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☒ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
☐ | Definitive Additional Materials |
☐ | Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12 |
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May 9, 2025 | ||
Gregory W. Haskell Chief Executive Officer and Director |
Date and Time: | June 25, 2025 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time | |
Record Date: | April 28, 2025 | You may vote if you were a stockholder at the close of business on April 28, 2025. A list of stockholders as of the close of business on the Record Date will be available for examination by stockholders during the Annual Meeting and for a period of 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting. If you would like to view the stockholder list in advance of the Annual Meeting, please contact us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment and make arrangements. |
Place: | www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ INV2025 | |
Proxy Mail Date: | May 9, 2025 |
Internet www.proxyvote.com | Mail mark, sign, date & return your proxy card | |
Phone 1-800-690-6903 | Live at the virtual Annual Meeting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/INV2025 |
By order of the Board of Directors, | ||
Suzanne Niemeyer General Counsel |
Page | |
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING ....................................................... | |
PROPOSAL ONE—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS ........................................................................................................... | |
Board Recommendation ............................................................................................................................................... | |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ......................................................................................................................................... | |
Our Board of Directors ................................................................................................................................................. | |
Our Executive Officers ................................................................................................................................................. | |
Governance Overview .................................................................................................................................................. | |
Board Composition ...................................................................................................................................................... | |
Director Independence ................................................................................................................................................. | |
Director Nominations ................................................................................................................................................... | |
Board Leadership Structure .......................................................................................................................................... | |
Board’s Role in Risk Oversight ................................................................................................................................... | |
Board Committees ........................................................................................................................................................ | |
Executive Sessions ....................................................................................................................................................... | |
Director Meeting Attendance ....................................................................................................................................... | |
Stockholder Communications with the Board .............................................................................................................. | |
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics .......................................................................................................................... | |
Corporate Governance Guidelines ............................................................................................................................... | |
Compensation Clawback Policy ................................................................................................................................... | |
Insider Trading and Anti-Hedging Policies and Procedures ........................................................................................ | |
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS .................................................................. | |
Transactions with AeroFlexx, Accelsius, Innventus ESG Fund I, L.P., and Innventure1, LLC .................................. | |
AeroFlexx ..................................................................................................................................................................... | |
Accelsius ...................................................................................................................................................................... | |
Other Related Party Transactions ................................................................................................................................. | |
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Parties ..................................................................... | |
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers ....................................................... | |
Related Party Transaction Policy ................................................................................................................................. | |
FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 21, 2025 .......................................................................... | |
Board Recommendation ............................................................................................................................................... | |
Vote Required .............................................................................................................................................................. | |
Audit Matters ................................................................................................................................................................ | |
Change in Auditor ........................................................................................................................................................ | |
Report of the Audit Committee of the Board ............................................................................................................... | |
PROPOSAL THREE—SEPA SHARE ISSUANCE PROPOSAL ..................................................................................... | |
Background .................................................................................................................................................................. | |
Reasons for Seeking Stockholder Approval ................................................................................................................. | |
Page | |
Effect on Current Stockholders .................................................................................................................................... | |
Consequences of Non-Approval .................................................................................................................................. | |
Board Recommendation ............................................................................................................................................... | |
Vote Required .............................................................................................................................................................. | |
PROPOSAL FOUR—CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES SHARE ISSUANCE PROPOSAL .......................................... | |
Background .................................................................................................................................................................. | |
Reasons for Seeking Stockholder Approval ................................................................................................................. | |
Effect on Current Stockholders .................................................................................................................................... | |
Consequences of Non-Approval .................................................................................................................................. | |
Board Recommendation ............................................................................................................................................... | |
Vote Required .............................................................................................................................................................. | |
EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION ........................................................................................................ | |
2024 Business Combination ......................................................................................................................................... | |
2024 Summary Compensation Table ........................................................................................................................... | |
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2024 Fiscal Year-End ................................................................................................. | |
Additional Narrative Disclosure ................................................................................................................................... | |
Director Compensation ................................................................................................................................................ | |
2024 Director Compensation ....................................................................................................................................... | |
STOCK OWNERSHIP ........................................................................................................................................................ | |
Stock Ownership of Major Stockholders, Executive Officers and Directors ............................................................... | |
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans ...................................................................... | |
OTHER INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................................... | |
Proxy Materials ............................................................................................................................................................ | |
Delivery of Proxy Materials to Households ................................................................................................................. | |
Proposal 1: | Elect three Class I directors, Gregory W. Haskell, Daniel J. Hennessy and Michael Amalfitano, as recommended by the N&CG Committee, each being nominated to serve for a three-year term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders; |
Proposal 2: | Ratify the appointment of BDO USA, P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025; |
Proposal 3: | Approve the issuance of 20% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock as of October 2, 2024, pursuant to the SEPA with Yorkville; |
Proposal 4: | Approve issuance of 20% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock as of March 25, 2025, pursuant to the Convertible Debentures with Yorkville; and |
Proposal 5: | Transact any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. |
FOR | the election of the three nominees to serve as Class I directors on our Board of Directors, each for a three-year term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders; |
FOR | the ratification of the appointment of BDO USA, P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025; |
FOR | the issuance of 20% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock as of October 2, 2024, pursuant to the SEPA with Yorkville; and |
FOR | the issuance of 20% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock as of March 25, 2025, pursuant to the Convertible Debentures with Yorkville. |
Committee Assignments | |||||||||||||||||
Donnally | Brown | Williams | Hennessy | Amalfitano | Haskell* | Yablunosky* | Otworth* | Niemeyer* | |||||||||
Audit ........................ | C | X | X | ||||||||||||||
Compensation ......... | X | C | X | ||||||||||||||
Nominating & Corporate Governance ........ | X | X | C | ||||||||||||||
Audit Committee | |
Chair: | James O. Donnally |
Members: | Elizabeth Williams and Dan Hennessy |
Meetings Held in 2024: | 2 |
Committee Description and Responsibilities: | |
The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its legal and fiduciary obligations to oversee various matters involving the Company’s accounting and financial reporting process, auditing functions, financial policies, and legal and regulatory compliance functions. The Audit Committee is responsible for approving the services performed by our independent registered public accounting firm and reviewing their reports regarding our accounting practices and systems of internal accounting controls. The Audit Committee is also responsible for overseeing the audit efforts of our independent registered public accounting firm and taking action as it deems necessary to establish that the independent registered public accounting firm is independent of management. Other responsibilities of the Audit Committee include the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Company’s financial statements, determining the appropriateness of the accounting and reporting polices used by the Company, and oversight of the Company’s guidelines and policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management. | |
The Board has determined that the members of the Audit Committee meet the requirements for independence of Audit Committee members under applicable SEC rules and Nasdaq Listing Rules. All of the members of our Audit Committee also meet the requirements for financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq. In addition, each of Mr. Donnally, Mr. Hennessy and Ms. Williams qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K. | |
Compensation Committee | |
Chair: | Bruce Brown |
Members: | James O. Donnally and Dan Hennessy |
Meetings Held in 2024: | 1 |
Committee Description and Responsibilities: | |
The Compensation Committee is responsible for determining our general compensation policies and the compensation provided to our officers. The Compensation Committee’s other responsibilities include annually reviewing and making recommendations to our Board regarding director compensation, reviewing and administering equity and non-equity incentive compensation and other plans, reviewing and approving all grants, awards, and payouts under the Company’s equity and other-incentive based plans, and overseeing our corporate compensation programs. | |
The Board has determined that each member of our Compensation Committee is independent, as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, and also satisfies Nasdaq’s additional independence standards for compensation committee members. Other than Jim Donnally, each member of our Compensation Committee is a non-employee director (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act). | |
N&CG Committee | |
Chair: | Michael Amalfitano |
Members: | Bruce Brown and Elizabeth Williams |
Meetings Held in 2024: | 1 |
Committee Description and Responsibilities: | |
The N&CG Committee assists the Board in establishing corporate governance guidelines, overseeing the Board’s operations and effectiveness, and identifying, screening, and recommending to the Board qualified candidates to serve as directors of the Company. The N&CG Committee is responsible for making recommendations to our Board regarding candidates for directorships, the size and composition of the Board, and recommending an independent director to serve as a LID, if necessary. In addition, the N&CG Committee is responsible for periodically evaluating our corporate governance process, reporting and making recommendations to the Board concerning corporate governance matters, adopting a performance review process for formal evaluation of the Board and Board committees, and periodically reviewing and recommending to the Board changes to the documents and policies in the Company’s corporate governance framework. | |
The Board has determined that each member of our N&CG Committee is independent as defined under the Nasdaq Listing Rules. | |
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, | ||||
Company Name | 2024 | 2023 | ||
Accelsius ..................................................................................................................... | $126 | 160 | ||
AeroFlexx ................................................................................................................... | * | * | ||
ESG Fund ................................................................................................................... | * | * | ||
Refinity ....................................................................................................................... | $539 | * | ||
2024 | 2023 | |||
Audit Fees(1) ............................................................................................................... | $981,547 | $400,903 | ||
Audit-Related Fees .................................................................................................... | — | — | ||
Tax Fees ..................................................................................................................... | — | — | ||
All Other Fees(2) ......................................................................................................... | 108,387 | — | ||
Total Fees .................................................................................................................. | $1,089,934 | $400,903 |
Assumed Sale Price per Share | Maximum Shares of Common Stock Issuable Under the SEPA | |
$3.00 | 25,000,000 | |
$4.00 | 18,750,000 | |
$5.00 | 15,000,000 | |
$6.00 | 12,500,000 | |
$7.00 | 10,714,285 | |
$8.00 | 9,375,000 | |
$9.00 | 8,333,333 | |
$10.00 | 7,500,000 |
Assumed Conversion Price | Common Stock Issuable Upon Conversion of Convertible Debentures | |
$3.00 | 10,000,000 | |
$4.00 | 7,500,000 | |
$5.00 | 6,000,000 | |
$6.00 | 5,000,000 | |
$7.00 | 4,285,714 | |
$8.00 | 3,750,000 | |
$9.00 | 3,333,333 | |
$10.00 | 3,000,000 |
Name and Principal Position | Fiscal Year | Salary ($)(1) | Bonus ($)(2) | Stock Awards ($)(3) | Option Awards ($)(4) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) | All Other Compensation ($)(5) | Total ($) | ||||||||
Gregory W. (Bill) Haskell ....... | 2024 | 300,000 | 2,500,000 | — | — | — | 13,800 | 2,813,800 | ||||||||
Chief Executive Officer ................................. | 2023 | 300,000 | 180,000 | — | — | — | 12,000 | 492,000 | ||||||||
Mike Otworth .......................... | 2024 | 300,000 | — | 7,001,001 | 7,577,786 | — | — | 14,878,787 | ||||||||
Executive Chairman(6) ........................ | 2023 | 300,000 | 180,000 | — | — | — | — | 480,000 | ||||||||
Dr. John Scott .......................... | 2024 | 300,000 | — | 4,100,005 | 6,935,489 | — | — | 11,335,494 | ||||||||
Chief Strategy Officer(7) ............................ | 2023 | 300,000 | 180,000 | — | — | — | — | 480,000 |
NEO | 2024 Base Salary/ Service Fee Rate | |
Gregory Haskell ....................................................................................................... | $300,000 | |
Mike Otworth ........................................................................................................... | $300,000 | |
Dr. John Scott .......................................................................................................... | $300,000 |
2024 Bonus Goal | Weighting | Goal Achieved? (yes or no) |
Formation of a new (4th) operating company | 25% | Yes |
Complete the Business Combination with more than $20 million of net proceeds | 50% | Yes |
Meeting each of the following milestones (or a achieving a certain threshold share price): | ||
•Formation of a new (4th) operating company | 10% | Yes |
•$10 million of booked revenue for Accelsius | 10% | No |
•$15 million of GAAP revenue for AeroFlexx | 5% | No |
NEO | RSUs | Options* | ||
Gregory Haskell ......................................................................................................... | — | — | ||
Mike Otworth ............................................................................................................ | 537,705 | 262,295 | ||
Dr. John Scott ............................................................................................................ | 336,066 | 163,934 |
Name | Grant Date | Number of securities underlying the award | Exercise price of the award ($/Sh) | Grant date fair value of the award | Percentage change in the closing market price of the securities underlying the award between the trading day ending immediately prior to the disclosure of material nonpublic information and the trading day beginning immediately following the disclosure of material nonpublic information | |||||
Gregory Haskell, CEO .............................. | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
Mike Otworth, Executive Chairman ..... | 12/9/2024 | $ | ( | |||||||
Dr. John Scott, Chief Strategy Officer .. | 12/9/2024 | $ | ( |
Option Awards | Stock Awards | ||||||||||||||||
Name | Type of Award(1) | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($) | ||||||||||
Gregory W. (Bill) Haskell ............................. | Refinity Units | — | — | — | — | 109,000 | (4) | 0 | |||||||||
Mike Otworth ................. | INV Options | — | 262,295 | (2) | 12.20 | 12/9/2034 | |||||||||||
Refinity Units | 109,000 | (4) | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Accelsius SARs | — | 150,000 | (3) | 12.18 | 12/31/2026 | ||||||||||||
INV RSUs | 537,705 | (5) | 7,447,214 | ||||||||||||||
Accelsius Units | 75,000 | (6) | 3,147,750 | (7) | |||||||||||||
Dr. John Scott ................. | INV Options | — | 163,934 | (2) | 12.20 | 12/9/2034 | |||||||||||
Refinity Units | 109,000 | (4) | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Accelsius SARs | — | 150,000 | (3) | 12.18 | 12/31/2026 | ||||||||||||
INV RSUs | 336,066 | (5) | 4,654,514 | ||||||||||||||
Accelsius Units | — | — | — | — | 9,375 | (8) | 434,813 | (7) | |||||||||
Name | Fees earned or paid in cash ($) | Stock awards ($)(1) | Option awards ($)(2) | Total ($) | ||||
James Donnally ......... | 27,500 | 89,999 | 782,000 | 899,499 | ||||
Bruce Brown ............. | 27,500 | 89,999 | — | 117,499 | ||||
Elizabeth Williams ... | 25,000 | 89,999 | — | 114,999 | ||||
Daniel Hennessy ........ | 25,000 | 89,999 | — | 114,999 | ||||
Michael Amalfitano .. | 25,000 | 89,999 | — | 114,999 |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership | Percentage of Outstanding Shares | ||
Directors and Named Executive Officers: | ||||
Roland Austrup ................................................................................... | 863,264 | 1.61% | ||
James O. Donnally(1) ........................................................................... | 4,224,536 | 7.90% | ||
Gregory W. Haskell ............................................................................ | 752,115 | 1.41% | ||
Michael Otworth(2) .............................................................................. | 2,942,902 | 5.50% | ||
John Scott(3) ......................................................................................... | 2,081,653 | 3.89% | ||
David Yablunosky .............................................................................. | 185,871 | * | ||
Suzanne Niemeyer .............................................................................. | 153,005 | * | ||
Bruce Brown ....................................................................................... | — | * | ||
Elizabeth Williams .............................................................................. | — | * | ||
Daniel J. Hennessy .............................................................................. | 1,170,262 | 2.19% | ||
Michael Amalfitano ............................................................................ | — | * | ||
All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group (11 Individuals) ..... | 12,373,608 | 23.13% | ||
Five Percent Holders | ||||
WE-INN LLC(4) .................................................................................. | 9,235,795 | 17.27% | ||
Ascent X Innventure TC, A Series of Ascent X Innventure, LP(5) ..... | 3,541,685 | 6.59% | ||
CastleKnight Master Fund LP(6) .......................................................... | 3,953,354 | 7.39% | ||
Glockner Family Venture Fund, LP(7) ................................................ | 4,680,272 | 8.75% |
Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights(1)(a) | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights(2)(b) | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))(3)(c) | |||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders ............................................ | 3,878,195 | $12.20 | 7,144,699 | |||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holder ............................................. | — | — | — | |||
TOTAL ............................................................ | 3,878,195 | $12.20 | 7,144,699 |
By Order of the Board of Directors | ||
Suzanne Niemeyer Corporate Secretary May 9, 2025 |