and deliver to the Holder Global Warrants for such number of Warrants in the Global Warrants Request Notice, which beneficial interest in such Global Warrants shall be delivered by the Depositary’s Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system to the Holder pursuant to the instructions in the Global Warrants Request Notice. In connection with a Global Warrants Exchange, the Company shall direct the Warrant Agent to deliver the beneficial interest in such Global Warrants to the Holder within ten (10) Business Days of the Global Warrants Request Notice pursuant to the delivery instructions in the Global Warrant Request Notice (“Global Warrants Delivery Date”). If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder Global Warrants subject to the Global Warrants Request Notice by the Global Warrants Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares evidenced by such Global Warrants (based on the VWAP (as defined in the Warrants) of the Common Stock on the Global Warrants Request Notice Date), $10 per Business Day for each Business Day after such Global Warrants Delivery Date until such Global Warrants are delivered or, prior to delivery of such Global Warrants, the Holder rescinds such Global Warrants Exchange. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon the date of delivery of the Global Warrants Request Notice, the Holder shall be deemed to be the beneficial holder of such Global Warrants.
Section 4. Form of Warrant Certificates. The Warrant Certificate, together with the form of election to purchase Common Stock (“Notice of Exercise”) and the form of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof, shall be in the form of Exhibit 1 hereto.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Global Warrant shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President, by facsimile signature, and have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, by facsimile signature. The Global Warrant shall be countersigned by the Warrant Agent by facsimile signature and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Global Warrant shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Warrant Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Global Warrant, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Warrant Agent, issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Global Warrant had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Global Warrant may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Global Warrant, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Global Warrant, although at the date of the execution of this Warrant Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
The Warrant Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at one of its offices, or at the office of one of its agents, books for registration and transfer of the Global Warrants issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective Holders of the Global Warrant, the number of warrants evidenced on the face of each of such Global Warrant and the date of each of such Global Warrant. The Warrant Agent will create a special account for the issuance of Global Warrants. The Company will keep or cause to be kept at one of its offices, books for the registration and transfer of any Definitive Certificates issued hereunder and the Warrant Agent shall not have any obligation to keep books and records with respect to any Definitive Warrants. Such Company books shall show the names and addresses of the respective Holders of the Definitive Certificates, the number of warrants evidenced on the face of each such Definitive Certificate and the date of each such Definitive Certificate.
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Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Warrant Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Warrant Certificates. With respect to the Global Warrant, subject to the provisions of the Warrant Certificate and the last sentence of this first paragraph of Section 6 and subject to applicable law, rules or regulations, or any “stop transfer” instructions the Company may give to the Warrant Agent, at any time after the closing date of the Offering, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Termination Date (as such term is defined in the Warrant Certificate), any Global Warrant or Global Warrants may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Global Warrant or Global Warrants, entitling the Holder to purchase a like number of shares of Common Stock as the Global Warrant or Global Warrants surrendered then entitled such Holder to purchase. Any Holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Global Warrant shall make such request in writing delivered to the Warrant Agent, and shall surrender the Global Warrant to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the Warrant Agent. Any requested transfer of Warrants, whether in book-entry form or certificate form, shall be accompanied by reasonable evidence of authority of the party making such request that may be required by the Warrant Agent. Thereupon the Warrant Agent shall, subject to the last sentence of this first paragraph of Section 6, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Global Warrant or Global Warrants, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Global Warrants. The Company shall compensate the Warrant Agent per the fee schedule mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto and provided separately on the date hereof.
Upon receipt by the Warrant Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Warrant Certificate, which evidence shall include an affidavit of loss, or in the case of mutilated certificates, the certificate or portion thereof remaining, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity in customary form and amount (but, with respect to any Definitive Certificates, shall not include the posting of any bond by the Holder), and satisfaction of any other reasonable requirements established by Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Delaware, and reimbursement to the Company and the Warrant Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Warrant Agent and cancellation of the Warrant Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant Certificate of like tenor to the Warrant Agent for delivery to the Holder in lieu of the Warrant Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Warrants; Exercise Price; Termination Date.
(a) The Warrants shall be exercisable commencing on the Initial Exercise Date. The Warrants shall cease to be exercisable and shall terminate and become void as set forth in the Warrant Certificate. Subject to the foregoing and to Section 7(b) below, the Holder of a Warrant may exercise the Warrant in whole or in part upon surrender of the Warrant Certificate, if required, with the executed Notice of Exercise and payment of the Exercise Price, which may be made, at the option of the Holder, by wire transfer or by certified or official bank check in United States dollars, to the Warrant Agent at the principal office of the Warrant Agent or to the office of one of its agents as may be designated by the Warrant Agent from time to time. In the case of the Holder of a Global Warrant, the Holder shall deliver the executed Notice of Exercise and the payment of the Exercise Price as described herein. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, a holder whose interest in a Global Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant held in book-entry form through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises by delivering to the Depositary (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by the Depositary (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable). The Company acknowledges that the bank accounts maintained by the Warrant Agent in connection with the services provided under this Agreement will be in its name and that the Warrant Agent may receive investment earnings in connection with the investment at Warrant Agent risk and for its benefit of funds held in those accounts from time to time. Neither the Company nor the Holders will receive interest on any deposits or Exercise Price. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that, with respect to a holder whose interest in a Global Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant held in book-entry form through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), upon delivery of irrevocable instructions to such holder’s Participant to exercise such warrants, that solely for purposes of Regulation SHO that such holder shall be deemed to have exercised such warrants.
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(b) Upon receipt of a Notice of Exercise for a Cashless Exercise the Company will promptly calculate and transmit to the Warrant Agent the number of Warrant Shares issuable in connection with such Cashless Exercise and deliver a copy of the Notice of Exercise to the Warrant Agent, which shall issue such number of Warrant Shares in connection with such Cashless Exercise.
(c) Upon the exercise of the Warrant Certificate pursuant to the terms of Section 2 of the Warrant Certificate, the Warrant Agent shall cause the Warrant Shares underlying such Warrant Certificate or Global Warrant to be delivered to or upon the order of the Holder of such Warrant Certificate or Global Warrant, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such Holder, no later than the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as such term is defined in the Warrant Certificate). If the Company is then a participant in the DWAC system of the Depositary and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) the Warrant is being exercised via Cashless Exercise, then the certificates for Warrant Shares shall be transmitted by the Warrant Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s broker with the Depositary through its DWAC system. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Company becomes obligated to pay any amounts to any Holders pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) or 2(d)(iv) of the Warrant Certificate, such obligation shall be solely that of the Company and not that of the Warrant Agent. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a Cashless Exercise, if any Holder fails to duly deliver payment to the Warrant Agent of an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Warrant Shares to be purchased upon exercise of such Holder’s Warrant as set forth in Section 7(a) hereof by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Warrant Agent will not obligated to deliver such Warrant Shares (via DWAC or otherwise) until following receipt of such payment, and the applicable Warrant Share Delivery Date shall be deemed extended by one day for each day (or part thereof) until such payment is delivered to the Warrant Agent.
(d) The Warrant Agent shall deposit all funds received by it in payment of the Exercise Price for all Warrants in the account of the Company maintained with the Warrant Agent for such purpose (or to such other account as directed by the Company in writing) and shall advise the Company via email at the end of each day on which notices of exercise are received or funds for the exercise of any Warrant are received of the amount so deposited to its account.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Warrant Certificates. All Warrant Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Warrant Agent for cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Warrant Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Warrant Certificate shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Warrant Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Warrant Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Warrant Agent shall deliver all canceled Warrant Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Warrant Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company, subject to any applicable law, rule or regulation requiring the Warrant Agent to retain such canceled certificates.
Section 9. Certain Representations; Reservation and Availability of Shares of Common Stock or Cash.
(a) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Warrant Agent, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, and the Warrants have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the Company and, assuming due authentication thereof by the Warrant Agent pursuant hereto and payment therefor by the Holders as provided in the Registration Statement, constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits hereof; in each case except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(b) As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (i) Two Hundred Million (200,000,000) shares of common stock, of which approximately [ ] shares of Common Stock are issued and outstanding as of _____, 2022, and [ ] shares of Common Stock are reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Warrants, and (ii) Ten million (10,000,000) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which no shares are issued and outstanding. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, there are no other outstanding obligations, warrants, options or other rights to subscribe for or purchase from the Company any class of capital stock of the Company.
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(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock or its authorized and issued shares of Common Stock held in its treasury, free from preemptive rights, the number of shares of Common Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants.
(d) The Warrant Agent will create a special account for the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of Warrants.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Warrant Certificates or certificates evidencing Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrants. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or governmental charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Warrant Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Stock in a name other than that of the Holder of the Warrant Certificate evidencing Warrants surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificate for shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of any Warrants until any such tax or governmental charge shall have been paid (any such tax or governmental charge being payable by the Holder of such Warrant Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or governmental charge is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for shares of Common Stock is issued (or to whose broker’s account is credited shares of Common Stock through the DWAC system) upon the exercise of Warrants shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record for the Common Stock represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date on which submission of the Notice of Exercise was made, provided that the Warrant Certificate evidencing such Warrant is duly surrendered (but only if required herein) and payment of the Exercise Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) is received on or prior to the Warrant Share Delivery Date; provided, however, that if the date of submission of the Notice of Exercise is a date upon which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding day on which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are open.
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number of Shares of Common Stock or Number of the Company Warrants. The Exercise Price, the number of shares covered by each Warrant and the number of Warrants outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate. In the event that at any time, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate, the Holder of any Warrant thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than shares of Common Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares contained in Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate and the provisions of Sections 7, 11 and 12 of this Agreement with respect to the shares of Common Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares. All Warrants originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Exercise Price pursuant to the Warrant Certificate shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Warrants, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
Section 12. Certification of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares of Common Stock. Whenever the Exercise Price or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of each Warrant is adjusted as provided in Section 11 or 13, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth the Exercise Price of each Warrant as so adjusted, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Warrant Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) instruct the Warrant Agent to send a brief summary thereof to each Holder of a Warrant Certificate.
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Section 13. Fractional Shares of Common Stock.
(a) The Company shall not issue fractions of Warrants or distribute Warrant Certificates which evidence fractional Warrants. Whenever any fractional Warrant would otherwise be required to be issued or distributed, the actual issuance or distribution shall reflect a rounding of such fraction to the nearest whole Warrant (rounded down).
(b) The Company shall not issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of Warrants or distribute stock certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. Whenever any fraction of a share of Common Stock would otherwise be required to be issued or distributed, the actual issuance or distribution in respect thereof shall be made in accordance with Section 2(d)(v) of the Warrant Certificate.
Section 14. Conditions of the Warrant Agent’s Obligations. The Warrant Agent accepts its obligations herein set forth upon the terms and conditions hereof, including the following to all of which the Company agrees and to all of which the rights hereunder of the Holders from time to time of the Warrant Certificates shall be subject:
(a) Compensation and Indemnification. The Company agrees promptly to pay the Warrant Agent the compensation detailed on Exhibit 4 hereto for all services rendered by the Warrant Agent and to reimburse the Warrant Agent for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct finally adjudicated to have been directly caused by the Warrant Agent in connection with the services rendered hereunder by the Warrant Agent. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence, or willful misconduct on the part of the Warrant Agent, finally adjudicated to have been directly caused by Warrant Agent hereunder, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending against any claim of such liability. The Warrant Agent shall be under no obligation to institute or defend any action, suit, or legal proceeding in connection herewith or to take any other action likely to involve the Warrant Agent in expense, unless first indemnified to the Warrant Agent’s satisfaction. The indemnities provided by this paragraph shall survive the resignation or discharge of the Warrant Agent or the termination of this Agreement. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Warrant Agent be liable under or in connection with the Agreement for indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential losses or damages of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to lost profits, whether or not foreseeable, even if the Warrant Agent has been advised of the possibility thereof and regardless of the form of action in which such damages are sought, and the Warrant Agent’s aggregate liability to the Company, or any of the Company’s representatives or agents, under this Section 14(a) or under any other term or provision of this Agreement, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, is expressly limited to, and shall not exceed in any circumstances, one (1) year’s fees received by the Warrant Agent as fees and charges under this Agreement, but not including reimbursable expenses previously reimbursed to the Warrant Agent by the Company hereunder.
(b) Agent for the Company. In acting under this Warrant Agreement and in connection with the Warrant Certificates, the Warrant Agent is acting solely as agent of the Company and does not assume any obligations or relationship of agency or trust for or with any of the Holders of Warrant Certificates or beneficial owners of Warrants.
(c) Counsel. The Warrant Agent may consult with counsel satisfactory to it, which may include counsel for the Company, and the written advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice of such counsel.
(d) Documents. The Warrant Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon any Warrant Certificate, notice, direction, consent, certificate, affidavit, statement or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been presented or signed by the proper parties.
(e) Certain Transactions. The Warrant Agent, and its officers, directors and employees, may become the owner of, or acquire any interest in, Warrants, with the same rights that it or they would have if it were not the Warrant Agent hereunder, and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, it or they may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the Company and may act on, or as depositary, trustee or agent for, any committee or body of Holders of Warrant Securities or other obligations of the Company as freely as if it were not the Warrant Agent hereunder. Nothing in this Warrant Agreement shall be deemed to prevent the Warrant Agent from acting as trustee under any indenture to which the Company is a party.
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(f) No Liability for Interest. Unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Warrant Agent shall have no liability for interest on any monies at any time received by it pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Warrant Certificates.
(g) No Liability for Invalidity. The Warrant Agent shall have no liability with respect to any invalidity of this Agreement or the Warrant Certificates.
(h) No Responsibility for Representations. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any of the recitals or representations herein or in the Warrant Certificate, all of which are made solely by the Company.
(i) No Implied Obligations. The Warrant Agent shall be obligated to perform only such duties as are herein and in the Warrant Certificates specifically set forth and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement or the Warrant Certificates against the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall not be under any obligation to take any action hereunder which may tend to involve it in any expense or liability, the payment of which within a reasonable time is not, in its reasonable opinion, assured to it. The Warrant Agent shall not be accountable or under any duty or responsibility for the use by the Company of any of the Warrant Certificates authenticated by the Warrant Agent and delivered by it to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or for the application by the Company of the proceeds of the Warrant Certificate. The Warrant Agent shall have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by the Company in the performance of its covenants or agreements contained herein or in the Warrant Certificates or in the case of the receipt of any written demand from a Holder of a Warrant Certificate with respect to such default, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any duty or responsibility to initiate or attempt to initiate any proceedings at law.
Section 15. Purchase or Consolidation or Change of Name of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent shall be party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent, shall be the successor to the Warrant Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Warrant Agent under the provisions of Section 17. In case at the time such successor Warrant Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Warrant Agent and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Warrant Agent or in the name of the successor Warrant Agent; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Warrant Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 16. Duties of Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company, by its acceptance hereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Warrant Agent may consult with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Warrant Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
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(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of the Company; and such certificate shall be full authentication to the Warrant Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) Subject to the limitation set forth in Section 14, the Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct, or for a willful and material breach by it of this Agreement (each as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision).
(d) The Warrant Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Warrant Certificate (except its countersignature thereof) by the Company or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Warrant Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Warrant Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Warrant Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for the adjustment of the Exercise Price or the making of any change in the number of shares of Common Stock required under the provisions of Section 11 or 13 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such change or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment or change (except with respect to the exercise of Warrants evidenced by the Warrant Certificates after actual notice of any adjustment of the Exercise Price); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock will, when issued, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) Each party hereto agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the other party hereto for the carrying out or performing by any party of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable and shall be indemnified and held harmless for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer, provided Warrant Agent carries out such instructions without gross negligence or willful misconduct (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision).
(h) The Warrant Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Warrant Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Warrants or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Warrant Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Warrant Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Warrant Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorney or agents, and the Warrant Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorney or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
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Section 17. Change of Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing sent to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. The Company may remove the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent upon 30 days’ notice in writing, sent to the Warrant Agent or successor Warrant Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. If the Warrant Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Warrant Agent or by the Holder of a Warrant Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the Holder of any Warrant Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Warrant Agent, provided that, for purposes of this Agreement, the Company shall be deemed to be the Warrant Agent until a new warrant agent is appointed. After appointment, the successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Warrant Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Warrant Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Warrant Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Warrant Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. However, failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 17, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Warrant Agent or the appointment of the successor Warrant Agent, as the case may be.
Section 18. Issuance of New Warrant Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Warrants to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Warrant Certificates evidencing Warrants in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares of stock or other securities or property purchasable under the several Warrant Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 19. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made (i) by the Warrant Agent or by the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to or on the Company, (ii) subject to the provisions of Section 17, by the Company or by the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to or on the Warrant Agent or (iii) by the Company or the Warrant Agent to the Holder of any Warrant Certificate shall be deemed given (a) on the date delivered, if delivered personally, (b) on the first Business Day following the deposit thereof with Federal Express or another recognized overnight courier, if sent by Federal Express or another recognized overnight courier, (c) on the fourth Business Day following the mailing thereof with postage prepaid, if mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested), and (d) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Business Day and (e) the next Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Business Day, in each case to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
| (a) | If to the Company, to:
Edible Garden AG Incorporated 283 County Road 519 Belvidere, NJ 07823 Attn: James E. Kras Email: jkras@ediblegarden.com
copy to:
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP 1600 Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Attn: Alexander R. McClean, Esq. Email: |
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| (b) | If to the Warrant Agent, to:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219 Attn: [________] Email: [________] |
For any notice delivered by email to be deemed given or made, such notice must be followed by notice sent by overnight courier service to be delivered on the next business day following such email, unless the recipient of such email has acknowledged via return email receipt of such email.
(c) If to the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to the address of such Holder as shown on the registry books of the Company. Any notice required to be delivered by the Company to the Holder of any Warrant may be given by the Warrant Agent on behalf of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, where this Agreement provides for notice of any event to a Holder of any Warrant, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary or its designee.
Section 20. Supplements and Amendments.
(a) The Company and the Warrant Agent may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any Holders of Global Warrants in order to add to the covenants and agreements of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Global Warrants or to surrender any rights or power reserved to or conferred upon the Company in this Agreement, provided that such addition or surrender shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Global Warrants or Warrant Certificates in any material respect.
(b) In addition to the foregoing, with the consent of Holders of Warrants entitled, upon exercise thereof, to receive not less than a majority of the shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder, the Company and the Warrant Agent may modify this Agreement for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Warrant Agreement or modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Global Warrants; provided, however, that no modification of the terms (including but not limited to the adjustments described in Section 11) upon which the Warrants are exercisable or the rights of holders of Warrants to receive liquidated damages or other payments in cash from the Company or reducing the percentage required for consent to modification of this Agreement may be made without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Warrant Certificate affected thereby; provided further, however, that no amendment hereunder shall affect any terms of any Warrant Certificate issued in a Warrant Exchange. As a condition precedent to the Warrant Agent’s execution of any amendment, the Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent a certificate from a duly authorized officer of the Company that states that the proposed amendment complies with the terms of this Section 20.
Section 21. Successors. All covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 22. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give any Person other than the Company, the Holders of Warrant Certificates and the Warrant Agent any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Warrant Agent and the Holders of the Warrant Certificates.
Section 23. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Warrant Certificate and Global Warrant issued hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the conflicts of law principles thereof.
Section 24. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
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Section 25. Captions. The captions of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
Section 26. Information. The Company agrees to promptly provide to the Holders of the Warrants any information it provides to the holders of the Common Stock, except to the extent any such information is publicly available on the EDGAR system (or any successor thereof) of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED | |||
| By: | |||
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| AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC | |||
| By: | |||
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Exhibit 1
Form of Warrant Certificate
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Exhibit 2
Form of Warrant Certificate Request Notice
WARRANT CERTIFICATE REQUEST NOTICE
To: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, as Warrant Agent for EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED (the “Company”)
The undersigned Holder of Common Stock Purchase Warrants (“Warrants”) in the form of Global Warrants issued by the Company hereby elects to receive a Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants held by the Holder as specified below:
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| 1. | Name of Holder of Warrants in form of Global Warrants: _____________________________ |
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| 2. | Name of Holder in Warrant Certificate (if different from name of Holder of Warrants in form of Global Warrants): ________________________________ |
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| 3. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Global Warrants: ________________ |
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| 4. | Number of Warrants for which Warrant Certificate shall be issued: __________________ |
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| 5. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Global Warrants after issuance of Warrant Certificate, if any: ___________ |
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| 6. | Warrant Certificate shall be delivered to the following address: |
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The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with this Warrant Exchange and the issuance of the Warrant Certificate, the Holder is deemed to have surrendered the number of Warrants in form of Global Warrants in the name of the Holder equal to the number of Warrants evidenced by the Warrant Certificate.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: ____________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: ______________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: _________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________
| 16 |
Exhibit 3
Form of Global Warrant Request Notice
GLOBAL WARRANT REQUEST NOTICE
To: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, as Warrant Agent for EDIBLE GARDEN AG INCORPORATED (the “Company”)
The undersigned Holder of Common Stock Purchase Warrants (“Warrants”) in the form of Warrants Certificates issued by the Company hereby elects to receive a Global Warrant evidencing the Warrants held by the Holder as specified below:
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| 7. | Name of Holder of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates: _____________________________ |
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| 8. | Name of Holder in Global Warrant (if different from name of Holder of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates): ________________________________ |
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| 9. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Warrant Certificates: _____________ |
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| 10. | Number of Warrants for which Global Warrant shall be issued: __________________ |
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| 11. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Warrant Certificates after issuance of Global Warrant, if any: ___________ |
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| 12. | Global Warrant shall be delivered to the following address: |
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The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with this Global Warrant Exchange and the issuance of the Global Warrant, the Holder is deemed to have surrendered the number of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates in the name of the Holder equal to the number of Warrants evidenced by the Global Warrant.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: ____________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: ______________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: _________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________
| 17 |
Exhibit 4
Warrant Agent Fee Schedule
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EXHIBIT 5.1
April 6, 2022
Edible Garden AG Incorporated
283 County Road 519
Belvidere, NJ 07823
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-1
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Edible Garden AG Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-260655) (the “Registration Statement”). The Registration Statement covers the underwritten public offering and sale of the following securities (the “Securities”):
1. up to $15,000,000 of units (the “Units”), with each Unit to consist of:
a. one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock,” and all shares of Common Stock contained within the Units are the “Shares”); and
b. one warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock at an exercise price equal to the public offering price per Unit (the “Warrants”);
2. up to $2,250,000 in additional Shares and/or Warrants pursuant to the over-allotment option of the underwriters described in the Registration Statement;
3. shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”);
4. warrants to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 4.0% of the number of Shares sold in the offering, at an exercise price equal to 125% of the public offering price per Unit, to be issued to the representative of the underwriters (the “Representative’s Warrants”); and
5. shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants (the “Representative’s Warrant Shares”).
We understand that the Securities are to be sold to the underwriters as described in the Registration Statement pursuant to an underwriting agreement, substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to be entered into by and among the Company and Maxim Group LLC (the “Representative”), acting for itself and as representative for any other underwriters named therein (the “Underwriting Agreement”). In addition, we understand that American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (the “Warrant Agent”) will serve as the warrant agent for the Warrants pursuant to a warrant agency agreement with the Company, substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Warrant Agency Agreement”).
| 1600 BAUSCH & LOMB PLACE ROCHESTER, NY 14604-2711 PHONE: 585.232.6500 FAX: 585.232.2152 |
| rochester, ny • buffalo, ny • albany, ny • corning, ny • new york, ny |
Edible Garden AG Incorporated
April 6, 2022
Page 2
In connection with the foregoing, we have examined originals or copies of such corporate records of the Company, certificates and other communications of public officials, certificates of officers of the Company and such other documents as we have deemed relevant or necessary for the purpose of rendering the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to those opinions, we have, to the extent we deemed appropriate, relied on certificates of officers of the Company and on certificates and other communications of public officials. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on, and the authenticity of, all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies thereof, the due authorization, execution and delivery by the parties thereto other than the Company of all documents examined by us, and the legal capacity of each individual who signed any of those documents. In addition, we have assumed that (a) each of the Underwriting Agreement, Units, Warrants, Warrant Agency Agreement, and Representative’s Warrant (the “Transaction Documents”) will be duly executed and delivered by all parties thereto, (b) the Representative has the power, corporate or otherwise, to enter into and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement and that the Underwriting Agreement will be a valid and binding obligation of the Representative, (c) the Warrant Agent has the power, corporate or otherwise, to enter into and perform its obligations under the Warrant Agency Agreement, and that the Warrant Agency Agreement will be a valid and binding obligation of the Warrant Agent, (d) there will not have occurred, prior to the date of the issuance of the Warrant Shares and Representative’s Warrant Shares: (i) any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of the Warrants or (ii) any amendments to the Transaction Documents, (e) at the time of the issuance and sale of the Securities: (i) the Company is validly existing and in good standing under the law of the State of Delaware, (ii) the Company has not amended its certificate of incorporation or bylaws, (iii) the board of directors of the Company and any committee thereof has not taken any action to amend, rescind or otherwise reduce its prior authorization of the issuance of the Securities and (iv) the Company will receive consideration in excess of par value for the issuance of the Shares, (f) the Registration Statement becomes and remains effective, and the prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement, and the prospectus delivery requirements with respect thereto, fulfill all of the requirements of the Securities Act, throughout all periods relevant to the opinion, (g) the Securities will be offered in the manner and on the terms identified or referred to in the Registration Statement, including all amendments thereto, and (h) all offers and sales of the Securities will be made in compliance with the securities laws of the states having jurisdiction thereof.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:
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| 1. | the Units, when the Board has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and sale of the Units, including the determination of the specific number of Units to be sold and a specific price for the Units, have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company; |
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| 2. | the Shares, when the Board has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and sale of the Shares as part of the Units, have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; |
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| 3. | the Warrants, when the Board has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and sale of the Warrants as part of the Units, have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued, sold and delivered by the Company in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Underwriting Agreement and the Warrant Agency Agreement and upon due action by the Board, will be validly issued and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms. |
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| 4. | the Warrant Shares, when the Board has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and sale of the Warrant Shares, have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and delivered by the Company upon valid exercise of the Warrants and against receipt of the exercise price therefor, in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement, Warrants and Warrant Agency Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; |
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Edible Garden AG Incorporated
April 6, 2022
Page 3
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| 5. | the Representative’s Warrants, when the Board has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and sale of the Representative’s Warrants, including the exercise price and number of Representative’s Warrant Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants, have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued, sold and delivered by the Company in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms; and |
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| 6. | the Representative’s Warrant Shares, when the Board has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and sale of the Representative’s Warrant Shares, have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and delivered by the Company upon valid exercise of the Representative’s Warrant and against receipt of the exercise price therefor, in accordance with and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Representative’s Warrant, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
The opinions rendered in paragraphs 1, 3 and 5 above are subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer and other similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally, and (ii) constitutional and public policy limitations and general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement may be sought in a proceeding in equity or at law). In addition, we express no opinion as to: the right to collect any payment to the extent that such payment constitutes a penalty, premium, forfeiture or late payment charge; the enforceability of the governing law and forum selection provisions contained in any of the Transaction Documents; waivers of right to trial by jury; or any purported right of indemnification or exculpation with respect to illegal acts, intentional torts, violation of securities laws, negligence or willful misconduct.
The opinions expressed herein are limited exclusively to the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporate Law (the “DGCL”) and the law of the State of New York as currently in effect, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
This opinion letter has been prepared in accordance with the customary practice of lawyers who regularly give, and lawyers who regularly advise opinion recipients concerning, opinions of the type contained herein.
This opinion letter deals only with the specified legal issues expressly addressed herein, and you should not infer any opinion that is not explicitly addressed herein from any matter stated in this letter.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the reference to this firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. This opinion is rendered to you as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to advise you or any other person hereafter with regard to any change after the date hereof in the circumstances or the law that may bear on the matters set forth herein even though the change may affect the legal analysis or legal conclusion or other matters in this letter.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| /s/ Harter Secrest & Emery LLP |
| 3 |
EXHIBIT 23.1
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM’S CONSENT
We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Edible Garden AG Inc. on Form S-1 Amendment No. 4 File No. 333-260655 of our report dated March 24, 2022, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, with respect to our audits of the consolidated balance sheets of Edible Garden AG Inc. as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021, the period from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 (Predecessor operations), and the period from March 28, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (Successor operations), which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
Costa Mesa, California
April 6, 2022