EPWK Holdings Ltd 6-K, filed Feb 7, 2025
EPWK Holdings Ltd. (EPWKF)
About this 6-K
EPWK Holdings Ltd filed this 6-K on February 7, 2025.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of February 2025
Commission File Number: 001-42501
EPWK HOLDINGS LTD.
Building #2, District A, No. 359 Chengyi Road
The third phase of Xiamen Software Park
Xiamen City, Fujian Province
The People’s Republic of China, 361021
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨
On February 7, 2025, EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. (the “Company”) closed its initial public offering (“IPO”) of 2,750,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.000025 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”). The Company completed the IPO pursuant to its registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-269657), which was initially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 9, 2023, as amended, and declared effective by the SEC on February 3, 2025. The Ordinary Shares were priced at $4.10 per share, and the offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis. The Ordinary Shares were previously approved for listing on The Nasdaq Global Market and commenced trading under the ticker symbol “EPWK” on February 6, 2025.
In connection with the IPO, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement, dated February 5, 2025 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), with Cathay Securities, Inc. (the “Representative”), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing summaries of the Underwriting Agreement are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by, such document.
In connection with the IPO, the Company issued a press release on February 6, 2025, announcing the pricing of the IPO, and a press release on February 7, 2025, announcing the closing of the IPO, respectively. Copies of the two press releases are attached hereto as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, and are incorporated by reference herein.
This report does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. | ||
| Date: February 7, 2025 | By: | /s/ Guohua Huang |
| Name: | Guohua Huang | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit 10.1
Execution Version
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
February 5, 2025
Cathay Securities, Inc.
40 Wall St, Suite 3600
New York, NY 10005
As Representative of the several Underwriters
named on Schedule 1 attached hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, EPWK Holdings Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with Cathay Securities, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “you” (including its correlatives) or the “Representative”) and with the other underwriters named on Schedule 1 hereto for which the Representative is acting as representative (the Representative and such other underwriters being collectively called the “Underwriters” or, individually, an “Underwriter”) as follows:
1. Purchase and Sale of Shares.
1.1 Firm Shares.
1.1.1. Nature and Purchase of Firm Shares.
(i) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell in the aggregate 2,750,000 Class A ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Shares”), and each Underwriter agrees to purchase, severally and not jointly, at the Closing, an aggregate of 2,750,000 Class A Shares (“Firm Shares”).
(ii) The Firm Shares are to be offered together to the public at the offering price per one Firm Share as set forth on Schedule 2-A hereto (the “Purchase Price”). The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule 1 attached hereto and made a part hereof at the purchase price for one Firm Share of $3.772 (or 92% of the Purchase Price).
1.1.2. Firm Shares Payment and Delivery.
(i) Delivery and payment for the Firm Shares shall be made no later than 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the second (2nd) Business Day following the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2.1.1 below) (or the third (3rd) Business Day following the Effective Date if the Registration Statement is declared effective after 4:01 p.m., Eastern time) or at such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at the offices of Winston & Strawn LLP at 800 Capitol St., Suite 2400, Houston, TX 77002-2925 (“Representative’s Counsel”), or at such other place (or remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The hour and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Shares is called the “Closing Date.”
(ii) Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery of the certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Firm Shares (or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or via DWAC transfer) for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Shares shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Shares except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all of the Firm Shares. The term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York, New York.
1.2 Over-allotment Option.
1.2.1. Option Shares. For the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Shares, the Company hereby grants to the Underwriters an option (the “Over-allotment Option”) to purchase, in the aggregate, up to 412,500 additional Class A Shares (the “Option Shares”, and along with the Firm Shares, the “Shares”), representing fifteen percent (15%) of the Firm Shares sold in the offering, from the Company. The purchase price to be paid per Option Share shall be equal to the price per Option Share set forth in Schedule 2-A. The Shares shall be issued directly by the Company and shall have the rights and privileges described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus referred to below. The offering and sale of the Shares is herein referred to as the “Offering.”
1.2.2. Exercise of Option. The Over-allotment Option granted pursuant to Section 1.2.1 hereof may be exercised by the Underwriters as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) of the Option Shares within thirty (30) days after the Closing Date. The Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to purchase any of the Option Shares 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 Underwriters, setting forth the number of the Option Shares to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Shares (the “Option Closing Date”), which shall not be later than five (5) full 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 Representative’s Counsel or at such other place (including remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. If such delivery and payment for the Option Shares does not occur on the Closing Date, the Option Closing Date will be as set forth in the notice. Upon exercise of the Over-allotment Option with respect to all or any portion of the Option Shares subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (i) the Company shall become obligated to sell to the Underwriters the number of the Option Shares specified in such notice and (ii) each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, shall purchase the number of the Option Shares specified in such notice.
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1.2.3. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Option Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery to you of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Option Shares (or through the facilities of DTC or via DWAC transfer) for the account of the Underwriters. The Option Shares shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing prior to the Option Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Option Shares except upon tender of payment by the Representative for applicable Option Shares.
1.3 Representative’s Warrants.
1.3.1. Purchase Warrants. The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the Closing Date three-year warrants (“Representative’s Warrants”) for the purchase of a number of Class A Shares equal to 5.0% of the number of the sum of the Firm Shares and Option Shares, if any, issued in the Offering, pursuant to a warrant in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, at an initial exercise price of $4.92 (or 120% of the public offering price per Firm Share). The Representative’s Warrants and the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise thereof are hereinafter referred to together as the “Representative’s Securities.” The Representative understands and agrees that there are significant restrictions pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 against transferring the Representative’s Warrants and the underlying Class A Shares during the one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of commencement of sales of the Offering and by its acceptance thereof shall agree that it will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate the Representative’s Warrants, or any portion thereof, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of such securities for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of commencement of sales of the Offering to anyone other than (i) an Underwriter or a selected dealer in connection with the Offering, or (ii) an officer, partner, registered person or affiliate of the Representative or of any such Underwriter or selected dealer; and only if any such transferee agrees to the foregoing lock-up restrictions.
1.3.2. Delivery. Delivery of the Representative’s Warrants shall be made on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, and shall be issued in the name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company.
The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), as of the Closing Date and as of the Option Closing Date, if any, as follows:
2.1 Filing of Registration Statement.
2.1.1. Pursuant to the Securities Act. The Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form F-1 (File No. 333-269657), including any related prospectus or prospectuses, for the registration of the Shares and the Representative’s Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been prepared by the Company in all material respects in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Regulations”) and will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at the time the registration statement became effective (including the Preliminary Prospectus included in the registration statement, financial statements, schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of the Effective Date pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations (the “Rule 430A Information”)), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” If the Company files any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, then after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include such registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b). The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission on the date hereof.
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Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The Preliminary Prospectus, subject to completion, dated November 15, 2024, that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus.” The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in the Offering is hereinafter called the “Prospectus.” Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.
“Applicable Time” means 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the Offering that does not reflect the final terms, 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).
“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule 2-B hereto.
“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
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“Pricing Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Pricing Prospectus and the information included on Schedule 2-A hereto, all considered together.
Pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (File Number 001-42501) providing for the registration pursuant to Section 12(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the Class A Shares. The registration of the Class A Shares under the Exchange Act has become effective 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 Class A Shares under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.
2.2 Share Exchange Listing. The Shares and the Class A Shares underlying the Representative’s Warrants have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Exchange”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting of the Shares or the Class A Shares underlying the Representative’s Warrants from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any written notification that the Exchange is contemplating terminating such listing.
2.3 No Stop Orders, etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any state regulatory authority has issued any written order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or has instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute, any proceedings with respect to such an order. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
2.4 Disclosures in Registration Statement.
2.4.1. Compliance with Securities Act and 10b-5 Representation.
(i) Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus, including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto, and the Prospectus, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this Offering and the Prospectus 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.
(ii) Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, as of the Applicable Time, at the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date (if any), contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
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(iii) The Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, at the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date (if any), did not, does not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, and each such Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Prospectus as of the Applicable Time, did not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company in writing with respect to the Underwriters by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto. The parties acknowledge and agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of the information set forth in the fourth paragraph of the “Underwriting” section and the disclosure contained in the “Underwriting” subsections “Underwriting Discount and Expenses,” “Affiliations,” “Representative’s Warrants” of the Prospectus (the “Underwriters’ Information”).
(iv) Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date (if any), included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to the Underwriters’ Information.
2.4.2. Disclosure of Agreements. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing 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 Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and 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 is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in 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 default thereunder, except for any default or event which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change (as defined below). To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses (each, a “Governmental Entity”), including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations, except for any violation which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
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2.4.3. Prior Securities Transactions. During the past three (3) years from the date of this Agreement, no securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and any Preliminary Prospectus.
2.4.4. Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state, local and all foreign regulation on the Offering and the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and no other such regulations are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which are not so disclosed.
2.5 Changes after Dates in Registration Statement.
2.5.1. No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement nor any of its consolidated variable interest entities (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) taken as a whole, nor any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to involve a material adverse change in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, or assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company or its Subsidiaries considered as one entity, other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement; and (iii) no officer or director of the Company has resigned from any position with the Company.
2.6 Independent Accountants. To the knowledge of the Company, WWC, P.C. (“Auditor”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing 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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2.7 Financial Statements, etc. The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved (provided that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to year-end audit adjustments that are not expected to be material in the aggregate and do not contain all footnotes required by GAAP); and any supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein.
2.8 Authorized Capital; Options, etc. The Company had, at the date or dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth therein. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date, as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date, there will be no options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued Class A Shares or any security convertible or exercisable into Class A Shares, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell Class A Shares or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.
2.9 Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.
2.9.1. Outstanding Securities. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The Class A Shares and any other securities outstanding or to be outstanding upon consummation of the Offering conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the outstanding Class A Shares were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such shares, exempt from such registration requirements.
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2.9.2. Securities Sold Pursuant to this Agreement. The Shares and Representative’s Warrants have been duly authorized for issuance and sale and, when issued and paid for, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Shares and Representative’s Warrants are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Shares and Representative’s Warrants has been duly and validly taken; the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and when issued in accordance with such Representative’s Warrants, as the case may be, such Class A Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The Shares and the Representative’s Warrants conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
2.10 Registration Rights of Third Parties. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company has the right to require the Company to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Firm Shares or the Option Shares by the Company hereunder.
2.11 Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements. This Agreement and the Representative’s Warrants have been duly and validly authorized by the Company, and, when executed and delivered, will constitute, the valid and binding agreements of the Company, 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 the 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.
2.12 Validity of Choice of Law. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the PRC and will be honored by courts in the Cayman Islands and the PRC, subject to the discretion of the Cayman Islands and the PRC courts and public policies and other principles to be considered by such courts and the other conditions described under the section titled “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 9.6 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each United States federal court and New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan, in The City of New York, New York, U.S.A. (each, a “New York Court”) and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court, and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 9.6 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed an authorized agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the Registration Statement and the Firm Shares in any New York Court, and service of process effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 9.6 hereof.
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2.13 No Immunity. None of the Company, or the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets has any right of immunity under Cayman Islands, PRC or U.S. federal or New York state law, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any Cayman Islands, PRC, New York state or U.S. federal court, from service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or from execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement; and, to the extent that the Company, or any Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, each of the Company and each of the Subsidiaries waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 9.7 of this Agreement.
2.14 Enforceability of Judgment. Any final judgment for a fixed or readily calculable sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement and any instruments or agreements entered into for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein would be recognized and enforced against the Company in the courts of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC (as the case may be), to the extent permissible by such courts, without re-examination or review of the merits of the cause of action in respect of which the original judgment was given or re-litigation of the matters adjudicated upon, by the courts of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and PRC, provided that (i) with respect to courts of the Cayman Islands, such judgment (A) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (B) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (C) is final, (D) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (E) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands, and (ii) with respect to courts of the PRC, subject to the uncertainties in respect of PRC courts’ recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iii) with respect to the courts of Hong Kong, (A) the judgement is for a definite monetary sum and is not a judgement for a sum payable in respect of taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty, (B) the judgment is final and conclusive, (C) the judgement is not in reach of the provisions of the Foreign Judgments (Restriction on Recognition and Enforcement) Ordinance (Chapter 46 of the Laws of Hong Kong), (D) the relevant court had the jurisdiction according the Hong Kong rules of the conflict of laws, (E) the judgment was not obtained as a result of fraud, (F) the enforcement of the judgement would not be contrary to the public policy in Hong Kong, (G) the judgment was not obtained in proceedings contrary to natural justice, and (H) the application to enter judgment in Hong Kong against the relevant party is instituted within required valid period. The Company is not aware of any reason why the enforcement in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong or the PRC of such a New York Court judgment would be, as of the date hereof, contrary to public policy of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong or PRC. Any changes to the enforceability rules set forth above in this Section 2.15 requires amendment pursuant to Section 9.3 of this Agreement.
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2.15 No Conflicts, etc. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and all ancillary documents, the consummation by the Company of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and thereof do not and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both: (i) result in a material breach of, or conflict with any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a material default under, or result in the creation, modification, termination or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association (as the same may be amended or restated from time to time, the “Charter”); or (iii) violate any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any Governmental Entity as of the date hereof.
2.16 No Defaults; Violations. No material default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company is subject. The Company is not (i) in violation of any term or provision of its Charter, or (ii) in violation of any franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment or decree of any Governmental Entity, except in the cases of clause (ii) for such violations which would not reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change.
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2.17 Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.
2.17.1. Conduct of Business. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business purpose as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
2.17.2. Transactions Contemplated Herein. The Company has all corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof, and all consents, authorizations, approvals and orders required in connection therewith have been obtained. No consent, authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, government agency, the Exchange or other body is required for the valid issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement and the delivery of the Representative’s Warrants and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except with respect to applicable Securities Act Regulations, state securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
2.18 Reserved.
2.19 Litigation; Governmental Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against, or involving the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any executive officer or director would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or that is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which has not been disclosed.
2.20 Good Standing. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of Cayman Islands as of the date hereof, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to qualify, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
2.21 Insurance. The Company carries or is entitled to the benefits of insurance, with, to the Company’s knowledge, reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such losses and risks as is reasonable in the view of the Company for the conduct of its businesses and the value of its properties. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
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2.22 Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.
2.22.1. Finder’s Fees. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any Insider (defined below) with respect to the sale of the Shares hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.
2.22.2. Payments within Six (6) Months. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the six (6) months immediately prior to the original filing of the Registration Statement, other than the payment to the Underwriters as provided hereunder in connection with the Offering.
2.22.3. Use of Proceeds. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will (1) be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein or (2) be used in such a way that would result in the Company being not in compliance with any applicable laws, rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC.
2.22.4. FINRA Affiliation. To the Company’s knowledge, and except as may otherwise be disclosed in FINRA questionnaires provided to the Representative’s Counsel, there is no (i) officer or director of the Company, (ii) beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the filing of the Registration Statement that is an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).
2.23 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company and its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other person acting on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries, has, directly or indirectly, used corporate funds for any contribution, money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) that (i) might subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding, (ii) if not given in the past, might have had a Material Adverse Change or (iii) if not continued in the future, might adversely affect the assets, business, operations or prospects of the Company. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
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2.24 Compliance with OFAC. None of the Company and its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any other person acting on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, 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.
2.25 Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the money laundering statutes of relevant jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
2.26 Lock-Up Period.
2.26.1. (i) Each of the Company’s directors and officers named in the section “Management” in the Prospectus and the beneficial owners of five percent (5%) or greater of either class of the Company’s ordinary shares or securities convertible into ordinary shares immediately prior to the Offering (each an “Insider” and together the “Insiders”) has agreed pursuant to executed Lock-Up Agreements in the form attached hereto as Schedule 3 that for a period ending one hundred and eighty (180) days from the date of commencement of sales of this Offering (the “Lock-Up Period”), such persons and their affiliated parties (“Lock-up Parties”) shall not offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, grant, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Shares or capital stock of the Company, including ordinary shares, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for such Shares or capital stock, without the consent of the Underwriters, with certain exceptions. The Underwriters may consent to an early release from the applicable Lock-Up period if, in its opinion, the market for the Securities would not be adversely impacted by sales and in cases of financial emergency of an Insider or other shareholder.
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2.26.2. The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, it will not, for a period of three (3) months from the closing of the Offering, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, change the terms of, or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; or (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company.
2.27 Subsidiaries. Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation with limited liability, as the case may be, and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation (to the extent such concept exists in such jurisdiction), with full corporate or other power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and, to the extent applicable, each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification; the constitutive documents of each Subsidiary comply with the requirements of applicable laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and are in full force and effect. All of the issued and outstanding share capital of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid in accordance with its articles of association and nonassessable, and the capital stock of each Subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, is owned free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects, except as provided in the VIE Agreements (as defined herein), which are described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package. None of the outstanding share capital in any Subsidiary was issued in violation of pre-emptive or similar rights of any security holder of such Subsidiary.
2.28 VIE Agreements and Corporate Structure.
2.28.1. The description of the corporate structure of the Company and each of the agreements among the subsidiaries, the shareholders of the Subsidiaries that are variable interest entities (“VIEs”) and the VIEs, as the case may be (each, a “VIE Agreement” and collectively, the “VIE Agreements”) as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Corporate History and Structure” and “Related Party Transactions” and filed as Exhibits 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 to the Registration Statement is true and accurate in all material respects and nothing has been omitted from such description which would make the Company’s disclosure misleading. There is no other material agreement, contract or other document relating to the corporate structure or the operation of the Company together with its subsidiaries and VIEs taken as a whole, which has not been previously disclosed or made available to the Underwriters and disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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2.28.2. Each VIE Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the performance of the obligations under any VIE Agreement by the parties thereto, except such as have been obtained; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, filing or registration that has been obtained is being withdrawn or revoked or is subject to any condition precedent which has not been fulfilled or performed, provided, however, that the exercise of the call options under the VIE Agreements and the foreclosure of the pledge under the VIE Agreements shall be subject to the applicable governmental authorizations. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the corporate structure of the Company comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the PRC, and neither the corporate structure nor the VIE Agreements violate, breach, contravene or otherwise conflict with any applicable laws of the PRC. There is no legal or governmental proceeding, inquiry or investigation pending against the Company, the Subsidiaries or shareholders of the VIEs in any jurisdiction challenging the validity of any of the VIE Agreements, and no such proceeding, inquiry or investigation is threatened in any jurisdiction.
2.28.3. The execution, delivery and performance of each VIE Agreement by the parties thereto do not and will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the imposition of any lien, encumbrance, equity or claim upon any property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries pursuant to (A) the constitutive or organizational documents of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, (B) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their properties, or any arbitration award, or (C) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is subject. Each VIE Agreement is in full force and effect and none of the parties thereto is in breach or default in the performance of any of the terms or provisions of such VIE Agreement. None of the parties to any of the VIE Agreements has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intention not to renew, any of the VIE Agreements, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by any of the parties thereto.
2.28.4. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the VIEs, through its rights to authorize the shareholders of the VIEs to exercise their voting rights.
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2.29 Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described as required by the Securities Act Regulations.
2.30 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Company is comprised of the persons set forth under the heading of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus captioned “Management.” The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the board comply with the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) applicable to the Company and the listing rules of the Exchange. At least one member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K and the listing rules of the Exchange. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent,” as defined under the listing rules of the Exchange.
2.31 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance.
2.31.1. Disclosure Controls. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has developed and currently maintains disclosure controls and procedures that will comply with Rule 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations, and such controls and procedures are effective to ensure that all material information concerning the Company will be made known on a timely basis to the individuals responsible for the preparation of the Company’s Exchange Act filings and other public disclosure documents.
2.31.2. Compliance. The Company is, or at the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date will be, in material compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act applicable to it, and has implemented or will implement such programs and has taken reasonable steps to ensure the Company’s future compliance (not later than the relevant statutory and regulatory deadlines therefor) with all of the material provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
2.32 Accounting Controls. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company maintains systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined under Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, its respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting, and, if applicable, with respect to such remedial actions disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company represents that it has taken all remedial actions set forth in such disclosure. The Auditor has been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are known to the Company’s management and that have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud known to the Company’s management, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
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2.33 No Investment Company Status. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, required to register as an “investment company,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
2.34 No Labor Disputes. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
2.35 Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or possesses or has valid rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and similar rights (“Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, no action or use by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries necessary for the conduct of its business as currently carried on and as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will involve or give rise to any infringement of, or license or similar fees for, any Intellectual Property Rights of others. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice, and to the Company’s knowledge there are no threatened suits, alleging any such infringement or fee, except such infringement or fee that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
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2.36 Taxes. Except, in each case, failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) the Company and its Subsidiaries have paid all national, regional, local and other taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; and there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets; (B) any unpaid income and corporation tax liability of the Company for any years not finally determined have been accrued on the Company’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP; (C) all local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable and do not violate any laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations, notices or other legislation of the PRC.
2.37 Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
2.38 Real Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries have valid land use rights and building ownership certificates, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects that do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or its Subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any written notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease, which would result in a Material Adverse Change.
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2.39 Contracts Affecting Capital. There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ liquidity or the availability of or requirements for their capital resources required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
2.40 Data. The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate in all material respects. The Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent necessary.
2.41 Emerging Growth Company. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly in or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act.
2.42 Margin Securities. The Company owns no “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of Offering will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Class A Shares to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
2.43 Dividends and Distributions. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package, Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
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2.44 Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
2.45 Passive Foreign Investment Company Status. Based on the Company’s current estimates of its gross income and the value of its gross assets (including goodwill) and the manner in which the Company conducts its business, the Company was not a Passive Foreign Investment Company within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code (a “PFIC”) for the taxable year ended December 31, 2021 and does not expect that it will become a PFIC for the taxable year ending December 31, 2022.
2.46 Cayman Islands Legal Matters.
2.46.1. Subject to conducting the Offering as provided for in the section titled “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Company is not required to publish a prospectus in the Cayman Islands under the Cayman Islands laws with respect to the offer and sale of the Shares.
2.47 PRC Legal Matters.
2.47.1. Compliance with PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has complied, and has taken all steps to ensure, to the extent applicable, compliance by each of its shareholders, directors and officers that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen with any applicable rules and regulations of the relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”)) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (the “PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations”), including, without limitation, requesting each such Person that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen, to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations (including any applicable rules and regulations of the SAFE).
2.47.2. M&A Rules. The Company is aware of and has been advised as to the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Tax Administration, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the SAFE on August 8, 2006, and as amended by the Ministry of Commerce on June 22, 2009, and any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related thereto (the “PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules”) , including the provisions thereof which purport to require offshore special purpose entities formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules from its PRC counsel, and the Company understands such legal advice. In addition, the Company has communicated such legal advice in full to each of its directors that signed the Registration Statement and each such director has confirmed that he or she understands such legal advice. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus , the issuance and sale of the Firm Shares, the listing and trading of the Firm Shares on NASDAQ and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (i) are not and will not be, as of the date hereof or at the Closing Date or an Optional Closing Date, as the case may be, adversely affected by the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules and (ii) do not require the prior approval of the CSRC.
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2.47.3. Securities Offering and Listing Rules. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters that this Offering or the listing of the Company’s securities on Nasdaq is not subject to or has fully complied with the requirements of the Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies and related regulations, rules or guidelines, including but not limited to the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archive Management Work Relating to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing.
2.48 Payments in Foreign Currency. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, under current laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC and any political subdivision thereof, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Firm Shares may be paid by the Company to the holder thereof in United States dollars that may be converted into foreign currency and freely transferred out of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC, without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, provided that the remittance of such dividends out of the PRC complies with the procedures required by the relevant PRC Laws relating to foreign exchange administration, and all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong or the PRC will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
2.49 Cybersecurity and Data Protection. The Company and the Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, the “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries as currently conducted, and to the knowledge of the Company and the Subsidiaries free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (the “Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that would not have a Material Adverse Event or have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same that the Company believes, in good faith, are reasonably likely to constitute a Material Adverse Event. The Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification. The statements disclosed and materials used as the basis of information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus relating to the cybersecurity review of the Company and its Subsidiaries and other cybersecurity and data privacy related matters in the sections headed “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” and “Regulation” are complete, true and accurate in all material respects and in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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2.50 Compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or their respective affiliates, nor any director, officer, nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent, affiliate, or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective affiliates, (i) has used any funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign or domestic “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; (iii) has violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or has committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the PRC, the Criminal Law of the PRC or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws (collectively, the “Anti-Corruption Laws”); (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit; or (v) will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of this offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein. No investigation, action, suit or proceedings by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Corruption Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
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2.51 Compliance with Sanctions.
2.51.1. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director, officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent, affiliate, representative or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are:
(i) the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, including but not limited to OFAC, the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person,” the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), or Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other applicable sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
(ii) located, organized or resident in a country, region or territory that is, or whose government is, the subject or the target of Sanctions (including, without limitation, the Crimea, so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, so-called Luhansk People’s Republic of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria);
2.51.2. The Company represents and covenants that the Company and its Subsidiaries will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Firm Shares, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person, including the Subsidiaries:
(i) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country, region or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is, or whose government is, the subject or the target of Sanctions; or
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(ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering of the Firm Shares, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise);
2.51.3. The Company represents and covenants that, for the past five years, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country, region or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was, or whose government was, the subject or the target of Sanctions.
2.52 Environmental Laws. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of, or has any liability under, any applicable federal, state, local or non-U.S. statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, other requirement or rule of law (including common law), or decision or order of any domestic or foreign governmental agency, governmental body or court, relating to pollution, to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, discharge, disposal or release of Hazardous Substances, to the protection or restoration of the environment or natural resources (including biota), to health and safety including as such relates to exposure to Hazardous Substances, and to natural resource damages (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries owns, occupies, operates or uses any real property contaminated with Hazardous Substances, (iii) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is conducting or funding any investigation, remediation, remedial action or monitoring of actual or suspected Hazardous Substances in the environment, (iv) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is liable or allegedly liable for any release or threatened release of Hazardous Substances, including at any off-site treatment, storage or disposal site, (v) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is subject to any claim by any governmental agency or governmental body or person relating to Environmental Laws or Hazardous Substances, (vi) the Company and the Subsidiaries have received and are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all, and have no liability under any permits, licenses, authorizations, identification numbers or other approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (vii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties), except in each case covered by clauses (i) – (vi) such as would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; (b) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to result in a violation of, liability under, or claim pursuant to any Environmental Law that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (c) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no requirements proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (d) in the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically evaluates the effect, including associated costs and liabilities, of Environmental Laws on the business, properties, results of operations and financial condition of it and the Subsidiaries, and, on the basis of such evaluation, the Company has reasonably concluded that such Environmental Laws will not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this subsection, “Hazardous Substances” means (A) petroleum and petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and mold, and (B) any other chemical, material or substance defined or regulated as toxic or hazardous or as a pollutant, contaminant or waste under Environmental Laws.
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2.53 Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries (i) possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations (“Licenses”) issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate national, regional, local or other governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) have not received any notice of proceedings relating to or have any reason to believe that any government or regulatory authority is considering the revocation, suspension, rescission, avoidance, repudiation, withdrawal, non-renewal or modification, in whole or in part, of any Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) have no reason to believe that any such Licenses will not be renewed in the ordinary course. Such Licenses are valid and in full force and effect and contain no burdensome restrictions or conditions not described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
3. Covenants of the Company.
The Company covenants and agrees as follows:
3.1 Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company shall deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.
3.2 Federal Securities Laws.
3.2.1. Compliance. The Company, subject to Section 3.2.2, shall comply with the requirements of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations, and will notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed; (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares and the Representative’s Warrants for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the Offering of the Shares and Representative’s Warrants. The Company shall effect all filings required under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and shall take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
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3.2.2. Continued Compliance. The Company shall comply with the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative notice of such event; (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or Representative’s Counsel shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time. The Company shall give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time until the Closing Date and the exercise in full or expiration of the Over-allotment Option specified in Section 1.2 hereof and will furnish the Representative with copies of the related document(s) a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
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3.2.3. Reserved.
3.2.4. Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, it shall not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representative shall be deemed to have consented to each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus set forth in Schedule 2-B. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriters as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
3.3 Delivery to the Underwriters of Registration Statements. The Company has delivered or made available or shall deliver or make available to the Representative and Representative’s Counsel, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and upon request will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters 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.
3.4 Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered or made available or will deliver or make available to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters 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.
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3.5 Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Representative. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement covering the issuance of the Class A Shares underlying the Representative’s Warrants to remain effective with a current prospectus for at least nine (9) months after the Applicable Time, and shall notify the Representative immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the cessation of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the shares underlying the Representative’s Warrants for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 3.5 that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in (a) the Registration Statement in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or (b) in the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Commission or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company shall make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.
3.6 Review of Financial Statements. For a period of three (3) years after the date of this Agreement, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent registered public accounting firm to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for each of the three fiscal quarters immediately preceding the announcement of any quarterly financial information.
3.7 Listing. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing of the Class A Shares and the Class A Shares underlying the Representative’s Warrants on the Exchange for at least three (3) years from the date of this Agreement.
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3.8 Payment of Expenses
3.8.1. General Expenses Related to the Offering. The Company hereby agrees to pay on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (a) the costs of preparing, printing and filing the registration statement with the SEC, amendments and supplements thereto, and post effective amendments, as well as the filing with FINRA, and payment of all necessary fees in connection therewith and the printing of a sufficient quantity of preliminary and final prospectuses as the Underwriters may reasonably request; (b) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering exhibits thereto, in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request; (c) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of securities offered under the securities laws of foreign jurisdictions designated by the Underwriters; (d) the fees of counsels and accountants for the Company, including fees associated with any blue sky filings where applicable; (e) fees associated with the Company’s transfer agent; and (f) fees, if necessary, associated with translation services. The Company has agreed to reimburse the Underwriters up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the Offering. Of this amount: (i) Seventy Thousand dollars ($70,000) was paid to the Underwriters within 10 working days after the execution of the engagement letter, as a cash retainer fee; (ii) Fifty Thousand dollars ($50,000) was paid to the Underwriters upon the public filing of the Registration Statement; (iii) One Hundred Thousand dollars ($100,000) was paid upon the execution of the amended engagement letter with the Underwriters and (iv) Thirty Thousand dollars ($30,000) will be paid to the Underwriters upon the closing of the Offering. Promptly, upon the consummation of the Offering or the earlier termination of the engagement period in accordance with its terms, the Underwriters will return the balance of any remaining portion of the advances to the extent such monies were not used for reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred pursuant to Section 8.3 hereof. The Underwriters may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, the expenses set forth herein to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters; provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8.3 hereof.
3.8.2. Non-Accountable Expense Allowance. The Company further agrees that, in addition to the expenses payable pursuant to Section 3.8.1, on the Closing Date, it shall pay to the Underwriters, by deduction from the net proceeds of the Offering contemplated herein, a non-accountable expense allowance equal to one percent (1.0%) of the gross proceeds to be received by the Company from the sale of the Shares.
3.9 Application of Net Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application thereof described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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3.10 Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent registered public accounting firm unless required by the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) covering a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months beginning after the date of this Agreement.
3.11 Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders has taken or shall take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
3.12 Accountants. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has retained an independent registered public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative. The Representative acknowledges that the Auditor is acceptable to the Representative.
3.13 No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and that none of the Underwriters or their affiliates or any selling agent shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
3.14 Reserved.
3.15 Release of D&O Lock-up Period. If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in the Lock-Up Agreements described in Section 2.26.1 hereof for an officer or director of the Company or, with certain exceptions as provided under Section 2.26 hereof, any holder of more than 5% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Class A Shares and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three (3) Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release through a major news service at least two (2) Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver. The Company shall also file an appropriate Form 6-K with the Commission.
3.16 Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Shares for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative designates and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution.
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3.17 Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Regulations. Additionally, the Company will report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Shares as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act Regulations.
4. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.
The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares, as provided herein, shall be subject to (i) the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, (ii) the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof; (iii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and (iv) the following conditions:
4.1 Regulatory Matters.
4.1.1. Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Rule 430A Information. The Registration Statement has become effective not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by you, and, at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.
4.1.2. FINRA Clearance. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.
4.1.3. Exchange Share Market Clearance. On the Closing Date, the Firm Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance. On the first Option Closing Date (if any), the Option Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.
4.2 Company Counsel Matters.
4.2.1. Closing Date Opinions of Counsels. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received (i) the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of VCL Law LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, (ii) the favorable opinion of Ogier, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, and (iii) the favorable opinion of Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (Fuzhou), PRC counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Representative’s Counsel addressed to the Representative and stating that such opinions may be relied upon by Representative’s Counsel.
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4.2.2. Option Closing Date Opinion of Counsel. On the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received (i) the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of (i) VCL Law LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, (ii) the favorable opinion of Ogier, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, and (iii) the favorable opinion of Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (Fuzhou), PRC counsel for the Company, dated the Option Closing Date, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, confirming as of the Option Closing Date, the statements made by such counsel in their opinions delivered on the Closing Date.
4.2.3. Reliance. In rendering such opinions, such counsel may rely: (i) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) of other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Representative, familiar with the applicable laws; and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates or other written statements of officers of the Company and officers of departments of various jurisdictions having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the Company, provided that copies of any such statements or certificates shall be delivered to Representative’s Counsel if requested.
4.3 Representative Counsel Matters.
4.3.1. Closing Date Opinions of Counsels. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the (i) favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Winston & Strawn LLP, U.S. counsel for the Representative, and (ii) the favorable opinion of Jincheng Tongda & Neal, PRC counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative addressed to the Representative.
4.3.2. Option Closing Date Opinion of Counsel. On the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinions of Winston & Strawn LLP, U.S. counsel for the Representative, dated the Option Closing Date, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, confirming as of the Option Closing Date, the statements made by such counsel in their opinions delivered on the Closing Date.
4.4 Comfort Letters.
4.4.1. Cold Comfort Letter. At the time this Agreement is executed you shall have received a cold comfort letter containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to you and to the Auditor, dated as of the date of this Agreement.
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4.4.2. Bring-down Comfort Letter. At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received from the Auditor a letter, dated as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable, to the effect that the Auditor reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 4.3.1, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable.
4.5 Officers’ Certificates.
4.5.1. Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties qualified as to materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects and except for those representations and warranties which refer to facts existing at a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date) and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, a Material Adverse Change.
4.5.2. Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Date, as the case may be, respectively, with respect to certain financial data relating to the Company contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative:
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4.5.3. Secretary’s Certificate. At each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Date, as the case may be, respectively, certifying: (i) that the Charter is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (and any pricing committee thereof) relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) as to the accuracy and completeness of all correspondence between the Company or its counsel and the Commission; and (iv) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.
4.6 No Material Changes. Prior to and on each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any: (i) there shall have been no Material Adverse Change in the condition or prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (ii) no action, suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Insider before or by any court or federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding may reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Change, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and neither the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
4.7 Delivery of Agreements.
4.7.1. Lock-Up Agreements. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Lock-Up Agreements.
4.7.2. Representative’s Warrants. On the Closing date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative an executed copy of the Representative’s Warrants.
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5. Indemnification.
5.1 Indemnification of the Underwriters.
5.1.1. General. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives, partners, shareholders, affiliates, counsel, and agents and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the Company or between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and any third party, or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other statute or at common law or otherwise or under the laws of foreign countries (a “Claim”), arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of 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, in (A) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (B) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering, including any “road show” or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); or (C) any application or other document or written communication (in this Section 5, collectively called “application”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Shares and Representative’s Warrants under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, the Exchange or any other national securities exchange; unless, with respect to each subsection (A) through (C), such statement or omission was made 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 Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 5.1.1 shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter Indemnified Party to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter Indemnified Party 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 Shares to such person as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, 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 Section 3.3 hereof. The Company also agrees that it will reimburse each Underwriter Indemnified Party for all reasonable fees and expenses (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the Company or between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and any third party, or otherwise) (collectively, the “Expenses”).
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5.1.2. Notification and Procedure. If any action is brought against an Underwriter Indemnified Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 5.1.1, such Underwriter Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment and fees of counsel (subject to the approval of such Underwriter Indemnified Party (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld)) and payment of actual expenses if an Underwriter Indemnified Party requests that the Company do so. Such Underwriter Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, and the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to bear the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one firm of attorneys selected by the Underwriter Indemnified Party (in addition to local counsel). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, and provided that the Company has timely honored its obligations under Section 5, the Underwriter Indemnified Party shall not enter into any settlement without the prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld) of the terms of any settlement by the Company. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any action effected without its prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably delayed or withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened action in respect of which advancement, reimbursement, indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination (i) includes an unconditional release of each Underwriter Indemnified Party, acceptable to such Underwriter Indemnified Party, from all liabilities, expenses and claims arising out of such action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any Underwriter Indemnified Party.
5.1.3. Escrow Account. The Company agrees to establish and maintain a Commission compliant offering deposit or escrow account with a financial institution as designated by the Company and the Representative, and at the closing of the Offering (or as soon as possible thereafter, such period not extend beyond five (5) Business Days after the closing of the Offering) , the Company shall deposit into the designated account an amount of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) from the offering proceeds (the “Escrow Amount”) in order to provide a source of funding for certain indemnification obligations to the Underwriters and other indemnified persons (including without limitation, any Underwriter Indemnified Party) as described in the Registration Statement and this Agreement; the Escrow Amount shall be held at the designated account for twelve (12) months after the closing of the Offering, during which period the Company may use the Escrow Amount for low risk investment (e.g. bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, etc.) at its discretion, subject to the terms and conditions set forth hereunder and/or in the Registration Statement, provided that the Company has notified the Underwriters in writing in advance.
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5.2 Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the several Underwriters, as incurred, but only with respect to such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses (or actions in respect thereof) which arise out of or are based upon untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 5.1.2. The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or any person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or in connection with the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
5.3 Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 5.1 or 5.2 in respect of any liabilities and Expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such liabilities and Expenses, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and each of the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the Offering, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to such Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds actually received by the Company from the Offering of the Shares purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions actually received by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, 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 Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) 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 into account the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
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5.4 Survival & Third-Party Beneficiaries. The advancement, reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations set forth in this Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Underwriter Indemnified Party’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement. Each Underwriter Indemnified Party’s is an intended third-party beneficiary of this Section 5, and has the right to enforce the provisions of Section 5 as if he/she/it was a party to this Agreement.
6. Default by an Underwriter.
6.1 Default Not Exceeding 10% of Firm Shares or Option Shares. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Firm Shares or the Option Shares, if the Over-allotment Option is exercised hereunder, and if the number of the Firm Shares or Option Shares with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Shares or Option Shares that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Firm Shares or Option Shares to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters who are obligated severally in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.
6.2 Default Exceeding 10% of Firm Shares or Option Shares. In the event that the default addressed in Section 6.1 relates to more than 10% of the Firm Shares or Option Shares, you may in your discretion arrange for yourself or for another party or parties to purchase such Firm Shares or Option Shares to which such default relates on the terms contained herein. If, within one (1) Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Firm Shares or Option Shares, you do not arrange for the purchase of such Firm Shares or Option Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one (1) Business Day within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to you and the Company to purchase said Firm Shares or Option Shares on such terms. In the event that neither you nor the Company arrange for the purchase of the Firm Shares or Option Shares to which a default relates as provided in this Section 6, this Agreement will be terminated by you or the Company without liability on the part of the Company (except as provided in Sections 8.3 and 5 hereof) or the non-defaulting Underwriters (except as provided in Section 5 hereof); provided, however, that if such default occurs with respect to the Option Shares, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Shares; and provided, further, that nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and to the Company for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
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6.3 Postponement of Closing Date. In the event that the Firm Shares or Option Shares to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date or Option Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Firm Shares or Option Shares.
7. Reserved.
8. Effective Date of this Agreement and Termination Thereof.
8.1 Effective Date. This Agreement shall become effective when both the Company and the Representative have executed the same and delivered counterparts of such signatures to the other party.
8.2 Termination. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving written notice to the Company at any time prior to the delivery of and payment for the Shares on the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in your opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required by FINRA or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a new war or an increase in major hostilities which would make the Offering impractical; or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority; or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets; or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in your opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Firm Shares or Option Shares; or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder; or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a Material Adverse Change, or such adverse material change in general market conditions as in the Representative’s judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Shares or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Shares. Any termination pursuant to this Section shall be without liability on the part of: (x) the Company to the underwriters, except that the Company shall continue to be liable for the payment of expenses under Section 3.8.1 hereof; (y) any underwriter to the Company; or (z) any party hereto to any other party except that the indemnification provisions hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive any such termination.
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8.3 Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a default by the Underwriters, pursuant to Section 6.2 above, in the event that this Agreement shall not be carried out for any reason whatsoever, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Underwriters their actual and accountable out-of-pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable up to the amounts set forth in Section 3.8.1 and upon demand the Company shall pay such amount thereof to the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters; provided, however, that such expense cap in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution provisions of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the consummation of the Offering or the earlier termination of the engagement period in accordance with its terms, the balance of any remaining portion of any advance received by the Representative will promptly be returned by the Representative to the Company to the extent such monies were not actually used for reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(4)(A).
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8.4 Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be in any way affected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
8.5 Representations, Warranties, Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company or (ii) delivery of and payment for the Shares.
9. Miscellaneous.
9.1 Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be mailed (registered or certified mail, return receipt requested), emailed, personally delivered or sent by facsimile transmission and confirmed and shall be deemed given when so delivered or faxed and confirmed or if mailed, two (2) days after such mailing.
If to the Representative:
Cathay Securities, Inc.
40 Wall St, Suite 3600
New York, NY 10005
Attn: Mr. Xiaoyu Li, Chief Executive Officer
Email: shell.li@cathaysecurities.com
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Winston & Strawn LLP
800 Capitol St., Suite 2400
Houston, TX 77002-2925
Attention: Mike Blankenship
Fax No: (713) 651-2700
If to the Company:
EPWK Holdings Ltd.
Building #2, District A, No. 359 Chengyi Rd.,
The third phase of Xiamen Software Park
Xiamen City, Fujian Province
The People’s Republic of China, 361021
Attention: Guohua Huang
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Email: huangguohua@epweike.com
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
VCL Law LLP
1945 Old Gallows Road, Suite 630
Vienna, VA 22182
Attention: Fang Liu, Esq.
Email: fliu@vcllegal.com
9.2 Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.
9.3 Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.
9.4 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, it is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that all other terms and conditions of that certain engagement letter between the Company and Underwriters dated as of April 26, 2022, as amended on February 29, 2024 shall remain in full force and effect.
9.5 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, the Company and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives, heirs 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 provisions herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of securities from any of the Underwriters.
9.6 Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury.
9.6.1. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof.
9.6.2. By the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby irrevocably designates and appoints Cogency Global Inc., located at 112 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168 as its authorized agent upon whom process may be served in any suit, proceeding or other action against it instituted by any Underwriter or by any person controlling an Underwriter as to which such Underwriter or any such controlling person is a party and based upon this Agreement, or in any other action against the Company in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, arising out of the offering made by the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or any purchase or sale of Shares in connection therewith. The Company expressly accepts jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, proceeding or other action and, without limiting other methods of obtaining jurisdiction, expressly submits to nonexclusive personal jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, proceeding or other action. Such designation and appointment shall be irrevocable, unless and until a successor authorized agent in the County and State of New York reasonably acceptable to the Representative shall have been appointed by the Company, such successor shall have accepted such appointment and written notice thereof shall have been given to the Underwriters. The Company further agrees that service of process upon its authorized agent or successor shall be deemed in every respect personal service of process upon the Company in any such suit, proceeding or other action. In the event that service of any process or notice of motion or other application to any such court in connection with any such motion in connection with any such action or proceeding cannot be made in the manner described above, such service may be made in the manner set forth in conformance with the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents on Civil and Commercial Matters or any successor convention or treaty. The Company hereby irrevocably waives any objection that it may have or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding arising out of or based on the Shares or this Agreement or otherwise relating to the offering, issuance and sale of the Shares in any Federal or state court sitting in the County of New York and hereby further irrevocably waives any claim that any such action or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company agrees that any final judgment after exhaustion of all appeals or the expiration of time to appeal in any such action or proceeding arising out of the sale of the Shares or this Agreement rendered by any such Federal court or state court shall be conclusive and may be enforced in any other jurisdiction by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall affect or limit the right of the Underwriters or any person controlling an Underwriter to serve any process or notice of motion or other application in any other manner permitted by law or limit or affect the right of the Underwriters or any person controlling an Underwriter to bring any action or proceeding against the Company or any of its properties in the courts of any other jurisdiction. The Company further agrees to take any and all action, including the execution and filing of all such instruments and documents, as may be necessary to continue such designations and appointments or such substitute designations and appointments in full force and effect. The Company hereby agrees with the Underwriters to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with any action or proceeding arising from the sale of the Shares or this Agreement brought by the Company, the Underwriters or any person controlling an Underwriter. The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
9.7 Execution in Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by facsimile or email/pdf transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
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9.8 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.
[Signature Page Follows]
| 44 |
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between us.
|
Very truly yours, | ||
| EPWK Holdings Ltd. | ||
| By: | /s/ Guohua Huang | |
| Name: Guohua Huang | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
Confirmed as of the date first written above mentioned, on behalf of itself and as Representative of the several Underwriters named on Schedule 1 hereto:
| Cathay Securities, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Xiaoyu Li | |
| Name: | Xiaoyu Li | |
| Title: | CEO | |
| 45 |
SCHEDULE 1
| Underwriter | Total Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased | |||
| Cathay Securities, Inc. | 1,375,000 | |||
| Revere Securities LLC | 1,375,000 | |||
| TOTAL | 2,750,000 | |||
SCHEDULE 2-A
Pricing Information
Number of Firm Shares: 2,750,000
Number of Option Shares: 412,500
Public Offering Price per Firm Share: $4.10
Public Offering Price per Option Share: $4.10
Underwriting Discount per Firm Share: $0.328
Underwriting Discount per Option Share: $0.328
Non-accountable Expense Allowance per Firm Share: $0.041
Non-accountable Expense Allowance per Option Share: $0.041
SCHEDULE 2-B
Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses
None
SCHEDULE 2-C
Written Testing-the-Waters Communications
None
SCHEDULE 3
Lock-Up Parties
Guohua Huang
Shuangquan Lin
Conghui Lin
Mei Feng
Ling Ruan
Yanjun Chen
Qingyun Yang
Li Yang
Xing Gao
HGH Holdings Limited
HZN Holdings Limited
YPHL Holdings Limited
JMCT Investment Limited
Xiamen Xinglin Construction and Development Co, Ltd.
ZHYP Holdings Limited
EPWK Holdings Limited
EXHIBIT A
Representative’s Warrants
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 DAYS FOLLOWING THE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF SALES OF THE OFFERINGS TO ANYONE OTHER THAN (I) CATHAY SECURITIES, INC. OR AN UNDERWRITER OR A SELECTED DEALER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING, OR (II) A BONA FIDE OFFICER OR PARTNER OF CATHAY SECURITIES, INC. OR OF ANY SUCH UNDERWRITER OR SELECTED DEALER.
THIS PURCHASE WARRANT IS NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO [________________] [DATE THAT IS SIX MONTHS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF SALES OF THE OFFERING]. VOID AFTER 5:00 P.M., EASTERN TIME, [___________________] [DATE THAT IS THREE YEARS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF SALES OF THE OFFERING].
ORDINARY SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT
For the Purchase of [●] Class A Ordinary Shares
of
EPWK HOLDINGS LTD.
1. Purchase Warrant. THIS CERTIFIES THAT, in consideration of funds duly paid by or on behalf of [●] (“Holder”), as registered owner of this Purchase Warrant, EPWK Holdings Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), Holder is entitled, at any time or from time to time from [●], [DATE THAT IS SIX MONTHS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF SALES OF THE OFFERING] (the “Commencement Date”), and at or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, [●], [DATE THAT IS THREE YEARS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF SALES OF THE OFFERING] (the “Expiration Date”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for, purchase and receive, in whole or in part, up to [●] Class A ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), subject to adjustment as provided in Section 6 hereof. If the Expiration Date is a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to close, then this Purchase Warrant may be exercised on the next succeeding day which is not such a day in accordance with the terms herein. During the period ending on the Expiration Date, the Company agrees not to take any action that would terminate this Purchase Warrant. This Purchase Warrant is initially exercisable at $[●] per Share; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 6 hereof, the rights granted by this Purchase Warrant, including the exercise price per Share and the number of Shares to be received upon such exercise, shall be adjusted as therein specified. The term “Exercise Price” shall mean the initial exercise price or the adjusted exercise price, depending on the context. The term “Effective Date” shall mean [●], 2024, the date on which the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. [●]) of the Company was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”).
2. Exercise.
2.1 Exercise Form. In order to exercise this Purchase Warrant, the exercise form attached hereto must be duly executed and completed and delivered to the Company, together with this Purchase Warrant and payment of the Exercise Price for the Shares being purchased payable in cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company or by certified check or official bank check. If the subscription rights represented hereby shall not be exercised at or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Expiration Date, this Purchase Warrant shall become and be void without further force or effect, and all rights represented hereby shall cease and expire.
2.2 Cashless Exercise. If at any time after the Commencement Date there is no effective registration statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the resale of the Shares by the Holder, then in lieu of exercising this Purchase Warrant by payment of cash or check payable to the order of the Company pursuant to Section 2.1 above, Holder may elect to receive the number of Shares equal to the value of this Purchase Warrant (or the portion thereof being exercised), by surrender of this Purchase Warrant to the Company, together with the exercise form attached hereto, in which event the Company shall issue to Holder, Shares in accordance with the following formula:
| X | = | Y(A-B) | |
| A |
| Where, | |||
| X | = | The number of Shares to be issued to Holder; | |
| Y | = | The number of Shares for which the Purchase Warrant is being exercised; | |
| A | = | The fair market value of one Share; and | |
| B | = | The Exercise Price. |
For purposes of this Section 2.2, the fair market value of a Share is defined as follows:
| (i) | if the Company’s Class A ordinary share is traded on a securities exchange, the value shall be deemed to be the closing price on such exchange prior to the exercise form being submitted in connection with the exercise of the Purchase Warrant; or |
| (ii) | if the Company’s Class A ordinary share is actively traded over-the-counter, the value shall be deemed to be the closing bid price prior to the exercise form being submitted in connection with the exercise of the Purchase Warrant; if there is no active public market, the value shall be the fair market value thereof, as determined in good faith by the Company’s Board of Directors. |
2.3 Legend. Each certificate for the securities purchased under this Purchase Warrant shall bear a legend as follows unless such securities have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”):
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR APPLICABLE STATE LAW. NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE LAW WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY, IS AVAILABLE.”
3. Transfer.
3.1 General Restrictions. The registered Holder of this Purchase Warrant agrees by his, her or its acceptance hereof, that such Holder will not: (a) sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate this Purchase Warrant or the securities issuable hereunder for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of commencement of sales of the Offering to anyone other than: (i) Cathay Securities, Inc. (“Cathay Securities, Inc.”) or an underwriter or a selected dealer participating in the Offering, or (ii) a bona fide officer or partner of Cathay Securities, Inc. or of any such underwriter or selected dealer, in each case in accordance with FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(e)(1), or (b) for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of commencement of sales of the Offering, cause this Purchase Warrant or the securities issuable hereunder to be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of this Purchase Warrant or the securities hereunder, except as provided for in FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). On and after one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of commencement of sales of the Offering, transfers to others may be made subject to compliance with or exemptions from applicable securities laws. In order to make any permitted assignment, the Holder must deliver to the Company the assignment form attached hereto duly executed and completed, together with the Purchase Warrant and payment of all transfer taxes, if any, payable in connection therewith. The Company shall within five (5) business days transfer this Purchase Warrant on the books of the Company and shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Warrant or Purchase Warrants of like tenor to the appropriate assignee(s) expressly evidencing the right to purchase the aggregate number of Shares purchasable hereunder or such portion of such number as shall be contemplated by any such assignment.
3.2 Restrictions Imposed by the Securities Act. The securities evidenced by this Purchase Warrant shall not be transferred unless and until: (i) the Company has received the opinion of counsel for the Holder that the securities may be transferred pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, the availability of which is established to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company (the Company hereby agreeing that the opinion of Winston & Strawn LLP shall be deemed satisfactory evidence of the availability of an exemption), or (ii) a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement relating to the offer and sale of such securities has been filed by the Company and declared effective by the Commission and compliance with applicable state securities law has been established.
4. Registration Rights.
4.1 Demand Registration.
4.1.1 Grant of Right. The Company, upon written demand (a “Demand Notice”) of the Holders of at least 51% of the Purchase Warrants and/or the underlying Shares, agrees to register, on one (1) occasion, all or any portion of the Shares underlying the Purchase Warrants (collectively, the “Registrable Securities”). On such occasion, the Company will file a registration statement with the Commission covering the Registrable Securities within sixty (60) days after receipt of a Demand Notice and use its reasonable best efforts to have the registration statement declared effective promptly thereafter, subject to compliance with review by the Commission; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to comply with a Demand Notice if the Company has filed a registration statement with respect to which the Holder is entitled to piggyback registration rights pursuant to Section 4.2 hereof and either: (i) the Holder has elected to participate in the offering covered by such registration statement or (ii) if such registration statement relates to an underwritten primary offering of securities of the Company, until the offering covered by such registration statement has been withdrawn or until thirty (30) days after such offering is consummated. The Company covenants and agrees to give written notice of its receipt of any Demand Notice by any Holders to all other registered Holders of the Purchase Warrants and/or the Registrable Securities within ten (10) days after the date of the receipt of any such Demand Notice.
4.1.2 Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to the registration of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 4.1.1, but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions and the expenses of any legal counsel selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Registrable Securities. The Company agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to cause the filing required herein to become effective promptly and to qualify or register the Registrable Securities in such states as are reasonably requested by the Holders; 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 register or license to do business in such State or submit to general service of process in such State, or (ii) the principal stockholders of the Company to be obligated to escrow their shares of capital stock of the Company. The Company shall cause any registration statement filed pursuant to the demand right granted under Section 4.1.1 to remain effective for a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months after the date that the Holders of the Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement are first given the opportunity to sell all of such securities. The Holders shall only use the prospectuses provided by the Company to sell the shares covered by such registration statement, and will immediately cease to use any prospectus furnished by the Company if the Company advises the Holder that such prospectus may no longer be used due to a material misstatement or omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4.1.2, the Holder shall be entitled to a demand registration under this Section 4.1.2 on only one (1) occasion and such demand registration right shall terminate on the fifth anniversary of the date of commencement of sales of the Offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(C).
4.2 “Piggy-Back” Registration.
4.2.1 Grant of Right. In addition to the demand right of registration described in Section 4.1 hereof, the Holder shall have the right, for a period of no more than seven (7) years from the date of commencement of sales of the Offering in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(D), to include the Registrable Securities as part of any other registration of securities filed by the Company (other than in connection with a transaction contemplated by Rule 145(a) promulgated under the Securities Act or pursuant to Form S-8 or Form S-4 or any equivalent form); provided, however, that if, solely in connection with any primary underwritten public offering for the account of the Company, the managing underwriter(s) thereof shall, in its reasonable discretion, impose a limitation on the number of Class A ordinary shares which may be included in the Registration Statement because, in such underwriter(s)’ judgment, marketing or other factors dictate such limitation is necessary to facilitate public distribution, then the Company shall be obligated to include in such Registration Statement only such limited portion of the Registrable Securities with respect to which the Holder requested inclusion hereunder as the underwriter shall reasonably permit. Any exclusion of Registrable Securities shall be made pro rata among the Holders seeking to include Registrable Securities in proportion to the number of Registrable Securities sought to be included by such Holders; provided, however, that the Company shall not exclude any Registrable Securities unless the Company has first excluded all outstanding securities, the holders of which are not entitled to inclusion of such securities in such Registration Statement or are not entitled to pro rata inclusion with the Registrable Securities.
4.2.2 Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 4.2.1 hereof, but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions and the expenses of any legal counsel selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Registrable Securities. In the event of such a proposed registration, the Company shall furnish the then Holders of outstanding Registrable Securities with not less than thirty (30) 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 registration statement filed by the Company until such time as all of the Registrable Securities have been sold by the Holder. The holders of the Registrable Securities shall exercise the “piggy-back” rights provided for herein by giving written notice within ten (10) days of the receipt of the Company’s notice of its intention to file a registration statement. Except as otherwise provided in this Purchase Warrant, there shall be no limit on the number of times the Holder may request registration under this Section 4.2.2; provided, however, that such registration rights shall terminate on the fifth anniversary of the Commencement Date.
4.3 General Terms.
4.3.1 Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify the Holders 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 Securities 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 any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from such registration statement but only to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions pursuant to which the Company has agreed to indemnify the Underwriters contained in Section 5.1 of the Underwriting Agreement between the Underwriters and the Company, dated as of [●], 2024. The Holders 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, 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 Securities 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 to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions contained in Section 5.2 of the Underwriting Agreement pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to indemnify the Company.
4.3.2 Exercise of Purchase Warrants. Nothing contained in this Purchase Warrant shall be construed as requiring the Holders to exercise their Purchase Warrants prior to or after the initial filing of any registration statement or the effectiveness thereof.
4.3.3 Documents Delivered to Holders. The Company shall furnish to each Holder participating in any of the foregoing offerings and to each underwriter of any such offering, if any, a signed counterpart, addressed to such Holder or underwriter, of: (i) an opinion of counsel to the Company, dated the Effective Date of such registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, an opinion dated the date of the closing under any underwriting agreement related thereto), and (ii) a “cold comfort” letter dated the Effective Date of such registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, a letter dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement) signed by the independent registered public accounting firm which has 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. The Company shall also deliver promptly to each Holder participating in the offering requesting the correspondence and memoranda described below and to the managing underwriter, if any, copies of all correspondence between the Commission and the Company, its counsel or the Auditor and all memoranda relating to discussions with the Commission or its staff with respect to the registration statement and permit each Holder and underwriter to do such investigation, upon reasonable advance notice, with respect to information contained in or omitted from the registration statement as it deems reasonably necessary to comply with applicable securities laws or rules of FINRA. Such investigation shall include access to books, records and properties and opportunities to discuss the business of the Company with its officers and the Auditor, all to such reasonable extent and at such reasonable times as any such Holder shall reasonably request.
4.3.4 Underwriting Agreement. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with the managing underwriter(s), if any, selected by any Holders whose Registrable Securities are being registered pursuant to this Section 4, which managing underwriter shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company. Such agreement shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Company, each Holder and such managing underwriters, and shall contain such representations, warranties and covenants by the Company and such other terms as are customarily contained in agreements of that type used by the managing underwriter. The Holders shall be parties to any underwriting agreement relating to an underwritten sale of their Registrable Securities and may, at their option, require that any or all the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company to or for the benefit of such underwriters shall also be made to and for the benefit of such Holders. Such Holders shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters except as they may relate to such Holders, their Shares and their intended methods of distribution.
4.3.5 Documents to be Delivered by Holders. Each of the Holders participating in any of the foregoing offerings shall furnish to the Company a completed and executed questionnaire provided by the Company requesting information customarily sought of selling security holders.
4.3.6 Damages. Should the registration or the effectiveness thereof required by Sections 4.1 and 4.2 hereof be delayed by the Company or the Company otherwise fails to comply with such provisions, the Holders shall, in addition to any other legal or other relief available to the Holders, be entitled to obtain specific performance or other equitable (including injunctive) relief against the threatened breach of such provisions or the continuation of any such breach, without the necessity of proving actual damages and without the necessity of posting bond or other security.
4.4 Termination of Registration Rights. The registration rights afforded to the Holders under this Section 4 shall terminate on the earliest date when all Registrable Securities of such Holder either: (i) have been publicly sold by such Holder pursuant to a Registration Statement, (ii) have been covered by an effective Registration Statement on Form F-1 or Form F-3 (or successor form), which may be kept effective as an evergreen Registration Statement, or (iii) may be sold by the Holder within a 90 day period without registration pursuant to Rule 144 or consistent with applicable Commission interpretive guidance (including CD&I no. 201.04 (April 2, 2007) or similar interpretive guidance).
5. New Purchase Warrants to be Issued.
5.1 Partial Exercise or Transfer. Subject to the restrictions in Section 3 hereof, this Purchase Warrant may be exercised or assigned in whole or in part. In the event of the exercise or assignment hereof in part only, upon surrender of this Purchase Warrant for cancellation, together with the duly executed exercise or assignment form and funds sufficient to pay any Exercise Price and/or transfer tax if exercised pursuant to Section 2.1 hereto, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Holder without charge a new Purchase Warrant of like tenor to this Purchase Warrant in the name of the Holder evidencing the right of the Holder to purchase the number of Shares purchasable hereunder as to which this Purchase Warrant has not been exercised or assigned.
5.2 Lost Certificate. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Purchase Warrant and of reasonably satisfactory indemnification or the posting of a bond, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Warrant of like tenor and date. Any such new Purchase Warrant executed and delivered as a result of such loss, theft, mutilation or destruction shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation on the part of the Company.
6. Adjustments.
6.1 Adjustments to Exercise Price and Number of Securities. The Exercise Price and the number of Shares underlying the Purchase Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as hereinafter set forth:
6.1.1 Share Dividends; Split Ups. If, after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Shares is increased by a stock dividend payable in Shares or by a split up of Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective day thereof, the number of Shares purchasable hereunder shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding Shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately decreased.
6.1.2 Aggregation of Shares. If, after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination or reclassification of Shares or other similar event, then, on the Effective Date thereof, the number of Shares purchasable hereunder shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately increased.
6.1.3 Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Shares other than a change covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Shares, or in the case of any share reconstruction or amalgamation or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Holder of this Purchase Warrant shall have the right thereafter (until the expiration of the right of exercise of this Purchase Warrant) to receive upon the exercise hereof, for the same aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder immediately prior to such event, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, share reconstruction or amalgamation, or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, by a Holder of the number of Shares of the Company obtainable upon exercise of this Purchase Warrant immediately prior to such event; and if any reclassification also results in a change in Shares covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and this Section 6.1.3. The provisions of this Section 6.1.3 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, share reconstructions or amalgamations, or consolidations, sales or other transfers.
6.1.4 Changes in Form of Purchase Warrant. This form of Purchase Warrant need not be changed because of any change pursuant to this Section 6.1, and Purchase Warrants issued after such change may state the same Exercise Price and the same number of Shares as are stated in the Purchase Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement. The acceptance by any Holder of the issuance of new Purchase Warrants reflecting a required or permissive change shall not be deemed to waive any rights to an adjustment occurring after the Commencement Date or the computation thereof.
6.2 Substitute Purchase Warrant. In case of any consolidation of the Company with, or share reconstruction or amalgamation of the Company with or into, another corporation (other than a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation which does not result in any reclassification or change of the outstanding Shares), the corporation formed by such consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation shall execute and deliver to the Holder a supplemental Purchase Warrant providing that the holder of each Purchase Warrant then outstanding or to be outstanding shall have the right thereafter (until the stated expiration of such Purchase Warrant) to receive, upon exercise of such Purchase Warrant, the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities and property receivable upon such consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation, by a holder of the number of Shares for which such Purchase Warrant might have been exercised immediately prior to such consolidation, share reconstruction or amalgamation, sale or transfer. Such supplemental Purchase Warrant shall provide for adjustments which shall be identical to the adjustments provided for in this Section 6. The above provision of this Section shall similarly apply to successive consolidations or share reconstructions or amalgamations.
6.3 Elimination of Fractional Interests. The Company shall not be required to issue certificates representing fractions of Shares upon the exercise of the Purchase Warrant, nor shall it be required to issue scrip or pay cash in lieu of any fractional interests, it being the intent of the parties that all fractional interests shall be eliminated by rounding any fraction up or down, as the case may be, to the nearest whole number of Shares or other securities, properties or rights.
7. Reservation and Listing. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized Shares, solely for the purpose of issuance upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants, such number of Shares or other securities, properties or rights as shall be issuable upon the exercise thereof. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants and payment of the Exercise Price therefor, in accordance with the terms hereby, all Shares and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any stockholder.
8. Certain Notice Requirements.
8.1 Holder’s Right to Receive Notice. Nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon the Holders the right to vote or consent or to receive notice as a stockholder for the election of directors or any other matter, or as having any rights whatsoever as a stockholder of the Company. If, however, at any time prior to the expiration of the Purchase Warrants and their exercise, any of the events described in Section 8.2 shall occur, then, in one or more of said events, the Company shall give written notice of such event at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date fixed as a record date or the date of closing the transfer books for the determination of the stockholders entitled to such dividend, distribution, conversion or exchange of securities or subscription rights, or entitled to vote on such proposed dissolution, liquidation, winding up or sale. Such notice shall specify such record date or the date of the closing of the transfer books, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall deliver to each Holder a copy of each notice given to the other stockholders of the Company at the same time and in the same manner that such notice is given to the stockholders.
8.2 Events Requiring Notice. The Company shall be required to give the notice described in this Section 8 upon one or more of the following events: (i) if the Company shall take a record of the holders of its Shares for the purpose of entitling them to receive a dividend or distribution payable otherwise than in cash, or a cash dividend or distribution payable otherwise than out of retained earnings, as indicated by the accounting treatment of such dividend or distribution on the books of the Company; (ii) the Company shall offer to all the holders of its Shares any additional shares of capital stock of the Company or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, or any option, right or warrant to subscribe therefor; or (iii) a dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company (other than in connection with a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation) or a sale of all or substantially all of its property, assets and business shall be proposed.
8.3 Notice of Change in Exercise Price. The Company shall, promptly after an event requiring a change in the Exercise Price pursuant to Section 6 hereof, send notice to the Holders of such event and change (“Price Notice”). The Price Notice shall describe the event causing the change and the method of calculating same and shall be certified as being true and accurate by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.
8.4 Transmittal of Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications under this Purchase Warrant shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly made when hand delivered or mailed by express mail or private courier service: (i) if to the registered Holder of the Purchase Warrant, to the address of such Holder as shown on the books of the Company, or (ii) if to the Company, to following address or to such other address as the Company may designate by notice to the Holders:
If to the Holder:
Cathay Securities, Inc.
40 Wall St, Suite 3600
New York, New York 10005
Attn: Mr. Xiaoyu Li, Chief Executive Officer
Email: shell.li@cathaysecurities.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Winston & Strawn LLP
800 Capitol Street
Suite 2400
Houston, TX 77002-2925
Attn: Michael J. Blankenship
Email: Mblankenship@winston.com
If to the Company:
EPWK Holdings Ltd.
Building #2, District A, No. 359 Chengyi Rd.,
The third phase of Xiamen Software Park
Xiamen City, Fujian Province
The People’s Republic of China, 361021
Attention: Guohua Huang
Tel: 0086-18805075999
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
VCL Law LLP
1945 Old Gallows Road, Suite 630
Vienna, VA 22182
Attention: Fang Liu, Esq.
Tel: +1 (703) 919-7285
9. Miscellaneous.
9.1 Amendments. The Company and Cathay Securities, Inc. may from time to time supplement or amend this Purchase Warrant without the approval of any of the Holders in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder that the Company and Cathay Securities, Inc. may deem necessary or desirable and that the Company and Cathay Securities, Inc. deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent of and be signed by the party against whom enforcement of the modification or amendment is sought.
9.2 Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Purchase Warrant.
9.3 Entire Agreement. This Purchase Warrant (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Purchase Warrant) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
9.4 Binding Effect. This Purchase Warrant shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon, the Holder and the Company and their permitted assignees, respective successors, legal representative 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 Purchase Warrant or any provisions herein contained.
9.5 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury. This Purchase Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Purchase Warrant shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 8 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company and the Holder agree that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and the Holder hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
9.6 Waiver, etc. The failure of the Company or the Holder to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Purchase Warrant shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Purchase Warrant or any provision hereof or the right of the Company or any Holder to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Purchase Warrant. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Purchase Warrant 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.
9.7 Execution in Counterparts. This Purchase Warrant may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Such counterparts may be delivered by facsimile transmission or other electronic transmission.
9.8 Exchange Agreement. As a condition of the Holder’s receipt and acceptance of this Purchase Warrant, Holder agrees that, at any time prior to the complete exercise of this Purchase Warrant by Holder, if the Company and Cathay Securities, Inc. enter into an agreement (“Exchange Agreement”) pursuant to which they agree that all outstanding Purchase Warrants will be exchanged for securities or cash or a combination of both, then Holder shall agree to such exchange and become a party to the Exchange Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Purchase Warrant to be signed by its duly authorized officer as of the [●] day of [●], 2025.
| EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Form to be used to exercise Purchase Warrant]
Date: [●], 2025
The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to exercise the Purchase Warrant for [●]Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), of EPWK Holdings Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and hereby makes payment of $[●] (at the rate of $[●] per Share) in payment of the Exercise Price pursuant thereto. Please issue the Shares as to which this Purchase Warrant is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below and, if applicable, a new Purchase Warrant representing the number of Shares for which this Purchase Warrant has not been exercised.
or
The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to convert its right to purchase [●] Shares of the Company under the Purchase Warrant for [●] Shares, as determined in accordance with the following formula:
| X | = | Y(A-B) | ||
| A |
| Where, | |||
| X | = | The number of Shares to be issued to Holder; | |
| Y | = | The number of Shares for which the Purchase Warrant is being exercised; | |
| A | = | The fair market value of one Share which is equal to $[●]; and | |
| B | = | The Exercise Price which is equal to $[●] per share |
The undersigned agrees and acknowledges that the calculation set forth above is subject to confirmation by the Company and any disagreement with respect to the calculation shall be resolved by the Company in its sole discretion.
Please issue the Shares as to which this Purchase Warrant is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below and, if applicable, a new Purchase Warrant representing the number of Shares for which this Purchase Warrant has not been converted.
Signature________________________________________
Signature Guaranteed________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES
| Name: | ||
| (Print in Block Letters) |
| Address: | ||
NOTICE: The signature to this form must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Purchase Warrant without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank, other than a savings bank, or by a trust company or by a firm having membership on a registered national securities exchange.
[Form to be used to assign Purchase Warrant]
ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered Holder to effect a transfer of the within Purchase Warrant):
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, [ ● ] does hereby sell, assign and transfer unto the right to purchase Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of EPWK Holdings Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), evidenced by the Purchase Warrant and does hereby authorize the Company to transfer such right on the books of the Company.
Dated: [●], 2025
Signature ______________________________________
Signature Guaranteed ______________________________________
NOTICE: The signature to this form must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within Purchase Warrant without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank, other than a savings bank, or by a trust company or by a firm having membership on a registered national securities exchange.
EXHIBIT B
Lock-Up Agreement
February 5, 2025
Cathay Securities, Inc.
40 Wall St, Suite 3600
New York, NY 10005
As Representative of the several Underwriters
named on Schedule 1 attached to the Underwriting Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As an inducement to the underwriters, for which Cathay Securities, Inc. is acting as representative (the “Representative”), to execute an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) providing for a public offering (the “Offering”) of Class A ordinary shares (the “Class A Shares”), of EPWK Holdings Ltd. and any successor (by merger or otherwise) thereto (the “Company”), the undersigned hereby agrees that without, in each case, the prior written consent of the Representative during the period specified in the second succeeding paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not: (1) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Class A Shares or any securities convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive Class A Shares (including Class A Shares which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option) whether now owned or hereafter acquired (the “Undersigned’s Securities”); (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Undersigned’s Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) above is to be settled by delivery of Class A Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Class A Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Shares; or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing.
The undersigned agrees that the foregoing restrictions preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Securities even if such Securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Securities or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Undersigned’s Securities.
The Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Agreement and continue until and include the date that 180 days after the commencement of sales of the Offering.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) 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 Class A Shares, the Representative will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by issuing a 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 both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration, and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter that are applicable to the transferor, to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Securities (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, (iii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity (1) transfers to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned or (2) distributions of Class A Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable for Class A Shares to limited partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned, (iv) if the undersigned is a trust, transfers to the beneficiary of such trust, (v) by testate succession or intestate succession or (vi) pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; provided, in the case of clauses (i)-(v), that (x) such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (y) the transferee agrees in writing with the Representative to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement, and (z) no filing by any party under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer. Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Securities in a transaction not involving a public offering or public resale; provided that (x) the transferee agrees in writing with the Representative to be bound by the terms of this Agreement, and (y) no filing by any party under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer. For purposes of this Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, nor more remote than first cousin.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Class A Shares if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and that upon request, the undersigned will execute any additional documents necessary to ensure the validity or enforcement of this Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Agreement if (i) the Company notifies the Representative that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, 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 Class A Shares to be sold thereunder, or (iii) the Offering is not completed by December 31, 2025.
The undersigned understands that the underwriters named in the Underwriting Agreement are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Offering in reliance upon this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| Printed Name of Holder | ||
| By: | ||
| Signature | ||
| Printed Name of Person Signing | ||
| (and indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian, trustee, or on behalf of an entity) | ||
Exhibit 99.1
EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering
Xiamen, China, February 6, 2025 (/PRNewswire) – EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. (the “Company”) (NasdaqGM: EPWK), a company that connects businesses with great talents through innovative and efficient cloud-sourcing platforms, announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 2,750,000 Class A ordinary shares at a public offering price of $4.10 per share. The Class A ordinary shares start trading on Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “EPWK” on February 6, 2025.
The Company will receive aggregate gross proceeds of $11.275 million from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable within 30 days after the closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 412,500 Class A ordinary shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis.
Proceeds from the Offering will be used for business development and marketing, research and development, exploration of new product and service offerings and the creation of an online global design center, and general corporate purposes and working capital.
Cathay Securities, Inc. acted as the representative of the underwriters, with Revere Securities LLC acting as co-underwriter (collectively, the “Underwriters”) for the Offering. VCL Law LLP served as counsel to the Company. Winston & Strawn LLP served as counsel to the Underwriters.
The Offering was conducted pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-269657) (the “Registration Statement”), previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 3, 2025. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the Registration Statement. A final prospectus relating to the Offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, electronic copies of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from Cathay Securities, Inc. at 40 Wall Street, Suite 3600, New York, NY 10005, or by telephone at +1 (855) 939-3888.
This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About EPWK HOLDINGS LTD.
The Company connects businesses with outstanding talent through an innovative and efficient integrated crowdsourcing platform, providing creative transaction services for small and medium-sized enterprises and suppliers. The Company was founded by Huang Guohua, former chief reporter of Fujian Daily Press Group, and conducts its operations through its subsidiaries and contractual arrangements with the variable interest entity in China. For more information, please visit the Company's website: www.epwk.com
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.
For more information, please contact:
Investor Relations
EPWK HOLDINGS LTD.
Phone: +86 0592-5978725
Email: chenyanjun@epwk.com
Exhibit 99.2
EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering
Xiamen, China, February 7, 2025 (/PRNewswire) – EPWK HOLDINGS LTD. (the “Company”) (NasdaqGM: EPWK), a company that connects businesses with great talents through innovative and efficient cloud-sourcing platforms, today announced the closing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 2,750,000 Class A ordinary shares at a public offering price of $4.10 per share. The Class A ordinary shares commenced trading on Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “EPWK” on February 6, 2025.
The Company received aggregate gross proceeds of $11.275 million from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable within 30 days after the closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 412,500 Class A ordinary shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis.
Proceeds from the Offering will be used for business development and marketing, research and development, exploration of new product and service offerings and the creation of an online global design center, and general corporate purposes and working capital.
Cathay Securities, Inc. acted as the representative of the underwriters, with Revere Securities LLC acting as co-underwriter (collectively, the “Underwriters”) for the Offering. VCL Law LLP served as counsel to the Company. Winston & Strawn LLP served as counsel to the Underwriters.
The Offering was conducted pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-269657) (the “Registration Statement”), previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 3, 2025. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the Registration Statement. A final prospectus relating to the Offering was filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, electronic copies of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from Cathay Securities, Inc. at 40 Wall Street, Suite 3600, New York, NY 10005, or by telephone at +1 (855) 939-3888.
This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About EPWK HOLDINGS LTD.
The Company connects businesses with outstanding talent through an innovative and efficient integrated crowdsourcing platform, providing creative transaction services for small and medium-sized enterprises and suppliers. The Company was founded by Huang Guohua, former chief reporter of Fujian Daily Press Group, and conducts its operations through its subsidiaries and contractual arrangements with the variable interest entity in China. For more information, please visit the Company's website: www.epwk.com
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.
For more information, please contact:
Investor Relations
EPWK HOLDINGS LTD.
Phone: +86 0592-5978725
Email: chenyanjun@epwk.com